Anna Moreau chats with Tos Mahoney, Tura New Music artistic director.
WABN: Describe a day at work.
TM: “Everchanging. In the past fortnight I have journeyed to a Mid West sheep station to plan an event in October, to a remote indigenous community in south-east Arnhem Land to plan a tour in August, and to the office for more hours spent journeying through the paperwork.”
WABN: What is the best piece of advice you can give someone to motivate a team?
TM: “Get out of their way. Allow them the space to initiate projects, processes and delivery.”
WABN: What has been the most challenging event in your career?
TM: “Co-producing a package of five events as a part of the Perth International Arts Festival 2003, including one project in Broome and one in Kalgoorlie. To handle the resource burden I brought in a team of fantastic marketing and production consultants. Lesson: be careful the passion for the vision doesn’t drive you beyond available resources.”
WABN: What's best measurement of your performance, and can you name a highlight in your career
TM: “My ability to deal with change and the unexpected. An example of this was the 'Wood' Concert at Pearl Luggers in Broome as a part of the Shinju Festival in 2006. I managed to pull off a late collaboration with indigenous artist Steve Pigrum and Japanese shamisen player Noriko Tandano, who performed for two concerts supporting Wood.”
WABN: How do you deal with egos in your workplace?
TM: “I encourage them. One needs a strong ego to work in the arts – requiring flair, creativity and daring. It’s ego driven inappropriate behaviour that can become the problem and is controlled by immediate feedback to allow for behavioural change.”
WABN: Is there an organisation/business model that you strive to achieve/reach?
TM: “Business structure should be individual driven and non hierarchical.”
WABN: What are the specific hurdles that you meet on a daily basis in your sector?
TM: “Getting caught up in the nuts and bolts can cloud the vision that you started with. It’s important to take time out to re-focus on the big picture.”
WABN: Who isomeone that you dream to work with?
TM: “Paul Grabowsky – composer, performer and artistic director of 2010 Adelaide Festival. His global knowledge is formidable (including a huge knowledge of history). This, together with his ability to cut clearly through problems and challenges, is a great inspiration.
“We are working together on the Crossing Roper Bar project which is a fantastic tour from Darwin through to Broome and on to Perth celebrating the collaboration of the Australian Art Orchestra and indigenous performers from the Ngukurr in East Arnhem Land.”
WABN: Have you read a good book on management/leadership that you can recommend?
TM: “'How To Grow Your Business By Taking Three Months Off, by Louise Woodbury and William de Ora. I relate to the idea of getting out of our own way, letting go of ownership and control – empowering others and standing back to see the big picture.”
WABN: What is your favourite hobby?
TM: “Fishing; I just landed a 74 centimetre barra in the Mary River system near Darwin last week. What an amazing environment.”
WABN: Who has influenced you professionally?
TM: “David Blenkinsop, ex-director of the Festival of Perth. He has shown me the importance of being bold and thinking beyond the possible. He has been a great mentor for me.”
