CDI (Community Development Initatives) 1996 – 2002

This page focuses on the work I did in Melbourne Australia between 1996 and 2002.  From 1993 until 1995 I was charged with coordinating 16 local community events annually.  Each took place in a distinct “city” and came with its own budget.  Many were one or two days long and attended by approxiamntely 2000 people each.  In 1996, the 16 bouroughs were merged into 4 separate cities and the budgets of  all the events was consolidated. Shortly thereafter, the city councils engaged a corporation called Community Development Initatives to organise the events.  Thankfully they came to me and asked me to maintain my postiion as festival coordiantor.

For the next 7 years I was charged with maintining the festivals which, by the end of my tenure, had been slowly reduced from 16 to 4.  As community festivals were no longer taking place close to where people were living, the attendance remained at about 2000 people per event.  Infrastructure costs had risen from 10% of the budget to. 45%.  Artist budget began to shrink and I was only able to offer 25% of the talent that I had initially engaged when I first took on the brief.  It became untenable to continue at the level of quality I had set for the events and I resigned the position in 2002.