Join SAMAG and Jess Scully, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney as she explores how the cities around Australia and the world can use their resources to support artists, culture, and creativity through times of lockdown and recovery.

As artists and arts workers move their work to a digital space, what happens to the investment in creative spaces and cultural venues? What role can the creative community have in rebuilding the city and its economy? And what opportunities do we have to remake the city to support a fairer and more equitable society?

Our discussion will be moderated by Ann Mossop, Founder of Festival of Dangerous Ideas and Director for the Centre of Ideas at UNSW.

Jess Scully is a curator, cultural strategist and creative industries advocate who is passionate about cities and city-making. From 2009 to 2017 Jess was the founding director of Vivid Ideas, Australia’s largest creative industries event, and has curated creative sector events including Junket, TEDxSydney and Curating Participation. Jess was a founding contributor to the Sydney Culture Network, launched in late 2017. In 2016 Jess was elected as a Councillor and in 2019 was elected Deputy Lord Mayor for the City of Sydney.

Jess is an advocate for the knowledge economy, creative and cultural sector, and encouraging participation in politics, creativity, and enlivening our public realm. As a public art curator, her projects included Green Square Library and Plaza. She has served as an arts policy advisor to the NSW Minister for the Arts, directed the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards and the Creative Cities East Asia project, and began her career as editor of a number of creative industries publications including Yen, Empty and Hotpress.

Ann Mossop is the Director of the Centre for Ideas at UNSW Sydney, a new program designed to contribute to public conversations about important ideas and issues. Previously, as Head of Talks and Ideas at the Sydney Opera House from 2010-2017, Ann established the Opera House’s extensive talks and ideas program and lead key projects like the Festival of Dangerous Ideas and All about Women. Throughout her career, she has been involved with important initiatives to bring the work of writers and thinkers to broader audiences, from the pioneering series Writers in the Park to the re-establishment of the Sydney Writers’ Festival.