Photo Credit | Chris Lane; St George Leader Newspaper
Photo Credit | Joanne Chiang
Momentum Arts Connects People, Partners and Places
Working at the nexus of Arts, Community and Government, Momentum Arts is a platform for facilitation and growth, specialising in arts projects and strategic planning benefitting organisations and communities – through health, well-being, engagement and connection
About Me
Nigel Lavender
I bring decades of international experience in the Performing Arts to leverage great outcomes for all my clients.
I am best-known in Australia for my tenure (2008-18) as Executive Director of Queensland Music Festival, but my career journey in the UK and Australia has encompassed Producing, Venue management, Touring, Board membership and facilitation, Funding administration and Peer Assessment, Strategic Planning, Arts & Disability, Arts & Mental Health, and Arts in Education. I have been running Momentum Arts since 2019.
I specialise in; consultation to the Queensland Arts sector and State and Local Government, Strategic Planning for organisations, Development of arts production concepts, Festival and Event Production, and advice on and management of State, Local and Federal arts funding. I have extensive knowledge of regional Queensland with a wide network of contacts and peers in State Government, Local Government and the Regional Arts Services Network.
I take a holistic approach to assessing big picture issues, building partnerships to deliver coherent plans for future growth. My approach is creative, rigorous and solutions-focused, informed by international and multi-faceted experience in stakeholder and community engagement, major event management, and funding programs at all levels and from all sources.
services
How we can help
Executive Producer
Event scoping, Budget management, Contractual negotiation, Fundraising, Stakeholder engagement, Arts programming and delivery, Conference support
Strategic and Cultural Planning
Creating organisational blueprints, Stakeholder engagement, Visioning, Objective prioritisation, Goal-setting supporting sustainable delivery
NFP Business Development
Support for Growth strategies, Financial modelling, Mentoring and Leadership coaching
Grants
Advice on applications, assessment, administration and design. Current Peer Assessor for Arts Queensland, Festivals Australia and the Australia Council
Board Membership
Current Board Member Access Arts, available for other voluntary positions
Facilitation and Training
Community engagement, Organisational development, Event Design, Grant-making
Experience
Clients we have worked with
Experience
Queensland Music Festival
Led a multi-faceted team to deliver ideas and projects largely self-produced and conceived in multiple partnerships, to ensure the successful delivery of a state-wide biennial festival.
Key outcomes included:
- Established a template and structure attracting James Morrison as Artistic Director (2013 and 2015) followed by Katie Noonan (2017 and 2019)
- Audiences increased by 120% since 2009; total events risen by 58%;turnover increased by 40% to $8m; and increase in corporate sponsorship of 500%
- In 2016 – 2017 QMF: reached 130,000 people, with a 97% approval rating; delivered 33 free programs with in total more than 800 performances, events and workshops; commissioned 13 World premieres; achieved an ASR of $5.5m with a reach of 58m; and broke all records for corporate and philanthropic support
- Developed enduring relationships with Trusts and Corporates (Aurizon, Tim Fairfax Foundation) which increased corporate support fivefold since 2008, with $1.5m achieved in 2017 by strategically aligning high exposure and popular appeal with artistic aims and social need to create corporate will
- Led major cash and in-kind partnerships with fundraising from all sources totalling $3.4m in 2016-17
- In 2018 led the successful tender process for QMF to take up the role of State Coordination Office together with the North Queensland hub for the Regional Arts Service Network.
Executive Director
Queensland Music Festival
May 2008 – Nov 2018
Brisbane Australia
VIDEO LINKS
The Big Anxiety
The Big Reach
QUT Gardens Point on Turrbal and Jagera Land Meanjin (Brisbane)
The Big Anxiety 2022 Naarm
RMIT, Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Land (Melbourne)
Queensland Music Festival
You’re the Voice | Queensland Music Festival’s Mass Choral Concert
You’re the Voice was a pioneering choral project encouraging Australians to unite their voices and turn the tide on domestic violence.
QMF 2013 – Breaking the Guinness World Record for the World’s Biggest Orchestra
7,224 musicians playing at the iconic Suncorp Stadium.
Yarrabah Band Festival
QMF created a brand new annual festival on Gunggandji and Yidinji Land, 50 kilometres from Cairns
QMF 2015 – Under This Sky, Logan
The biggest ever QMF community event featured a cast of 800 people, celebrating
the stories of their community, with all music written by local songwriters
Testimonials
What they say about us
Scientia Professor Jill Bennett
University of NSW, Artistic Director, The Big Anxiety
“Nigel is without question the best Executive Producer I have worked with. Nigel is very well connected across the arts sector and has a remarkable facility to make productive connections, whilst also running a very “tight ship”. Aside from his exceptional skillset, what I most value about working with Nigel is that the experience is always enjoyable and fulfilling. As an Executive Producer, it makes an enormous difference to be able to rely on Nigel’s meticulous planning and on-the-ground management, and I recommend him unreservedly.”
James Morrison AM
Artistic Director of QMF 2012-15
“Nigel is one of those rare individuals who manages to combine a strict work ethic and adherence to goals, KPIs and procedures with real heart and a passion for not only the ‘mission’ but the people with whom he works. Nigel is always quick to innovate and embrace new opportunities in a timely fashion… In any role where the attributes of sincerity, diligence, experience and integrity are valued, I could not recommend him more highly.”
Artistic Director of QMF 2008-2011
From Book of Life: “The CEO had to be the caution to my throwing caution-to-the-wind…..I loved having someone to do battle with. Every time we’d fight over whatever I held dear and he said we couldn’t afford, the overall structure of the festival became stronger for it. It is no fun wrestling a feather pillow and Nigel was not that. Nigel was yin to my yang, and he always had my back.”
Kerryanne Farrer
Executive Officer, Flying Arts Alliance
“As CEO of Flying Arts Alliance, I engaged Nigel’s services between 2020 and 2022. His adept management of grants worth $1.7m from the Regional Arts Fund showcased his commitment to fostering artistic talent and cultural expression, and his contribution in writing a Strategic Review for the Board demonstrated his strategic thinking and holistic approach to developing coherent plans. His wide network of contacts and peers, along with his exceptional connections to major arts organisations, further enrich his leadership in the sector. Nigel is an invaluable asset to any organisation or project.”
Paul Mason
Australia Council for the Arts
“I am extremely familiar with Nigel’s successful leadership of the Queensland Music Festival… a complex, geographically vast, important cultural event. Nigel has grown the scale, impact and relevance of the organisation significantly, skilfully managing a large team and multiple partners. I’ve personally admired Nigel’s capacity to drive and deliver on a long term and ambitious plan.”
Department of Premier and Cabinet
“I recommend Nigel unreservedly – if you want it done, and you want it done really well, with the minimum of fuss, on time, on budget, so that you can be confident that when the Premier shows up that they will be happy, then go with him.”