Andrea Gower

Arts Worker / Festival Director / Event Organiser / Band Manager / Grant Writer / Cultural Development / Youth Arts / Project Coordinatior

Andrea has been involved in the Arts Industry as an Arts worker for the past 15 years and is deeply passionate about arts and culture particularly fostering regional communities and the creative energies of our youth. She plays an active role in her community on the Tablelands in Far North Queensland as grant writer providing strategic business planning and mentoring to artists and organisations.

Andrea also supports her community as a committee member for the Tablelands Regional Council - Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). Andrea was the Project Coordinator for Tablelands Regional Councils Creative Arts For Everyone’ CAFÉ project in Herberton. CAFE involved a series of youth arts workshops held over four towns. Other projects Andrea has coordinated include a town mural youth arts project, Steppin Up youth workshops and a PCYC National Youth Week event all held in Herberton.

Studying a Bachelor of Creative Industries at QUT in Brisbane, Andrea’s journey in the Arts has been very rewarding and exciting. Currently Andrea is contracted to Cape York Natural Resource Management whom is partnered with UMI Arts (the peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultural organisation for Far North Queensland) on major project ‘Combating Litter & Illegal Dumping Creatively on Cape York’. This project uses recycled rubbish to create art raising awareness on environmental issues caused by litter & illegal dumping. Andrea is the Co-Project Coordinator with Waratah Nicholls, together they form the Cape Create Crew visiting schools and events in Cape with their LitterED environmental arts program. This project is funded by Queensland Government.

Andrea also works full time as a Teacher Aide in the Arts Department at Mount St Bernard College, in Herberton. The uniqueness of this school it is made up of 75% Indigenous students traveling from Cape York Peninsula, Torres Strait Islands, Papua New Guinea, Mornington Island and Northern Territory communities. This role extends to organising events such as NAIDOC and Close The Gap plus other arts orientated opportunities for students.

Andrea has expertise in Events and Festivals working as an Artist Liaison on Island Vibe Festival (Stradbroke Island), Co-Directing West End Carnivale in Brisbane and Co-Directing Kuranda Roots Festival in Far North Queensland. Andrea has also been the Cultural Coordinator for Kuranda Roots Festival creating a cultural exchange between Kuranda band Gudju Gudju and Leweton Water Music from Vanuatu. All three festivals have a strong commitment to showcasing emerging artists, Indigenous and cultural acts as well an eclectic program of established acts from Australia and overseas.

Andrea has a background in the Australian Music Industry as a Band Manager, Tour Manager and in Production. This led to her involvement with QMusic working closely with QMusic (Queensland Music) being mentored by Leanne DeSouza in Music Management (Business Development) for her work with Indigenous Reggae, Rock, Hip-Hop Band Zennith from rainforest town Kuranda in Far North Queensland. During this work Andrea liaised with Government Agency QIAMEA (Queensland Indigenous Arts Marketing Export Agency) and was a guest speaker on many music industry panels at the Tanks Arts Centre. As a result Andrea represented North Queensland funded by Cairns Regional Council at QMusic’s BigSound Music Conference in Brisbane.

Andrea previously worked for Arts Nexus (one of the peak development agencies for the creative sectors and communities of Tropical North Queensland) as the Regional Arts and Cultural Coordinator. This was made up of four hubs and Andrea represented the Western Region of Far North Queensland from Julatten to Kuranda, covering the entire Tablelands as far West as Croydon. Her role involved communicating, supporting development of artists, mentoring, networking, linking Hubs, identifying needs, sharing skills and conducting workshops.

Andrea’s vision is to inspire, sharing her skills, collaborating, networking and assisting others to achieve their dreams. Her key to success is passion and strength. ‘Teamwork makes the Dreamwork’.