Creative trailblazers at Conflux Bendigo

By Gregor Mactaggart

Aug 15, 2022

Showstopper: Geoffrey Williams will take part in Conflux Bendigo.

Creative trailblazers are set to converge over two days next month for the inaugural Conflux Bendigo.

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Thought-provoking conversations, inspirational performance, enlightening workshops and purposeful connections will be at the heart of the September 9 and 10 event.

Staged across several venues central to Bendigo’s art precinct, including the iconic Capital Theatre, Conflux Bendigo explores the theme of ‘A Brave New World’.

Creative: Louise Terra. Photo: Jeannie Brown. (MUST CREDIT)

Conflux Bendigo will inspire creatives in progressing their practice, creating a place and opportunity for collaboration, while simultaneously influencing public sector policy and private enterprise thinking by challenging norms around creativity.

Comprising panel discussions, masterclasses, practitioner presentations, group forums, lively debates, Q&As, workshops, networking opportunities, performance, installations and more, Conflux Bendigo is diverse in its offering, bringing a festival vibe to a business-focused event.

Inspiration: Eliza Hull is among the presenters at Conflux Bendigo. Photo: Michell Grace Hunder Photo by Michell Grace Hunder

It will explore the role that creativity plays in driving innovation and how creatives can harness and drive emerging technology and themes to deliver ground-breaking new works.

The list of presenters is from the top drawer and features many of the state’s most progressive thinkers, including:

• Daylesford’s Tahlia Stanton, who has managed to supercharge her artistic practice through social media, having collected 1.4 million TikTok followers and close to half a million followers on Instagram. Ms Stanton will discuss building a creative career using social media.

Social media star: Tahlia Stanton has more than 1.4 million followers on TikTok.

• Malthouse Theatre chief executive Sarah Neal will discuss its response to COVID-19 through the immersive experience Because The Night.

• NIDA’s artistic director in residence David Berthold will share his thoughts on five trends towards the future of live performance.

A penny for your thoughts: NIDA artistic director in residence David Berthold will be among the guest presenters at Conflux Bendigo.

• Professor Katherine Boydell from the Black Dog Institute will be talking about the impact of creativity on health.

• The innovative triumvirate of Glenn Harvey, Caleb Maxwell and Anne Henshall share their vision for regional creativity.

• Eliza Hull will talk about her experience as a disabled artist.

• Amaara Raheem, fresh being announced in this year’s ABC top five artistic minds, presents A Field Guide to Collaboration, Experimentation and Process.