Lindsay Bingham President
Lindsay is a former President of BAA (from October 2020 to October 21). He is an art collector/Patron of the Arts and a supporter of all mediums of art – music, painting, sculpture, design, theatre, etc. He is aiming, along with BAA, to promote and encourage a positive, supportive & connective environment for all artists in this region and beyond.
Ailsa Du Bois Vice-President
Ailsa grew up in Adelaide, then lived in Sydney and Melbourne, before making her tree-change to Ballarat 18 years ago. She is a passionate supporter of our diverse local arts communities. Back in 2013 to 2014, she chaired BAA’s ‘Spaces’ sub-committee.
Ailsa is a creative type having published non-fiction and poetry, and exhibited photography and multi-media/collage arts. She has worked professionally as an arts administrator, across all mediums. Ailsa has directed a significant multi-arts festival; managed communications for a major urban redevelopment project; worked in galleries and museums; written for newspapers and magazines as a theatre, book and design reviewer, and celebrity profiler; worked as a television policy and grant writer, and as a prime-time music DJ for radio. Ailsa was also a Coordinator and Lecturer of several Marketing courses at Federation University for 4 years, last decade. These days, Ailsa is back working full-time in the Higher Education publishing industry for a global corporation.
Her recent Masters’ degree resulted in a lengthy thesis on ‘Lost Spaces of Popular Theatrical Entertainment, Ballarat Goldfields, 1850s – 1870’. She is an incurable cultural heritage activist, management committee member of Ballarat Heritage Watch, and has served as the community representative on Council’s Ballarat Heritage Advisory Committee for the past 5 years.
M.A., Writing & Literature (Deakin); M.A., Journalism (U.T.S.); B.A. Hons.1, Political History (Flinders); Cert. Tourism (Adelaide TAFE).
Claire Blake Secretary
Claire is a visual artist and has worked in tertiary arts education for 20 years. She is an active supporter of the local arts community and has been a member of several local arts committees, including BAF, BAA, the AGOB Association, and was a founding member of Space 22 Artist Run Initiative. As secretary of BAA she hopes to be able to provide support to the committee of management whilst supporting local artists and the Ballarat arts community. She likes cats, chocolate and most things from the 1970’s.
Tim Gay Treasurer
Tim (BBus(Acc) CPA Associate) joined Crowe Horwath as an accountant in 1989 while completing his degree at Ballarat University (or BCAE as it was back then) and now works at TRG Accountants in Ballarat. Tim has over 30 years of experience in accounting services and specialises in business and taxation services providing advice in taxation, tax planning, business structuring, Capital Gains Tax, GST, and Fringe Benefits Tax. Professional background: Deputy chairman of Her Majesty’s Theatre, served on various local committees and boards including Ballarat District Scout Association, Sunways Retirement Home, BLOC Music Theatre and the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra. Member of several local theatre companies. Ballarat born and bred Tim is married with four children – all of whom are active in the arts. He met his wife in the prop bay of Her Maj – and considers the theatre his second home. You’ll see him onstage in November in BLOC’s production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” featuring along-side his youngest son.
Peter Sparkman Communications Officer
A locally born and bred Creative Ballaratian (pronounced ‘Balla-ray-shun’ thank-you very much); Peter has been a visual artist for 40 years or more and has a BAVA in Drawing/Sculpture with a minor in Printmaking and an ADGD (Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design). Observation and drawing have always been the basis for exploration of any subject over the years and he employs multiple styles, which depend on the medium he’s using and the visual he wishes to achieve. He tends to use both photography (a major interest) and drawing as a means to an end with many of his works. Moving into digital art in the 2,000’s, he now tends to draw mostly in Adobe illustrator, sometimes combining that output with Photoshop. He has moved towards illustrated pop art/comic based images lately and tends to focus on subjects like humour, nature, spirituality, social comment, and fantasy. His works guide the viewer to think laterally, through the inclusion of humour or other stimuli that engage shared memories and associated emotions. This draws them to think, form an opinion and act as a ‘spark’ for further stimulating creative activities. Creativity, local history and communications are of great interest to him, as he enjoys networking information and disseminating it to interested parties in order to help create a better environment and culture around us. He loved designing the layout/collecting the information and visuals for the Arts & Culture Unit of the City of Ballarat’s monthly 60-page ‘ARTeFACT’ Newsletter until the council closed it down in late 2018. He hopes to help make Ballarat a better place by contributing to BAA via his local knowledge and skill base.
Jannine Bennett Ordinary Member
I am a maker, builder and collector. I began building tree fern huts as a child then progressed to photography, embroidery, sewing, furniture making/restoring and mosaics. A top character strength is “Appreciation of Beauty”. I am also a member of the Soldiers Hill Artists Collective and have participated in a number of their exhibitions. Photography is my main creative outlet especially when travelling overseas..
Jenny Peers Ordinary Member
Jenny Peers is a Ballarat based visual artist working in a variety of media, including oil painting, collage, assemblage and works on paper. She enjoys running workshops to encourage creativity.
Jenny has a background in arts administration, having worked as Orchestral Projects Officer for Orchestra Victoria. She convened and managed a monthly arts market at the Abbotsford Convent. She also has 5 years of experience as a paralegal with the City of Melbourne. Jenny has a Bachelor of Music from the University of Melbourne, a Diploma of Visual Arts, and a postgraduate qualification in Organisation Dynamics.