Dean Worthington is the CEO and Creative Director of Arts Mildura.
He is a local who grew up in Merbein, with a career that has taken him to London, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide working in major events, including education and marketing.
Dean has worked for Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Melbourne Fashion Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and more.
In March 2021 Dean returned to Mildura to work for Arts Mildura. Since January this year Dean has taken on the role of CEO.
Dean is also the Festival Director of Arts Mildura’s latest major project SemiArid.
SemiArid will be presented across three distinct chapters held within 2022 and 23 – the chapters include SemiArid Sound, SemiArid Harvest, and SemiArid Vast. Stretching across 42,000 square kilometres of the Mallee from Wentworth to Whycheproof, from Balranald to Birchip.
They been designed to be a unique Mallee experience and provide audiences from right across the state, country, and world with something that can only be experienced in the Mallee.
Rather than delivering a traditional festival model which focuses attention only on one artform, location or town, Arts Mildura’s vision for SemiArid is to craft a diverse program of live music, visual arts, performance, and entertainment in unique locations across the region which is combined with exceptional local food, produce and wine.
Website: semiarid.artsmildura.com.au
Kosha Shanahan is the Event Coordinator and has been since 2017.
Walking Off the War Within is an event happening in Mildura on September 17. You can walk 2, 6 or 10 kms.
This event first began in 2017, as a legacy to Nathan Shanahan who walked from Mildura to Adelaide - over 10 days carrying a 25 Kilo army issued pack.
Nathan was a career fire fighter and an army veteran and diagnosed with PTSD.
The walk was his way to raise awareness of PTSD. He was passionate about sharing this message and his lived experience - especially with other men.
People supported, donated, and walked with him, and at the end of the 400 km journey he realised that he had not taken one single step alone, and he raised over $30,000, donating it to Soldier On.
Unfortunately, Nathan died by suicide in 2016 and soon after, his family and colleagues decided that we needed to get together and walk....and talk. So, the Walking Off the War Within event commenced in 2017, this has been held around Australia.
This year their committee of volunteers are hoping that the 2022 event in Mildura will attract even more people - to help break the stigma that so often keeps people silent.
Website: walkoffww.com/mildura-2022
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