About Us

BYDS Staff

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

Michael Mohammed Ahmad

Westside Editor & Writing Coordinator

Mohammed is chief editor of Westside Publications: BYDS ongoing literary program. He is a BA graduate from UWS.

He is also a writer and actor. His writing has appeared in the renowned literary journal HEAT and he has read and performed in Sydney Writers’ Festivals from 2007 - 2010.

Mohammed wrote, directed and starred in his first solo performance The Veil in 2004 as part of UTP’s Short ‘n’ Sharp 3. He has also performed with the company throughout the acclaimed seasons of Fast Cars and Tractor Engines and Stories of Love and Hate. He has made a guest tv appearance on East West 101.

Michael Mohammed Ahmad was recipient of a grant from the FTO’s 2008 Young Filmmakers Fund, for his script, The Pizza.

mohammed@byds.org.au

Neil Trindall

Indigenous Youth Arts Officer

Neil is the Indigenous Youth Arts Worker at BYDS. 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

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 Worsley

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 and is currently completing her Masters in Cultural Studies at Sydney University.

info@byds.org.au

BYDS Artists

Lachlan Brown Writer/Editor Lachlan grew up in Macquarie Fields in South West Sydney. He teaches at William Carey Christian School i Preston and also works at Sydney University where he completed his doctorate in English Literature. Lachlan's poems have been published in Heat, Southerly, Total Cardboard and Philament and he was part of the ensemble of writers in BYDS' 2010 SWF event Inside the Westside Writers Group.
Fiona Wright Writer/Editor Fiona is a Sydney poet whose work has been published in journals and anthologies in Australia, Asia and the USA. Her work was included in Best Australian Poems 2008 (Black Ink) and the Toilet Doors Project (2004), and she was runner-up in the 2008 John Marsden National Young Writers; Award. In 2007, she was awarded an Island of Residencies placement at the Tasmania Writers' Centre, developing a sequence of poems about Australians in Sri Lanka. Fiona works as an editor at Giramondo Publishing, and as a project assistant for the Red Room Company. Fiona was also part of the BYDS' SWF events for 2009 and 2010 Alleyway Honour and Inside the Westside Writers Group.
Samantha Hogg Writer Has lived in the South West her whole life. Has been writing since childhood. Has been featured in Westside Jr. and Westside. Has a warped sense of humour. Decorates her own stories. Is not evil, just wicked. Samantha is currently completing an Indigenous Westside Mentorship where she is working closley with the editors of Westside Publications to develop her skills in editing and publishing.
Arda Barut Writer Arda has a Bachelor degree in Communications and Arts which he completed at the University of Canberra. He has a long-standing contributor to Westside Publications, having his first poem and talent recognised at only thirteen years of age. In 2004 he co-directed and wrote a short work for UTP's Short 'n' Sharp 3 and in 2006 worked as the director of photography and co-writer of the documentary Consumed, featured at the Westside 06 launch. Arda is pursuing a career in public relations and has a passion for writing poetry and short stories in both English and Turkish.
Johnny Tran Film-maker 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
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
Janie Gibson Performer 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