a new stage production of The Pirates of Penzance which received a triple platinum video and an ARIA Award. He then created new versions of The Mikado and HMS Pinafore, and a new production of The Merry Widow. His company also produced Terrence McNally’s Master Class and Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Simon has also been involved in a revival production of The Pirates of Penzance (opened in Brisbane in 2001), the $6 million Australian musical Eureka (in 2004 in association with the Melbourne International Arts Festival) and a new production of The Mikado (opened in Brisbane in 2008 and in Adelaide in 2009). In 2007, Simon initiated Showstoppers, a series of music-theatre workshops for young people. Helene George Member Helene George is Company Director of Creative Economy, a company internationally recognised for creative business development. Helene was a keynote speaker at the First International Cultural and Creative Industries Forum in Beijing, a member of the Prime Minister’s Working Party for Creativity in the Innovation Economy and developed Australia’s first Creative Industries Strategy for the Brisbane City Council. Helene has over 15 years experience in management and consulting throughout Australia. She has worked as a manager of creative companies and facilities, export trade representative and as an executive in local government. In addition to successfully managing her own business for over a decade, she has been engaged as a business development consultant and policy adviser by both government and the private sector. Most recently, Helene was honoured with a Leadership Award at the 2007 Future Leadership Summit by Australia’s pre-eminent leadership organisation, AusDavos. Paul Piticco Member Since their inception in 1990, Paul Piticco has managed the career of multiplatinum, multi-award winning Brisbane act, Powderfinger. Forming Secret Service Artist Management in the late 1990s, Paul continues to manage numerous artists including Bernard Fanning and The Grates. In 2001, Paul created Dew Process Recordings, a label which has signed many successful Australian artists and distributes the music of international artists in Australia and New Zealand. Paul is also heavily involved in live music through his annual arts and music festival, Splendour in the Grass and tour promotion business, Secret Sounds. Paul created and staged PAUHAUS: A Festival of Contemporary Music as part of the multi-million dollar re-launch of the Brisbane Powerhouse in June 2007. In the same year, he co-promoted Across The Great Divide – a live tour of Australia and New Zealand headlined by Powderfinger and Silverchair. Across The Great Divide was a carbon-neutral event, and was presented by reconcile.org.au in an effort to reduce the 17 year gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. In 2008, Paul added a further dimension to the now well established Dew Process Label, with the creation of a publishing arm. Rhonda White Member Rhonda White is co-founder of the Terry White Chemists Group of pharmacies and Managing Director, White Retail Group Pty Ltd. Rhonda is also a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. She is a pharmacist and an organisational psychologist and consults to the retail industry and currently owns and operates a number of pharmacies throughout Australia. Rhonda has served on a number of boards including the Energex Retail Board, the Ergon Energy Board, the Australian College of Natural Medicine Advisory Board, the Nudgee College Foundation Board and the Terry White Chemists Board and she was Foundation Chairman of the Queensland Cancer Fund Volunteers Committee. Rhonda was awarded the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World International Award in 2000, the National Business Bulletin – Business Star of the Year in 2000, the Pharmacy Guild Distinguished Service Award for services to the pharmacy industry in Australia in 2004 and is a recipient of the 2006 Pharmacy Practice Foundation Medal of Excellence. Leigh Tabrett PSM BA(Hons) State Government Representative In March 2005, Leigh Tabrett PSM was appointed Deputy Director-General, Arts Queensland. In this role, she is responsible for arts and cultural policy, arts funding, capital programs and relationships with statutory authorities and other arts organisations. Prior to taking up this role, she was Assistant Director-General (Education) with responsibility for international, non-state and higher education. Leigh has served on numerous national higher education advisory bodies and boards. 34
YEAR IN REVIEW The Mikado. 35
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