Grainne Brunsdon.
Grainne Brunsdon has been appointed head of Screen NSW, following a reshuffle of Create NSW’s leadership structure.
After this year’s New South Wales election, Create NSW was brought into the Community Engagement portfolio of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, headed by Deputy Secretary Kate Foy.
A broad-ranging leadership restructure of the agency was then announced last week, including the appointment of Brunsdon to lead the screen team, which has been rebranded as Screen NSW.
When Arts NSW and Screen NSW were first merged in 2017 to form Create NSW, the Screen NSW banner was done away with. However, under the new agency funding for screen remained siloed and was overseen by a separate team.
The current leadership reshuffle reinstates the Screen NSW brand, though it remains under the broader Create NSW umbrella.
A Create NSW spokesperson tells IF: “The NSW Government recognises the international strength of the Screen NSW brand, which will continue to operate through Create NSW’s existing Screen team.”
“All current funding initiatives, including the recently increased Made in NSW fund, continue as usual.”
Other changes within the agency include the appointment Annette Pitman as head of Create infrastructure, Sue Procter as director, business operations, investment and governance and Alex Bowen as director of partnerships and policy.
A broader executive director, who will bring together all arts, screen, culture and infrastructure functions, is yet to be appointed. In the interim Foy will act in the position.
Create NSW executive director investment and engagement Elizabeth W. Scott will depart the agency September 13.
All new leadership positions will take effect September 16. The broader teams within the agency remain unchanged, however it has advised there will be a realignment of reporting relationships.
Brundson was previously Create NSW director of arts investment, engagement and development, and worked at Screen NSW prior to the merger as manager of stakeholder relations and industry development.
Sally Regan had been acting as Create NSW acting director screen investment, engagement and attraction since the departure of Sophia Zachariou in October 2018.
Other agencies in the Community Engagement portfolio are the the State Archives and Records Authority, the Cultural Institutions including the Australian Museum, Sydney Opera House, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS), Sydney Living Museums, the State Library of NSW and the Art Gallery of NSW, with Aboriginal Affairs, Heritage and Employee Relations.