Future of Arts, Culture & Technology Symposium (FACT 2023)
Exploring the future of arts, culture, and technology in Australia – and the mindsets, capabilities and skills we need to get there.
Recorded talks (14 & 15 Feb 2023)
Hosted at ACMI over two days on 14 & 15 Feb 2023, the Future of Arts, Culture & Technology Symposium was aimed at cultural leaders, policy makers, practitioners and those wanting to understand how we make the most of the possible future trajectories of technology in the arts.
Attendees heard from artists and creators, senior cultural leaders, experienced creative technologists, academics and researchers from across the arts in a mix of presentation formats and panel discussions.
This symposium drew on the success of the multi-art form CEO Digital Mentoring program which ran throughout 2021 and 2022, and asked how those lessons might benefit the whole of the arts and culture.
Speakers
- Jane Finnis (Director, Culture24, UK)
- Victoria Ivanova (R&D Strategic Lead, Serpentine Galleries, UK)
- Sam Lavigne (artist & educator, USA)
- Tega Brain (artist & environmental engineer, USA)
- Mimi Ọnụọha (artist, USA)
- Liam Young (designer, director, producer, USA)
- Cory Doctorow (science fiction author, activist and journalist, Canada)
- Professor Rebecca Giblin (ARC Future Fellow, Professor at Melbourne Law School, and the Director of the Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia)
- Esther Anatolitis (Editor of Meanjin, arts advocate)
- Professor Larissa Hjorth (School of Media & Communication, RMIT)
- Professor Dan Hill (Director, Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne)
- Professor Jean Burgess, Professor of Digital Media, Digital Media Research Centre, QUT
- Dr Indigo Holcombe-James (ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, RMIT)
- Anne Dunn (Executive Director, Sydney Theatre Company)
- Kath Mainland (Chief Executive, Adelaide Festival)
- Tim Stitz (Executive Producer & Co-CEO, Back to Back Theatre)
- Katrina Sedgwick (Director & CEO at Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation)
- Joel Sherwood Spring (independent artist)
- Seb Chan (Director & CEO, ACMI)
- Keri Elmsly (Executive Director of Programming, ACMI)
- Lucie Paterson (Head of Experience Product & Digital, ACMI)
- Dr Sarah Barns (independent artist-researcher, ESEM Projects)
- Paul Callaghan (Head of Games & Interactive, VicScreen)
- Jamie Lewis (CEO/Executive Director, Next Wave Festival)
- Ana Tiquia (artist, future strategist & Director, All Tomorrow's Futures)
- Stuart Buchanan (Head of Digital Programming, Sydney Opera House)
- Paula Bray (Head of Digital Engagement & Insight, Australian National Maritime Museum)
- Morgan Strong (Digital Transformation Manager, QAGOMA)
- Teina Herzer (Executive Director, National Digital Forum, NZ)
- Claire Evans (Director, Junior Major)
- Dr Bobby Cerini (Deputy Director and General Manager of Science and Learning, Questacon)
- Dr Keir Winesmith (Chief Digital Officer, National Film and Sound Archive)
- Penny Whitehead (Deputy Director Development and Commercial Operations, Geelong Gallery)
- Sejul Malde (Strategic Research Development Manager, Australian National University)
- Fiona Tuomy (Artistic Director, The Other Film Festival & Manager, Digital Innovation, Arts Access Victoria)
Related initiatives

CEO Digital Mentoring Program
ACMI, in conjunction with the Australia Council’s national Cultural Digital Program, will run a new pilot mentoring initiative for strategic technology and digital mentoring for cultural organisations.

Foundry658
Supporting creative people to transform their ideas into sustainable businesses; an initiative of the Victorian Government’s Creative State strategy delivered by ACMI and State Library Victoria.

ACMI Xcel Accelerator
Where creative technology meets cultural entrepreneurship. Supported by Launch Vic.