Kate is a curator, executive producer and cultural policy specialist. During her 20+ years in the arts, Kate has worked with artists, cultural institutions and governments in Indonesia, India, China, PNG, UK and throughout Australia.

Kate established Turning World a decade ago, identifying the need to connect Australia’s creative sector with national interest priorities following two years as a cultural specialist with DFAT in New Delhi. Turning World has since provided advice to every level of Government plus major international cultural events including the London Olympics and GC Commonwealth Games.

Kate loves to bring new ideas to life and has played a leadership role in the establishment of numerous flagship cultural projects as either Creative Director, Executive Producer or both.

This includes co-founding Asia TOPA (2017 & 2020), a large-scale festival of contemporary Asian performance and commissioner of new work and playing a foundational role in establishing Perth Festival Special Projects, Oz Fest India, Asia Pop Fest, PASIFIX and The Black Arm Band.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Music (performance), Graduate Certificate in International Relations and has completed the Asialink Leaders Program and Australia Council Arts Leaders Program. She most recently served on the Australian Government’s National Cultural Policy Expert Review Panel.

Her awards include the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship, Green Room Award for Curatorial Collaboration (Asia TOPA), DFAT Secretary’s Citation (OzFest) and an Asialink Arts Management Residency (Indonesia). She is the producer of multiple Helpmann Award winning productions.

Tam has established a distinctive multidisciplinary practice over twenty years, working across the performing arts, film and large-scale festivals in the UK, USA and Australia.

She is Senior Curator, Asia Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts (Asia TOPA). The 2020 festival presented 960 artists from 22 countries in 351 performances and events. 39% of programming was new with 18 world premiere and 15 Australian premiere seasons. 926,146 people attended Asia TOPA, half of whom identified as culturally and linguistically diverse.

Tam has worked in senior roles for large festivals across artforms including MONA FOMA; Doc/Fest (UK); Australia Week Festival (USA); International Society for the Performing Arts World Congress, Adelaide Festival and the Australian International Documentary Conference.

She has produced feature documentaries for international theatrical and television release for Academy Award nominated film company Chain Camera Pictures and is currently developing a number of projects for television with support from Screen Australia and the assistance of VicScreen.

Tam produces contemporary performance and experimental works with independent artists.

She currently sits on the Creative Advisory Panel for Museums Victoria, is Change Agent for the Deakin University Audience Diversification Research Project, and is a board member of Chunky Move.