What's On

Jazz: NOW Summer

Feb 11 – March 19

 

Orange Winter Jazz Festival

June 10 – 11, 2023

 

Young Women’s Jazz Workshops

Auditions June 17

 

Coming Soon

Freedman Fellowships

Jazz – September 9
Classical – October 15

 

Sydney Int’l Women’s Jazz Fest

 

Sydney Con Jazz Fest

Support Jazz

Become a Member

Donate to SIMA

Donations ensure our education and artist development programs can expand

ABOUT SIMA

Staff and committee

 

SIMA is comprised of a dedicated team of staff and board members

Our Staff

Contemporary Underground
Amy Curl
Executive producer + CEO

Amy has worked in the Australian music industry for more than 20 years and loves bring people together through shared cultural experiences. She acts as a mentor and advisor for a number of in-bound and out-bound touring projects, and enjoys providing advice and services for self-managed artists.

Contemporary Underground
Zoe Hauptmann
Program Director

Zoe Hauptmann is one of Australia’s most in-demand bassists, composer, musical director and artistic curator. Passionate about addressing the gender imbalance in the music industry, Zoe has actively sought to bring change for the last 17 years in her role. In 2018 she was awarded the Creative Leadership Award for ‘Excellence in Creative Programming’ at the inaugural Australian Women In Music Awards.

Contemporary Underground
Reuben White
Marketing Manager

Reuben has gained valuable experience in the commercial music industry in artist management at Chugg Music from 2018-2020. Passionate about jazz and highly skilled in logistics, digital marketing, and project management, Reuben enjoys sharing his knowledge of releasing music, distribution, and touring – so get in touch!

Contemporary Underground
Sue Spence
Development Manager

An experienced arts manager with a successful track record in project management and arts administration. Sue has extensive experience in the music and performing arts sectors, with strong networks established both nationally and globally. As Director, Suspence Management, Sue has represented and toured many of Australia’s leading contemporary jazz musicians nationally and internationally.

Our board

Contemporary Underground
David theak
President

Jazz saxophonist, educator and band leader. National Jazz Award Finalist (2003), Senior Lecturer in Jazz Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2006 – present) and Artistic Director of the Australian National Jazz Orchestra and the Sydney Conservatorium International Jazz Festival (2017 – present).  

Contemporary Underground
Marion Benjamin
Vice President

Principal of her own law firm in Wollongong, Marion’s background includes working in documentary film; teaching in Arts and Humanities at Universities in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney and running a regional not-for-profit community environmental organisation managing over $1.3m in sustainable agriculture and biodiversity projects. A member of SIMA since the mid 1990s, back in the Side On Café days, Marion was also a member of the NSW Jazz Co-ordination Association committee.

Contemporary Underground
Kirstin Fischer
Secretary

A corporate lawyer, with a practising certificate and AICD qualifications and membership, Kirstin has led a consultancy group at Ernst & Young, with a strong focus on the arts.  Now with NSW Transport, she manages a $2.5 billion regional transport program.  She is Secretary also on the Board of Stalker Productions, a multi-arts physical theatre for all ages, operating on a global scale, with a leading edge in the use of immersive and interactive digital arts.

Contemporary Underground
Andrew Collins
Treasurer

Andrew is a tuba player with an economics problem. He has mainly worked in public policy and government finance. His most recent role was with NSW Treasury where he worked as the Principal Economist responsible for the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Andrew’s financial modelling and work to support the NSW submission to the 2020 review of the GST, led to a $900 million boost in GST to NSW in 2020-21. 

Contemporary Underground
Cara Anderson

Cara is currently the CEO of Limelight Magazine with a background in advocacy, engagement and strategic management in both corporate and not for profit roles, within global and regional organisations in New York, London and Australia. She has previously worked for Music Australia, Opera Australia, Version 1.0, Business Events Sydney and Thomson Reuters. She is passionate about making the arts accessible to everyone.

Contemporary Underground
Carla Hoorweg

Prior to joining ANCAP in December 2020, Carla held various strategy, legal, product development and government relations roles across the financial sector. Carla’s qualifications include a Masters of Law (Hons) and Juris Doctor (UTS), Executive MBA (AGSM), Bachelor and Grad Dip in Applied Psychology (Canberra). Carla has served on a number of boards and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  

Contemporary Underground
Jackson Harrison

Solicitor and practitioner in commercial law, specialising in Copywrite Law, Jackson is also a jazz pianist and composer, and winner of the 2006 National Jazz Award. 

Contemporary Underground
Joanne Kee

Joanne has significant industry experience as a Producer, Artistic Director and GM and is committed to building capacity in an equitable and inclusive manner. Currently EP for Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta. Previous executive roles at The Song Company, Sydney Opera House, SIMA, Jazzgroove and Powerhouse Museum. She has initiated and delivered numerous projects through her own company which includes Sound Travellers and Editor of Jazz Australia.  

Contemporary Underground
Alex Masso

Alex is a freelance drummer and co-leader of The Vampires, which has toured more than 20 times, released six albums including one shortlisted for an ARIA Award and the Australian Music Prize. He has been involved in committees for Jazzgroove Association, The NOW now, SIMA, the City of Sydney Live Music Taskforce, and worked as a music educator, advocate and event coordinator including at Wollongong Conservatorium of Music and Music Australia.