The Long Haul

John Birmingham has published lots of books. So many that he sort of loses track of them. He wrote features for magazines in a decade before publishing He Died With A Falafel In His Hand, working for Rolling Stone, Playboy and the Long Bay Prison News among others. He won the National Award For Non-Fiction with Leviathan: an unauthorised biography of Sydney. He started writing airport novels because they were more fun. His most recent series of books that improve with altitude are the Girl in Time novels. 

Bridget Ikin is a passionate champion of new and innovative filmmaking, having worked as an independent producer in both Australia and New Zealand for more than 25 years. Her key credits include Sherpa (director Jen Peedom, 2015), Look Both Ways (director Sarah Watt, 2005) and An Angel at my Table (Director Jane Campion, 1990). Alongside her producing work, Bridget was the head of SBSi commissioning 400+ hours of distinct television programming including documentary, drama and features. She was the associate director of the Adelaide Festival 2002 and worked as executive producer on The Tracker, Australian Rules, Walking on Water and Kabbarli. Brigid has also been a long-serving board member of the South Australian Film Corporation.

Penny Cook is renowned throughout Australia and fondly recognised for her many roles in some of Australia's most popular television programs. Having graduated from NIDA in 1978, Penny made her television debut in The Restless Years. Since then, her career has seen her appear in a long and distinguished list of some of Australia's most successful television programs. These include E-Street, GP, The Flying Doctors and of course who could forget her role as “Vicki the Vet” in the much loved A Country Practice.

Penny's television experience also includes presenting for several years on The Great Outdoors. Her wide range of experience and skills has seen her involved in several films and also nearly 40 theatrical productions throughout her career as both actress and director. In 1979 she helped to form the Griffin Theatre Company (Sydney) for which she performed numerous times. She has also appeared for the Sydney Theatre Company, the Queensland Theatre Company, Northside (Marian Street) Theatre Company, and in several national tours including Sir Peter Hall's production of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, and in the John Bell/Richard Tognetti production The Solder's Tale with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Penny has been a panelist on Good News Week, a guest presenter at The Logies on several occasions, Good Morning Australia, Sunrise, Tonight Live, and she is also spokeswoman for several prominent Australian charities. In the corporate arena, she is a much sought after speaker, presenter and master of ceremonies for award evenings, formal functions, seminars and conferences. Penny is noted for her warmth, experience, professionalism, rapport, humour, down-to-earth style and natural exuberance.

Sarah Carroll has performed at most of Australia’s high profile festivals over a 25-year career. She launched her epic progressive country album Star Parade in March with new band The Left Wing, featuring ace Producer Leigh Ivin on guitars and her talented son George on bass. Sarah has travelled twice to the US in the past two years; to Nashville, Austin and San Francisco in 2014 and to Hawaii in 2016. Sarah returned to Nashville afterwards to take part in the Americana Music Conference with the assistance of Creative Victoria and met her heroes, Robbie Fulks and Lucinda Williams.

Monica Davidson is an award-winning expert on the creative industries, who began her creative life as a freelance journalist and filmmaker before starting a production company in the early '90s. Her experience highlighted how unprepared creative people can be for a life of entrepreneurship. Monica began using her expertise to help other creative practitioners develop and improve their business skills, and she now works with individual practitioners and larger arts organisations as a business advisor, strategic consultant and workshop facilitator. She focuses on goal setting, business and strategic planning, financial literacy and understanding markets.

Monica is a regular guest lecturer at AFTRS and NIDA, and she is the Australia author of Freelancing for Dummies. In 2013, Monica was appointed as the first NSW Creative Industries Business Advisor through SmallBizConnect, and in 2014 completed her Masters Degree in Screen Business at AFTRS. In 2015, Monica was named as one of the Westpac 100 Women of Influence for her work in the creative industries. Her award-winning company Creative Plus Business Group is part of the City of Sydney Creative Spaces project, and in 2017 the company joined the NSW Department of Industry Business Connect program as creative industries business specialists for the state.