Updated 3 days ago  |  PRIVACY POLICY    
ICE

The ICE Team

Director, ICE and Switch

LENA NAHLOUS is a cultural development worker, arts manager and writer. She has worked for over a decade in non-government organisations, managing and collaborating on initiatives that have engaged thousands of people, particularly women, refugees, migrants and young people. At ICE, she established Artfiles, a portal and directory for Western Sydney artists, the Switch Multimedia and Digital Arts Access Centre and was a co-founder of the Sydney Arab Film Festival. In 2006 Lena spent four months in Hong Kong as a recipient of an Asialink Arts Fellowship and in 2008 is undertaking the Asialink Leadership program. She is also a published writer and has produced work for radio, anthologies and performance. Lena also sits on the NSW Government Arts Advisory Committee.

Manager – Research and Policy Development

CAITLIN VAUGHAN has had over ten years experience in advocacy and community development, as well as in campaigns, publications and media. She has worked as a trade union organiser, waitress, policy analyst, project manager and has long followed side interests in photography, literature, cultural history and music. In recent years, she has turned her attention full-time to cultural development, including a stint at the University of Western Sydney’s Centre for Cultural Research on research into creative industries, arts development and cultural planning.

Manager – Cultural Development Program

MOUNA ZAYLAH has worked in the arts and community cultural development sector for over 12 years. She has worked at ICE since 1998 as an Arts Administrator, Marketing Coordinator, and Arts Project Manager. She has also worked in numerous arts roles in Western Sydney, including Urban Theatre Projects (1992-7); Promotions Coordinator, Arabmade exhibition (1998); Workshop and Artist Residency Coordinator, Furious, Pacific Wave Festival (1998); Curatorial Assistant, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (1998); Publicist, Gibran Khalil Gibran, TAQA Theatre (1999). She is a qualified trainer with a Certificate 4 in Workplace Assessment and Training, and a Certificate in Community Cultural Development (CCDNSW).

Community Information Technology Project Manager

LILIANA RUTI is an experienced community development worker, holding a Bachelor of Social Work, Associate Diploma in Social Sciences (Community Welfare) and Certificate 4 in Workplace Training and Assessment and has worked in various capacities in the social and community sector since 1993. She has worked extensively with diverse communities, including newly arrived migrants and refugees, Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders, social housing tenants, children and youth at risk of abuse, victims of sexual assault. Liliana has also worked with several community organisations, agencies and government to initiate and manage innovative projects to achieve social change. At ICE since 2003, Liliana draws on Information Technology as a tool for community development and organisational capacity building. Recently she has initiated the Connecting IT multimedia and digital arts training program for community-based organisations and has been instrumental in planning the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Making Links Conferences, focussed on IT capacity building for the Non Profit Sector.

Urban Music Project Coordinator

TREY THOMAS (aka MC Trey) dubbed ‘a national treasure’ by Inthemix.com.au, has firmly established herself as a prominent artist within hip-hop and urban music in Australia over the past 12 years. Since 1995 Trey has entertained crowds around Australia, NZ, US, UK and Japan. She has released two albums, ‘Daily Affirmations’ and ‘Tapastry Tunes’, and has performed around Australia, Fiji, NZ, USA, Japan and the UK. She has also performed on the Big Day Out Tours and supported and performed with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Lupe Fiasco, Common, The Fugees, Ugly Duckling, Naughty by Nature, Run DMC, Michael Franti, RZA, XZIBIT and JURASSIC5 and more. She has hosted TV music shows, coordinated the Hip-hop festival, ‘Urban Xpressions’ and many other hip-hop and community music events. Her most recent release was a collaborative album with Maya Jupiter and DJ Nick Toth as ‘Foreign Heights’, which received an ARIA nomination for the ‘Get Yours’ remix. Trey started at ICE as a project participant in 2001 and has been contracted over the years as a workshop facilitator and performer. Her full-time stint at ICE was realised in 2006 through winning a Vodafone Australia Foundation ‘World of Difference’ grant. She is now employed part-time as ICE’s Urban Music Program Coordinator.

IT and Facilities Officer

JEROME PEARCE has worked on many levels with the wider community providing Technical Support, especially with Mac users. He is a volunteer at macosx.com, an online technical support website for anything and everything Mac. From the age of five, he started watching, listening and playing with computer equipment, opening up and putting all the pieces back together. Jerome gained a Diploma in Digital Media at the Design Centre at Enmore, attaining skills in Graphic Design, Photography, Video and Web Development. Jerome is currently providing ICE with technical support and streamlining ICE’s IT processes.

Digital Storytelling Coordinator

MAYLEI HUNT graduated with Bachelor of Visual Arts at University of Sydney, Sydney college of the Arts 94’ and an Advanced Diploma of Fine Arts at National Art School 97’ majoring in Photography. With passions for photography, film and design this has lead her in the areas of gallery & curation works such as ‘Me Nam’ a political photographic exhibition on water use internationally & nationally on the Year of Fresh Water in 2003 at the NSW Parliament House, and ‘space of a Kiss’ a photomontage exhibition by Chris Doyle for the Asia-Pacific Film Festival 2002. Today works as a freelance commercial photographer, photomedia artist and curator. Maylei’s connection with ICE was through the 2007 Originate and 2008 Hi8us Digitales training programs, and now is part of the ICE team as the Digital Storytelling Project Coordinator since 2008.

Youth Digital Cultures Project Coordinator

MARIA TRAN has graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Western Sydney, 2007. Since then, she has emerged into the art of film making and is the supporting director for award-winning youth film production Rumble Pictures. Her recent works include Metro Screen funded short film “A Little Dream” and conducted free English/arts-based workshops with orphans from Vietnam. Her film footages lead Maria to make award-winning “Happy Dent”; a video self-narration of a streetkid’s day. She is passionate about youth empowerment and has interests in hidden life stories of diverse people from all walks of life. Her other interests include, acting, performative fight choreography, martial arts, photography and digital storytelling and is completing CCD project “Maximum Choppage: Round 2”.

Create Media! Project Coordinator

GARY PARAMANATHAN graduated with a commerce degree from the University of Sydney. He has since worked in marketing and management roles at Microsoft and NSW Health. His transition into the arts began with a film course, a stint in theatre and a gradual move towards writing and directing short films. Gary is passionate about working with and representing refugees and migrants, especially newly arrived young people.

Parenting Stories Project Coordinator

SALEH SAQQAF has worked extensively as performer in theatre, radio and television since 1970. He graduated from UTS in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts (Mass Communication). He has since worked as a journalist and broadcaster with Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia and has facilitated media sessions and provided training in television and radio production for many community groups.

Web Producer

AMBER CARVAN has been working as a writer, editor and producer in the arts industry for more than a decade. Amber has previously worked as a Producer for the noise festival and Manager of the Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT). Her professional experience is informed by her work as a comic artist and zinester.

Executive Assistant to Executive Director

VASINDER KAUR is a graduate from Macquarie University, holding a degree in Business Administration. Vasinder possesses experience in a variety of areas, including promotions, customer services, tutoring, managing and administration. Her latest role before joining ICE was a management role at an active dance studio, where she was exposed to diverse Arts programs and initiatives.

Coordinator, Digi Diaries

Over the last ten years, AMIN PALANGI has gained extensive industry and educational experience, working and teaching in the film, television and computer industries. He has produced Films, Documentaries and Animations that have been screened and awarded at prestigious film festivals across Australia and internationally. Currently pursuing his PhD. Amin has earned a MA from the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in Sydney, and a BA with honors at the Australian National University’s Centre for New Media Arts (CNMA).

Administration and Resource Officer

ELIZABETH WELDEN has recently completed a Masters degree in Museum Studies with the Australian National University. A native of California, she earned her BA from Mills College in Oakland and has had the opportunity to work with City of Monterey Cultural Arts Commission and Colton Hall Museum. In addition, she has interned at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, the National Museum of Australia and the National Gallery of Australia where she worked on the 2008 exhibition Turner to Monet: Triumph of Landscape. Since moving to Sydney, Elizabeth has worked for Gallery Savah in Paddington and for JMC Academy in Surry Hills. Elizabeth now joins ICE as their Administration and Resource Officer.

Project Officer

ANTIGONE FOSTER joined ICE for the East London West Sydney creative development in July and August, and is still working on that as well as TropWest. She brings a decade of two parallel universes to her work at ICE, her day job world of support roles across education, not-for-profit and the design sector alongside a career as a self-managed recording artist, including five years working in London and producing her debut album AntigoneLand on her own label Yoctopus.

Consultants

Chief Consultant to ICE for the Emerging Communities Program

BARRY GAMBA works with emerging communities to develop relevant digital arts projects and skills in filmmaking, radio, digital music production and web-based projects. He also coordinates the 10×6 Theatre Project. Barry has had extensive experience in the arts sector, including as Supervising Producer of Metro Screen’s Multicultural Mentorship Schemes (2000-02) and Raw Nerve (2002-03); Coordinator of Sydney’s Multicultural Theatre Festivals (1992-93), Producer of Multicultural Theatre Alliance’s 10×6 project; Editor of two successful short fiction anthologies; and Multicultural Arts Officer at Ethnic Communities Council of NSW (1992-99). He coordinated readings for the Sydney Writers Festival featuring emerging writers from culturally diverse backgrounds (1993-2000). In 2001 Barry completed the prestigious Australia Council Fellowship from the Community Cultural Development Board.

Design and Technology Consultant

BEN HOH is a writer, researcher and award-winning new media designer. He has worked on various new media arts projects with migrant and refugee communities, is currently writing a postgraduate thesis on blogs, geopolitics and war.

Urban Music Training Consultant

NICK TOTH is a leading hip-hop performer, entertainer and educator in Australia who has toured Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Austria, UK & US. In Sydney he has been heavily involved with the local hip-hop community and club culture as a DJ/producer, radio host and DJ course tutor. Nick has an acute awareness of the cultural contexts and historical roots of contemporary music, from hip-hop and R&B to dancehall reggae and deep funk to electro. He holds a BA in Communications. Nick organises and runs DJ courses at youth and community centres and is recognised as one of Australia’s best turntablists. Nick has supported & toured with 50 Cent & G-Unit, Missy Elliott, Sean Paul, Xzibit, Run DMC, RZA (Wu-Tang), Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Black Eyed Peas, Jungle Brothers, Grandmaster Flash, Jazzy Jeff, Spearhead, King Kapisi and more.

SWITCH and Sydney Arab Film Festival Consultant

FADIA ABBOUD supports and develops cultural programs and the development of CCD practice and arts programs, projects and activities within diverse communities (particularly refugee, migrant and NESB) in Western Sydney. Fadia is also a filmmaker and video tutor with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from UTS. She is currently making a documentary funded by the NSW Film and Television Office Young Filmmakers Fund, while continuing to teach young people videomaking in different communities around Sydney. Fadia has recently worked on a number of filmmaking programs with young people as well as working on the Sydney Arab Film Festival.

Graphic Designer

MEIYING SAW is a graphic designer and illustrator who loves the smell of freshly-printed ink on paper. She hopes she will never have to give up using QuarkXpress and Freehand, and is currently mourning the demise of self-service photocopiers in the city. A brief catalogue of her work can be seen at ragingyoghurt.org

Writer

As a peripetetic writer with over 15 years experience, MONIQUE CHOY has written for a diverse range of clients including Lonely Planet, the Australian Museum and the United Nations. Her work has been published in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong. Monique has a special interest in online communication and currently works as a web publisher for the ABC. Her interactive fiction The Last Laugh is published by Interactive Press – find out more at www.nettlesoup.com.au