Rod has worked in executive arts leadership positions for most of his career in the not-for-profit, creative, education and government sectors. A qualified and experienced arts manager, Rod has worked in just about every setting – as a a co-founder and director of two businesses, a freelance creative and as a Manager in Local Government, as a Director of Programming in a statutory authority and in many capacities throughout the arts and education industries.
Because of his extensive background, Rod approaches his work as a leader with a grounded and practical understanding of how and why people engage and participate in the arts and the arts’ impact in and on people and communities. He has a genuine and deep understanding of community engagement practice as well as many years’ experience as a creative (writer, director, producer), Company Director/Secretary and Executive Officer. His resourcefulness has been demonstrated in his ability to create arts projects in places where it seems most unlikely and to manage companies and projects with a level head and rigorous focus on strong governance, financial and project management and delivery.
During his time with Queensland Theatre, Rod managed a multi-million dollar production budget producing the 2021 season and developing season 2022. In his time with QT, Rod produced the largest production in the company’s 50 year history, the stage adaptation of Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe (written by Tim McGarry, directed by Sam Strong) as a partnership between QPAC and the Brisbane Festival. He stewarded the 2021 season through the throes of COVID-19, including the management of multiple show shut-downs and changes, casting challenges and the logistics of inter-state border and quarantine arrangements. During this time, he was thrilled to produce the adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, a tri-lingual (Kala Lagaw Ya, Yumpla Tok, and English) production adapted by Jimi Bani and Jason Klarwein as part of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2021 after many COVID-related cancellations and changes.
With three other founding directors, Dr Jude Pippen, Sylvia Langford and Shelley Pisani, Rod co-founded Creative Regions Limited, a not-for-profit regional arts production and service company. Creative Regions became the only new entrant to multi-year State funding during a time of deep austerity and funding cuts. In this time, the company successfully bid for the management of all of the State Government’s major regional arts strategic projects from 2009-2014 including Creative Generators, Regional Stages, Regional Writing and Creative Capricorn – all multi-year projects, funded by multiple levels of government, designed to stimulate arts activity and capacity in regional Queensland.
Rod’s role with Bundaberg Regional Council included leading arts and cultural strategy as well as management of arts and cultural venues and programs including the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre, Bundaberg Regional Galleries (two galleries), the Regional Arts Development Fund, a Community Arts Program and the implementation of Council’s first ever First Nations Cultural Officer as an identified role. Rod drove the Bundaberg Region Arts + Culture Strategy 2019-2023 with consultants from CQUniversity, instigated and produced the inaugural Milbi Festival and managed a multi-million dollar upgrade to the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre.
Stepping outside the arts, Rod has worked in The University of Queensland’s Rural Clinical School, as part of the Medical School, implementing a generational change to improving the regional and rural medical workforce through an end-to-end pathway for medical education across four regions. Rod received a commendation for the UQ Faculty of Medicine Commendation in the Leader of the Year (Professional) Award. The Regional Medical Pathway (Central Queensland-Wide Bay) won the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Excellence Award (Collaboration) in 2022 and, in the same year, the UQ Medical Pathways Team won the Faculty of Medicine Collaborator of the Year Award for its work across Central Queensland, Wide Bay, the Darling Downs and South West regions, working with two other university partners (CQU and UniSQ) as well as four Hospital and Health Services.
Specialist Cultural Consultant – Engaged by The Sparrowly Group (Sydney) to provide specialist regional cultural policy / strategy advice to support a major review of the Regional Conservatoriums in NSW.
Worked as video producer and consultancy support with Natalie Fisher (NSF Consulting) developing a series of case study videos on regional arts practice from across Australia.
Worked as a consultant to Natalie Fisher (NSF Consulting) advising on the producing and creative components of this national conference on the review for the Regional Arts Australia Board.
Implementing the Pathways and Partnerships Program in the Bundaberg Region for Education Queensland, creating trade-based pathways for young people in the region.
Operating as a national trainer for Our Community’s Certificate IV in Business (Governance) working with not-for-profit organisations across the country.
Rod has worked for a broad range of clients across government, corporate and not-for-profit sectors and across a broad range of industries.
Copyright © 2024 Rod Ainsworth - All Rights Reserved.
Photo Credits
Head Shots – Chelle Wallace, Wayne Muller
Tumbulgum – Darcy Grant (Actor: Katie Rutledge)
IT ALL BEGINS WITH LOVE - Paul Beutel (Actor: Penny Everingham)
Roland Thring - (Actors: Susan Prince, Finn O'Branagain)
Milbi Festival - Paul Donaldson
Creative Capricorn - Tom Hearn