Karilyn Brown
Director
Karilyn is now an independent consultant in facilitation, cultural leadership and strategic planning.
Karilyn was Course Leader of the Master of Fine Arts in Cultural Leadership at NIDA (the National Institute of the Dramatic Arts) from late 2018 to early 2023. Between 2013-2018, Karilyn was CEO of Performing Lines, a company focused on developing, producing and touring contemporary Australian performing arts regionally, nationally and internationally.
She was General Manager at the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (2009-2013), the global network of national arts funding agencies (national arts councils and ministries of culture) dedicated to improving best practice in arts and cultural policy development, arts funding, arts advocacy and public access to the arts.
Karilyn’s career has included 20 years with the Australia Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia) as Deputy Director, Visual Arts and Crafts Board (1988-1994) and as Executive Director, Arts Development (2001-2009). In this role, she was responsible for national and international audience and market development, and major international projects such as Australia’s participation in the Venice Biennale and the Australian Indigenous Art Commission at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris.
She was also responsible for developing and implementing a number of significant long term arts and cultural programs presenting and promoting Australian arts and culture in Europe, the US and Japan.
Karilyn was also Program Manager for the 1997-2000 Olympic Arts Festivals and Paralympic Arts Festival with SOCOG.
She is currently a Director of Contemporary Asian Australian Performance – her previous board appointments have included:
• NIDA Academic Board (2016-2018)
• Artspace Visual Arts Centre (2012-2015)
• National Performing Arts Touring Alliance (Chair) (2011-2014)
• Playing Australia Committee (2004-2007)
• Object: Australian Centre for Design (1998-2001)
• Stalker Theatre Company (1997-2001)
• Sydney Olympic Park Authority Public Art Committee (1996-2000)
• Artbank (Australian Government’s art rental collection) (1995-2000)
