Tim Carroll

Artistic Director

Tim has been working in the position of Arts Officer/Artistic director at BYDS since June 1991. He is the most experienced CCD worker in Western Sydney. He has instigated and run over seventy five arts and cultural projects with the communities of Bankstown in this time. It is Tim’s job to ensure that BYDS runs smoothly and that the various projects undertaken achieve their stated goals.

tim@byds.org.au

Bill Reda

Resident photographer/technician

Bill Reda came to BYDS as a technician for Gravitate in 2006. Since then has worked on various arts projects here at BYDS including NAIDOC, Bankstown Bites, Art Cars & Bankstown Now!

Bill is also our resident photographer and many of the better photographs on our website were taken by him.

entsprungen@gmail.com

Janie Gibson

Performance projects

Janie is a performance maker studying at COFA, UNSW and works at BYDS in a number of capacities. Janie runs weekly performance workshops with BYDS GAUDY ensemble and has instigated a number of projects including 'GIANT DANCE' and 'Civil Twilight'. In addition, she is the coordinator of and a performer in the BYDS U-Play program, which visits local high schools transforming cultural conflict.

janie@byds.org.au

Johnny Tran

Video & Film-making projects

Johnny has been running a series of video production workshops for the last few years with BYDS in the Bankstown and surrounding area . He has of late been making his living documenting many projects taking place in the Bankstown area. These have included the Women’s leadership Project run by Christina Radburn, The Bankstown Bites Food Festival 2005 and 2006, The Indigenous Women’s mini Olympics 2005 and the African FGM project run by Western Sydney Area Health Service. Johnny and a number of other BYDS collaborators were finalists in the Revesby Workers Club/Bryan Brown 'Real Deal' film festival with ‘Cupcake’.

johntran3000@yahoo.com

Michael Mohammed Ahmad

Westside Editor & Writing Coordinator

Mohammed has an Arts Degree in English, Text and Writing and is the editor of the BYDS literary publication Westside. His writing has appeared in the renowned literary journal HEAT and he has read and performed in both 2007 and 2008 Sydney Writers’ Festivals.

Mohammed wrote, directed and starred in his first solo performance The Veil in 2004 as part of UTP’s Short ‘n’ Sharp 3. Since then he has starred with the company throughout the acclaimed season and tour of Fast Cars and Tractor Engines. He has also made a guest appearance on the hit TV series East West 101 and played the lead in the award winning short film, My Brother My Sanctuary.

In 2008 he starred in UTP’s latest critically acclaimed production, Stories of Love and Hate.

As recipient of a grant from the FTO’s 2008 Young Filmmakers Fund, Michael Mohammed Ahmad is writer of his first short film, The Pizza.

mohammed@byds.org.au

Neil Trindall

Indigenous Youth Arts Officer

Neil is our new Indigenous Youth Arts Worker as of February 2008. In July 2008 Neil organised and ran an Indigenous Youth Forum at Bankstown Town Hall. This event brought Indigenous students and their families together in a series of workshops and saw the creation of a 'wish-list' identifying the sorts of projects and activities students would like to be a part of in the future. Neil is now working on making this wish-list a reality and has already organised an excursion to Mt Tomah with local Indigenous students as well as an Indigenous Dance Group. Neil is currently studying social work at UNSW and aims to become a youth worker in Bankstown.

neil@byds.org.au

neiltrindall@yahoo.com.au

Jane Worsley

Administrator

Jane recently joined the BYDS team in April 2009, in the role of administrator. Jane completed a Bachelor of Arts in Art History at the University of Western Sydney, Kingswood in 2006. Since completing her degree she has worked in administration in different arts organisation in Sydney. Jane is passionate about the development of arts and community and cultural development in the Western Suburbs of Sydney.

info@byds.org.au

Arda Barut

Public Relations Officer

Arda is from Western Sydney and is currently working to build awareness about BYDS and the diverse range projects that it instigates. He has completed a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Communication in Public Relations at the University of Canberra. He has been a long time contributor to the Westside series and his works of poetry were presented to an audience in Westside at the Wharf; a Sydney Writer’s Festival event. In 2004 he co-wrote and co-directed a professional short work with Mohammed Ahmad called The Veil, as Part of UTP’s Short n’ Sharp 3.

arda@byds.org.au

Jaleesa Donovan

Indigenous Oral History Project Officer

Jaleesa "Jell" is a Dungatti Woman who was born and raised in Bankstown. In 2007 she graduated from the Campbelltown Performing Arts High earning her HSC and majoring in Music. Jaleesa is a performing artist and has been singing since she was four. At BYDS Jaleesa is our resident Indigenous Oral History project coordinator. Jaleesa looks forward to helping the Indigenous Youth focus on their talents and interests, keeping them off the streets and at the same time developing cultural idenitity in the community.

jaleesadonovan@hotmail.com

Jane Stratton

Think + Do Tank

Jane is passionate about story telling and the power of sharing our experiences with one another. She believes that storytelling can change lives and has brought her Think + Do Tank concept to BYDS. She works on a number of projects with BYDS that aim to turn up the volume on the voices of young people in the area, and to include young people in the political processes that affect them.

strattonjane@gmail.com