Kerri is a well-known and influential arts leader in Sydney having built a strong reputation as an independent theatre maker, award winning venue owner, artistic director, CEO and effective advocate for the cultural sector. She is a respected voice of the Sydney night-time economy and has led the way in regulatory reform for the sector over the past six years, ensuring that policy positions are based on sector led data and needs.
Kerri is the founding co-director of artist run company 505 which operated the legendary live music club Venue 505 in Surry Hills (2004-19), and award winning Old 505 Theatre in Newtown (2015 to 2023). In 2013 she was appointed as CEO & Festival Director of the Sydney Fringe Festival. Under her stewardship the festival has grown from a small community event to the largest independent arts festival in NSW now featuring 2000 artists, attracting over 100,000 audiences and contributing over $34million in economic impact to the city.
A leading advocate for the Independent arts sector she has contributed to a number of key action plans/policies and resulting reforms including: Creative Communities- NSW Government cultural policy 2023, REVIVE- Australian Government cultural policy 2023; the Committee for Sydney’s- Everyday Culture Project 2023 and Sydney a 24 Hour City Report 2019 the City of Sydney’s- Live Music and Performance Action Plan 2014, Inner West Council’s – Off Broadway Plan 2015. In her role at Sydney Fringe Festival she works extensively leading the way in temporary re-adaptive use of space for performance that resulted in the now nationally recognised report: An Anthology of Space 2015-2018: Activating Unused and Under-utilised Space for the Performing and Creative Industries of NSW.
She is currently a founding Board Director of the Night Time Industries Association, founding Board Director of the Live Music Venues Association, sits on the Create NSW’s Festivals Artform Board and a Board Director of peak body PAC Australia.
She served as co-Chair of the City of Sydney’s Nightlife and Cultural Sector Advisory Committee 2019-2022, a Director of the City Recital Hall Board from 2015-2019 and in 2011 was included in the Sydney Morning Herald Sydney Magazine’s annual 100 Most Influential and Inspiring People list.
