WAF Committee
The Whitsundays Arts Festival committee is made up of enthusiastic and hard-working volunteers. They are Whitsunday residents involved in the arts, business, education and tourism industries. We are all contactable at:
info@whitsundaysartsfestival.org
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Jessica Begun - President
Festival Coordinator/Artist/ Documentary Filmmaker
Jess Begun has been involved in arts practice and administration for fifty years on three different continents. After actively participating in the arts in Sydney, Brisbane and Maleny in theatre, film and ceramics, Jess moved to the Whitsundays looking forward to finding an opportunity to practice and promote the arts in this region. Jess and her husband acquired property at Cape Gloucester in 1995 and built the Eco Resort before moving here full time in 2013.
Lorraine Christianson - Secretary
Active within the admin teams of primarily sporting organisations for over 40 years, Lorraine also enjoys & follows the arts. Textile Art have been her primary interest during her years living in Australia, the UK & the USA. Her extensive travels in North & South America, Europe & Asia have increased her diversity of interests and she now brings this to the Whitsunday community through volunteering for the Arts Festival.
Pamella Regan-Fox - Treasurer
Pam is passionate about the arts, and dedicates her time to supporting the industry, as well as volunteering in other various pursuits such as wildlife rescue and environmental sustainability. An artist herself, she has been involved with the Festival since its inception.
Anna Sparkes - Marketing Director
Anna has extensive experience within business development, philanthropy, and marketing & event management. Working with leading not-for-profit arts, marketing and philanthropic organisations, she has been responsible for delivering strategic marketing campaigns and extending the reach and impact of the organisations regionally and nationally.
WAF TEAM
Sandy Guy - Workshop Coordinator
Sandy currently resides in Townsville and is the lead visual arts teacher at Townsville Tafe. Sandy worked on the 2020 Festival as web designer and social media marketing. She returns in 2022 as the committee member responsible for art workshops and residencies. Herself an artist, Sandy ran the Street Art Workshop at the 2020 Festival.
Sofia Fortunato - Children’s Workshop Coordinator
Sofia Fortunato (pen name Miss Sofi F.) is a published children’s book writer and illustrator. With a background in Marine Sciences and Arts, she writes and illustrates stories that connect children with nature. She is the founder of Little Red House Books and lives in the Whitsundays with her family.