OUR PURPOSE
We shape cultural thinking, promote creativity and strengthen non-profit enterprise
We are a leading consultancy specialising in the cultural and non-profit sectors, with over 30 years’ experience in Australia and internationally. We have worked on projects in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore, from planning cultural precincts to providing strategic advice to arts organisations and individual artists, tourism, mental health and community health support organisations, and a number of other non-profit organisations.
OUR TEAM
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David Fishel (MA, M.Litt) | Director
Prior to co-founding Positive Solutions in 1990, David managed arts organisations ranging from small-scale touring theatre companies to arts centres and theatre venues. David has been closely involved in Positive Solutions’ facilities and precinct development projects, strategy and business development for arts and non-profit organisations, and research and policy development for government. His consulting work in governance and board development has included planning and facilitation of board development workshops and board audits for hundreds of arts and non-profit organisations across Australia. He has been a board member of several cultural organisations, and Chair of Circa, Creative Enterprise Australia and Brisbane Writers Festival. He has been a Council member of QUT, and is currently a board member of BoardConnect Ltd. David is author of The Book of the Board, now in its third edition, a handbook for board members of non-profit organisations, published by Federation Press. David is a graduate of Liverpool, Newcastle and Oxford Universities.
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Cathy Hunt AM (BA Hons, M.Phil) | Director
Cathy is a cultural strategist based in Brisbane and working across Australia and Asia Pacific. As one of the founding Directors of Positive Solutions, she specialises in policy formation, strategic planning and the funding and financing of the arts. Cathy has worked throughout Australia and in Hong Kong on the development of cultural policy, including cultural plans for local governments, strategy reviews and planning for State and Federal governments, cultural facility developments, and organisational and business planning for arts organisations. Cathy is the founder of the QuickstART microloan fund for artists and a partner in the Arts Business Innovation Fund, assisting arts organisations to access new forms of finance for change. As Director of non-profit company Of One Mind, Cathy is working with the Southbank Centre London to develop Women of the World (WOW) Festivals in Australia and Asia Pacific. Cathy was involved in the development of WOW at the Sydney Writers Festival and in Katherine, was one of the Executive Producers of WOW Brisbane in June 2015, and is involved in the early stages of planning WOW Commonwealth for 2018. Cathy is a graduate of the Universities of Lancaster and Liverpool in the United Kingdom.
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Noam O’Reilly provides project and research support to Positive Solutions. Noam is an experienced arts researcher, administrator and project facilitator with a strong background in policy development.
Noam O’Reilly has an Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons 1M) from Queensland College of Art, Griffith University and has worked in sectors across Visual Arts, Music and Education with previous experience at the Institute of Modern Art, Griffith Centre for Creative Arts Research, QAGOMA, Metro Arts, Brisbane City Council’s Botanica, Woodford Folk Festival, Laneway Festival, Supercell Festival of Contemporary Dance, Queensland Youth Orchestras, and Queensland Academy for Creative Industries. They are currently completing a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at the Queensland University of Technology.
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Melanie Tasker | Research and Project Officer
Melanie Tasker provides project and research support to Positive Solutions. Melanie is a highly skilled professional with a diverse educational background in design, architecture, and postgraduate international development and social ecology studies.
With expertise in communications, Melanie excels in drafting reports, graphic layout, proofreading and generating infographics. Balancing work with her active engagement in the volunteer and grassroots sector, Melanie has recently completed pro-bono projects for Beyond Zero Emissions and House of Welcome, while maintaining active involvement in her local arts society and the Creative Space, Southern Highlands. Melanie combines strong project management and research skills, with a client-focused approach and passion for the arts and non-profit sectors.