Patternmakers 14/2/23 Patternmakers 14/2/23

Beyond the Bio: Caitlin McNaughton

Meet our Manager of Research and Insights, Caitlin McNaughton! Join us as we take a few moments to go beyond the bio and get to know our team's newest addition.

Tell us a bit about your background, Caitlin!

Going back to the very beginning, my Mum was a writer and my Dad was a Statistics teacher so I grew up surrounded by words and numbers.

Jumping forward a few years, I’ve joined the team from my previous role as Marketing and Communications Manager at Chunky Move, where I learned to love the oft-misunderstood art form of contemporary dance.

Before that I was at Melbourne Fringe, where I worked in management roles across ticketing, communications and development. Melbourne Fringe was a real learning and playing ground for me as an arts manager, and it was where I really honed my passion for data and my analytical skills.

What is your role at Patternmakers?

I’m in the newly created role of Manager, Research and Insights, where I’ll take a lead role in overseeing client projects, designing methodologies and managing the research team to ensure high quality insights for our clients.

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

I gravitate towards experimental art in non-traditional spaces.

But I also love sitting in a comfy seat for three hours to watch a big-budget, cheesy musical.

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled?

All of my travelling highlights centre around food. Porto is a beautiful city, and they also have this ridiculous sandwich called a Francesinha - Google it. Also…Portuguese tarts…

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

Outside of Patternmakers I keep busy playing basketball and netball a few nights a week, as well as going to plenty of arts events around Melbourne: especially theatre, cinema and gigs. Otherwise, you can find me on my couch reading a good book or watching whatever prestige TV drama (or questionable reality show) I'm currently obsessed with.

What's your working style?

Years working in festivals and events have made me pretty proactive and willing to roll up my sleeves and get stuck into any task thrown my way! I tend to approach my work in a methodical and detail-oriented way, while always leaving some room for creativity and spontaneity. I'm also a collaborative worker and communicator, and I really value people's individual skillsets – I reckon everyone brings a unique point of view to the table, no matter their experience level.

Why are you excited to work for Patternmakers?

With over ten years’ experience working in the arts, I have seen firsthand the importance of research, evaluation and data-led decision making. Patternmakers is doing vital work to ensure the sustainability of our sector, and the Audience Outlook Monitor has been a lifeline throughout the pandemic and beyond.

About the Author

Melanie Raveendran
Digital Marketing Associate

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Patternmakers 6/10/22 Patternmakers 6/10/22

Beyond the Bio: Mia Skeffington

Meet our Research Coordinator, Mia Skeffington! Join us as we take a few moments to go beyond the bio and get to know our team's newest addition.

Tell us a bit about your background, Mia!

Hello! I’m currently studying a double degree of Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Social and Political Sciences. My studies have instilled in me a passion for social justice and an awareness for the powerful ways in which arts and culture can shape individuals and collectives. I have engaged with Visual Arts throughout my entire schooling career and am thrilled to be part of a company that is so involved in the arts sector.

Both my studies and previous administrative experience have also enhanced my ability to think and solve problems in both an organised and creative manner. I was also a tutor for a number of students over the years, allowing me to hone my communication skills, empathy and be supportive in any way that I can.

What is your role at Patternmakers?

As Research Coordinator, my role at Patternmakers is to assist the research team in the smooth running of client projects, undertake research support and administration activities, coordinate fieldwork, and support project delivery. My aim is to ensure that every client who comes into contact with Patternmakers has the best experience possible.

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

I absolutely adore going to literally any type of art exhibition! I’m always so in awe of the diversity of visual arts, and the creativity and authenticity of others.

I also love musical ensembles and cabaret shows. I’ve been playing the violin since I was five and have performed at the Sydney Opera House several times, played with the London Symphony Orchestra and was a section leader in the Goulburn Strings Project. I really treasure the experience of playing with a collective of people.

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled?

I think each place I’ve visited has been my favourite for different reasons. I really love Venice: every inch is vibrant and full of life, from the palaces, to the churches, to the streets, to the canals, to the restaurants… the list can go on and on.

Siem Reap is very vibrant too, and beautifully rich in history and culture. There’s also something so dreamy about walking around Paris on an early winter’s morning. Maybe it’s the crisp air and hot coffee, and the excitement for the day of sight-seeing ahead.

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

Outside of Patternmakers, you’ll find me buried under a pile of law readings, donning a face mask and a herbal tea in hand. You might also find me dreaming of future holiday destinations, discussing the world’s dilemmas, quoting sitcoms, and exploring my surroundings with my family and friends.

About the Author

Melanie Raveendran
Digital Marketing Associate

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Patternmakers 28/6/22 Patternmakers 28/6/22

Beyond the Bio: Melanie Raveendran

Meet our Digital Marketing Associate, Melanie Raveendran! Join us as we take a few moments to go beyond the bio and get to know our team's newest addition.

Tell us a bit about your background Melanie!

I recently graduated from UNSW with a Bachelor of Art Theory and Bachelor of Criminology. I decided I wasn’t ready to stop studying so I’m currently working towards a Master of Art Curating at Sydney University. Despite fears about job stability in the arts, there’s nothing else I’d rather do than learn and work within this sector that empowers, inspires and brings value to our communities.

In terms of previous experience, I’ve worked and volunteered for a range of galleries, museums and events across Sydney, including Blacktown Arts Centre, Carriageworks, the 22nd Biennale, Australian National Maritime Museum and, most recently, the Australian Museum. My responsibilities were oriented around visitor engagement and public programming, allowing me a glimpse into the approaches that successfully capture the audience’s attention.

I was also employed as an Election Officer in 2019 for both State and Federal elections, as well as a Census Field Officer in 2021. These methodical, data-driven roles were brief but important opportunities to assist the general public.

What is your role at Patternmakers?

As a Digital Marketing Associate, my role at Patternmakers is to assist the team with their communications efforts, writing, creating and publishing marketing content for various social media platforms, website and EDMs. I was thrilled to join the team and assist Patternmakers with their goal of strengthening the creative industries through research.

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

I love visiting art galleries and exhibitions. Whether big or small, I enjoy immersing myself within the artist or organisation’s curatorial vision, commending (and sometimes critiquing) how they have constructed a particular experience. Even though my academic background is founded in the arts, I’ll never become tired of consuming it.

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled?

Such a difficult question! The creative in me savoured every thrilling second of New York City, visiting countless galleries and museums, eating cheap and delicious street food and surfing the subway from one end of the city to the other.

I also loved my visits to my parents’ country of birth, Sri Lanka. It’s always such a privilege to hear about my parents’ and grandparents’ upbringing and an even greater privilege to revisit their villages, previously war-torn but now (mostly) peaceful. This little island is rich in culture and I am blessed to have a tight-knit family and Desi community that celebrates and upholds this culture in Sydney.

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

Outside of Patternmakers, you’ll find me curating and co-managing The Waiting Room Project, an artist-run initiative that organises monthly exhibitions within the waiting room of the Sydney Sexual Health Centre, aiming to alleviate anxieties within a medical space and prioritise marginalised voices.

In my spare time I love spending time with family and friends, capturing moments on an old film camera and making art.

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

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Patternmakers 20/4/19 Patternmakers 20/4/19

What career advice would you give your younger self?

In March 2019, our Founder Tandi Palmer Williams joined a panel at a KYHO Networking event called ‘Breaking the Mould’, held at UTS Startups. In this post, she shares her experience of imposter syndrome, burnout and entrepreneur lessons, in case it helps anyone out there embarking on a journey of their own.

I recently had the honour of speaking at a KYHO Networking event called ‘Breaking the Mould’, held at UTS Startups. It was a great conversation, covering imposter syndrome, mentoring, burnout and entrepreneur lessons. I thought I’d share my responses to some of the facilitators questions, in case this helps anyone out there embarking on a journey of their own.

Can you describe what your career path has looked like from graduating university to where you are now?

I spent the first seven years of my career at professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. Firstly graduating as a Chartered Accountant, I then retrained as an Economics and Policy consultant and helped organisations conduct economic analysis to inform their strategy. It was a real thrill seeing my work leading to regulatory change, major investment and international partnerships - and I learned a lot from some talented economists.

But in all honesty, I was miserable. I was working late into the night, sometimes on jobs not aligned with my values, and my health was starting to be affected.

I could see that some things that we innately know are important, like cultural expression, sense of community and social bonding – aren’t easily measured in dollars and cents. I was working my butt off, but it wasn’t for what I believed really mattered.

I became fascinated with fields like cultural economics, triple bottom line accounting and social return on investment, and eventually followed my passion into the cultural sector and worked for three years in Research & Strategic Analysis at the Australia Council, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body.

After falling in love with my (now) husband, I moved to the UK and worked for two years at Nesta, managing the research elements of the $5m Digital R&D Fund for the Arts. I’m grateful for that experience seeing the inside of an innovation lab and having opportunities to work with some of the world’s most iconic institutions like the Royal Opera House.

I started Patternmakers back in Australia in 2016 after I had been freelancing for one year full time. Today I lead our brilliant team of four researchers, and a network of contractors and advisors across Australia and internationally.

At what moment did you decide it was right for you to start Patternmakers? What has the reception been like, and how did that feel?

From Covent Garden to Colac (VIC), I began to realise that many arts organisations and cultural institutions were experiencing similar issues: trying to grow audiences, secure funding and deliver greater impact.

I’ve now worked with organisations of all different structures and sizes and I’ve seen how some organisations grow and really make a difference, even in hard times when there’s an economic downturn, or public funding is declining.

They do it by becoming insightful institutions. It’s not about counting dollars and cents. If you’re an impact-driven organisation you need to be adopting the practises of research and insight to reach more people, secure funding and deliver even more good in the world.

Today, Patternmakers supports cultural organisations to become more insightful and impactful. With my team of researchers and strategists, we help cultural leaders collect data, create experiences people love, evaluate their impact, build compelling business cases and share their knowledge to grow the sector and change the world.

We’ve now been operating for two and a half years, and demand for our services has led to us to grow really strongly. It’s been a real rollercoaster.

But my reasons were also somewhat selfish… When my husband and I started planning a family, I started thinking about how I could grow a great business that could allow me to work flexibly.

I’m really pleased that I can now support other parents the same opportunity to balance work and family.

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome? If so, how have you broken out of that thinking?

Of course. We all live in fear that someone will find out that we’re not good enough to be doing what we do.

But I try and channel it into self improvement and professional development. I can recommend the book ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’.

Do not let imposter syndrome stop you doing things. Just make a commitment to yourself that fear and self doubt and insecurity is not going to be the driver of what you do & don’t do.

What advice would you have to young women who are entering the workforce and are feeling like a fraud or an imposter?

What I’m learning about tackling imposter syndrome is that it can help to identify and articulate the value that we bring to any conversation. Saying ‘I’m only this’ or ‘I’m just that...’ is not helping anyone. Even the youngest person in the room has something that no one else has: the perspective of youth and everyone wants to tap into that.

A colleague of mine Kathryn Geels, who now leads the Engaged Journalism Accelerator, recently shared with me the value of taking time out to reflect on your work, roles, track record and really articulate what your unique perspective is.

So for me, it’s that I understand the language of both art and maths. And it’s not until my 30s that I could see the patterns and connections and the narrative of my career, but looking back, it was always there.

How should a young person starting out go about accessing mentorship or acquiring a mentor?

Getting good guidance is critical. And there are actually three types of mentors I have accessed at different times: a great boss, a coach, and several mentors.

I’ve been lucky to have several great bosses in my journey, such as Bridget Jones, who taught me about the value of quality research closely linked with strategy. We were joint recipients of the Award for Collaboration at the Australia Council which was a great honour.

It definitely pays to seek out jobs with someone amazing to report to. You can even do reverse checks on them!

A great coach is also gold. I’ve worked with Monica Davidson from Creative Plus Business for the past three years and it has been partially subsidised by the NSW Government through Business Connect. So valuable.

A mentor, or in my opinion several mentors also play an important role. And as my co-panellist, career coach Rebecca McFarland, pointed out. It’s perfectly fine to have mentors that don’t know you are their mentor!

What has been the biggest challenge in your career to date?

In the early part of my career it was managing burnout and navigating organisational dynamics. As an ambitious, self-motivated employee there are times when bureaucracy can slow things down and it can grate when you hit certain roadblock. But there are many things to be learned in such situations too.

Since starting Patternmakers, the challenges are many, but so are the rewards! Producing work that is very high quality, while balancing the books does lead to many late nights, very few true holidays and worryingly blurred boundaries between work and everything else.

They say the entrepreneurs journey is a financial one and I tend to agree. There is a lot to learn about managing cash flow, assessing profitability and getting to know your business model inside out, and with every recruit, it can change. There have been months when I’ve wondered how we will make payroll, but it is a great discipline in becoming very, very resourceful.

In the next five years an area that will be demanding for me is HR and recruitment. Because for a business at this particular stage (and frankly, life generally) it’s all about surrounding yourself with the right people.

Did you receive a piece of advice when you were starting out that was particularly influential?

Don’t hesitate to put yourself forward. A good friend of mine, Morwenna Collett, encouraged me to apply for the Australia Council’s Arts Leaders Program. At the last minute, I put in an application. It was successful and it ended up being a pivotal experience that has shaped my world ever since.

If someone asks for a volunteer, put your hand up. If you see an award category that’s relevant to you, put an application in! You’ll be surprised how often you get further than you think. And building a great track record is the best thing you can do for your career.

What advice would you have liked to have heard?

Trust your instincts. I’ve taken on projects that I knew weren’t the right fit - and learned my lesson the hard way. More and more, I want to be selective about the people, projects and ideas that I let into my life.

And enjoy the journey! Research is the most exciting, enriching, fulfilling career. Being in the field, meeting people, hearing about their lives is such an honour and it’s so important to love what you do each day.

About the Author

Tandi Palmer Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Between 2013 and 2015, she was Research Manager for the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts, based at Nesta in London.

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Beyond the Bio: Dr Catherine Davis

The Patternmakers team is expanding - meet Catherine Davis! Join us as we take few moments to go beyond the bio and get to know our team's newest addition.

The Patternmakers team is expanding - meet Dr Catherine Davis! Join us as we take few moments to go beyond the bio and get to know our team's newest addition.

What is your role at Patternmakers?

I’m Patternmakers’ Senior Research Analyst which essentially means I spend most of my time analysing data and turning the findings into meaningful insights!

What does your average day look like?

My days are wonderfully varied. I might spend several hours in the morning analysing qualitative or quantitative data for a program evaluation and then start doing the fieldwork for an audience research project in the afternoon.

What do you love about your job?

Although I’ve only been working at Patternmakers for a month, I love waking up every day knowing that the research we’re conducting can help strengthen the arts and creative industries in Australia, and providing evidence of the importance of the arts in society.

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

How do I choose just one!? Well, firstly I would say the theatre. My dad is a theatre studies professor, so while most of my childhood friends would be taken to the park after school, my younger sister and I were dragged to watch the latest Shakespearean play. I remember being delighted and enthralled as I watched the characters come to life before my eyes. I also love visiting art galleries. The first time art really moved me was when I went into the Rothko room at the Tate Modern in London and became instantly tearful. As Rothko himself once said: ‘A painting is not a picture of an experience; it is an experience.’ I love how art has the power to transport us through time and space, to challenge us, and to engender change in social, political and cultural issues.

What are some of your non-work-related goals for the rest of 2018?

I’d love to start learning a new language – possibly Japanese. I also want to take up a ceramics or painting course. I’d like to read more fiction books. Recently I’ve found myself reading mostly non-fiction. For example, right now I’m reading ‘Curing Affluenza: How to Buy Less Stuff and Save the World’ by Richard Denniss. It’s such a vital book for our times but not exactly a light read before bed.

Favourite city of the most interesting place you've visited or travelled?

One of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited was the Northern Territory, in particular the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Waking up at dawn to watch the sun come up over Uluru was truly one of the most magical and spiritual experiences I’ve ever had.

What is your greatest personal achievement or something you feel truly proud of?

My greatest achievement is probably completing my PhD last year. I used a mixed methods research design to uncover the role that online communities play in the lives of new Italian migrants in Australia.

It was such a roller-coaster ride requiring diligence, unrelenting commitment and endless cups of tea! But I finished my thesis on time and along the way I learnt so much about research inquiry and about myself too.

About the Author

Penny Cannan
Business Administrator

Penny has a background in Art and Design, Communications, Brand Identity and Project Management.

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Beyond the Bio: Jodie Bombardier

We are very excited to announce the latest member to the Patternmakers family – meet Jodie. Join us as we take a few moments to go beyond the bio and chat with our new administrator, Jodie.

What is your role at Patternmakers?

As someone who’s worked most of her professional life in business operations and events management for large corporations, I was delighted to get involved in a small business, which has a wider purpose. As the administrator, I believe I am making a genuine impact through providing operational support to Tandi and the team – making sure all our projects are running smoothly.

What does your average day look like?

As the newest member of the Patternmakers team I must admit that I have been busy researching, learning and asking questions! For now, we are focused on business process improvement – reviewing, developing and ensuring we have sound operational procedures that support both internal and client projects.

What do you love about your job?

I love working with such a passionate and talented team, who are committed to the role we play in supporting the arts and cultural scene. It is exciting working with a cohesive team, where ideas are put into action. I love the potential reach of Patternmakers to inform and inspire our clients with the vast possibilities of data.

What’s more – Patternmakers flexible work policy allows me to work from home and balance my work and family time. It’s wonderful seeing how progressive the company is as flexible careers are surely the future of work.

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

I head to the coast! Living on Sydney’s Northern Beaches means I am never far from the ocean and the sea breeze, which I love. I spend most of my time with my young family. With little ones, it’s all about scooting and cycling, feeding ducks, and constant adventures!

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

I’ll have to say theatre, dance and music. I love the excitement of attending a performance, and that tingling feeling one gets from being swept away in the story.

What are some of your non-work-related goals for 2017?

I would like to have more time for yoga, walking or cycling around our local lake, and learning French, to keep up with my kids!

What is your greatest personal achievement or something you feel truly proud of?

We have recently had two years living in Montreal Canada, which is the hometown of my husband. We moved there when our daughter was three and our son was just ten months old. I have been lucky to have travelled and lived in a few countries but it was quite a different experience moving a young family. It was an exciting adventure yet incredibly challenging a times (especially in the Winter months with -30 degrees wind chill!)

While living in Canada, I travelled to the Rocky Mountains, which is one of my favourite places in the world. Seeing the mountains changing beauty in all different lights and shades was awe-inspiring. It’s almost an artwork in it’s own right.

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

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Patternmakers 4/4/17 Patternmakers 4/4/17

Beyond the Bio: Nicole Pierre

A new month brings a fresh face to Patternmakers - meet Nicole Pierre! Join us as we take few moments to go beyond the bio and get to know our team's newest addition.

A new month brings a fresh face to Patternmakers - meet Nicole Pierre! Join us as we take a few moments to go beyond the bio and get to know our team's newest addition.

What is your role at Patternmakers?

I’m the Digital Content Coordinator at Patternmakers so I get to organise all the communications across our digital platforms.

What does the average day look like?

I love all things social media, content creation and marketing, which is exciting because it encompasses everything I do at Patternmakers. My work is both varied and fun. One minute I could be creating content for our monthly newsletter and writing a blog about the ‘3 Creatives bringing data to life’, all the way to sourcing data art images and writing copy on our social media feeds.

What do you love about your job?

Despite being a relatively new member on the Patternmakers team, I love the fact that I am creating communications for a brand’s message that I am really passionate about. That is mobilising and supporting the Australian creative arts industry through research and data.

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

It’s hard to say just one so I’m going to give you my top two. Firstly, I really enjoy attending art exhibitions. The latest one I went to was ‘Adman: Warhol before pop’, which was interesting to see a completely different body of work to Warhol’s signature pop art pieces dealing with consumerism and mass production.

As a self confessed cinéphile, I also adore going to foreign film festivals. Last year, I went to the Latin American film festival and the Italian film festival. Most recently, I volunteered at the Alliance Française film festival. If you attended, you may have seen me give a short French presentation on Ladies night at the screening of La Danseuse by Stéphanie Di Giusto.

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

Currently, I am studying a Master of Journalism at UTS. Pursuing a career in the media and communications sector has been something that interested me for a long time. I am a curious individual who loves talking to people and storytelling so it was a no-brainer for me to pursue my studies in Journalism. I actually just submitted a blog post on the ‘Regulation of fake news in the digital age’ – if you’d like to give it a read.

What is your greatest personal achievement?

Something I am really proud of is learning a second language. The secondary school education system in Australia doesn’t put much of a demand on learning a second language, which I see as a real shame. When I commenced my bachelor’s degree, I enrolled in French classes and did a study abroad in Lyon, France. My experience abroad was truly eye opening – immersing me to a whole other culture, which I always appreciated through art, films, and music.

I later returned to Australia, continued learning French and took a leap of faith when journeying back to France in 2015-2016. The second time, I lived and worked in a small coastal village in Brittany with the goal of improving my French.

I remember when I had a few days in Paris towards the end of my trip before heading back to Sydney. At the hotel, the receptionist was assisting an American just before me, in perfectly fluent English. When it was my turn, I jumped straight into French without hesitation. He was both shocked and impressed, and we continued conversing before he handed me the keys to my room. It was at that moment, that I realised how far I’d come.

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Be in the loop

Patternmakers 7/2/17 Patternmakers 7/2/17

Beyond the Bio: Brooke Boyce

As you know, we like to dive deep to gather data so this time we decided to take a few moments by going beyond the bio with our resident Research Analyst Brooke!

As you know, we like to dive deep to gather data so this time we decided to take a few moments by going beyond the bio with our very own Brooke Boyce, resident Research Analyst at Patternmakers.

What exactly do you do at Patternmakers?

As the Research Analyst at Patternmakers, I support our Insight Director to deliver our clients’ projects – from the proposal to methodology design, project management and fieldwork, and analysis and reporting.

We are also creating more of our own content, and launching Patternmakers’ courses and events to inspire the future of arts and culture research – so I’m looking forward to being a part of that, too.

What does your average day look like?

I like to start my work day before the hustle and bustle of the City of Sydney begins. I work best in the morning – and it also means I can have the afternoon off to enjoy the fresh air outside.

No two days are the same at Patternmakers – but an average day (if you can call it average) involves working on multiple project elements – from report writing at my desk in the morning, to co-design workshops during the day, and doing immersive focus groups at night.

When I’m not working on our projects, I am a writer for a quiz show, and for a Western City publication.

What do you love about your job?

What I love about my job now is that we are working with our clients to positively impact the arts and culture space – a space that is so, so important for communities.

Research is continually providing new evidence to back up just how important arts and culture is for us. And I’m really excited to be working on projects this year that will add fuel to this beautifully burning flame.

Tell us your favourite type of cultural experience and why.

Historical museums – there is something magical about old places and old things, and the life they have led! And same goes for art mixed with history – the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam crafted an incredibly moving, spiritual experience through their audio guide that was unforgettable.

Where do you go for inspiration?

I grew up on the water in Queensland, so I tend to go to Bicentennial Park/Blackwattle Bay in Glebe, or to the Botanic Gardens to get my slice of fresh air, green, and water.

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled.

My husband and I spent most of 2016 travelling overseas – our absolute favourite places/experiences on our adventure were camping on Vancouver Island, walking the streets of Florence and Rome, and driving around Iceland!

What are you currently reading?

Bolshoi Confidential, a history of the Russian Ballet by Simon Morrison. My grandmother is Russian/Estonian, and I’m interested get a sense of what life in Russia must have been like for my great grandparents before they moved to Australia in the 1920s.

Biggest distraction from productivity?

Our ginger rescue cat Paddington. He put on a little bit of weight with us feeding him treats so he jokingly became Puddington and now he's just Pud.

I was really pleased that Patternmakers could make a donation to Sydney Cats and Dogs Home at the end of 2016.

Favourite quote?

Happiness (is) only real when shared – Christopher McCandless/Alexander Supertramp

Advice for Arts professionals doing research?

My advice to arts professionals when tackling research is that it’s not as scary as you may think. It’s a bit like a puzzle – you might have the borders, or some random pieces – and what research does is fill in those missing pieces for you to get the bigger picture. And if you break it down, step by step, piece by piece, it can be fun and incredibly rewarding.

As long as you (and your stakeholders) are really, really clear at the beginning on your research purpose, and always go back to those one of two sentences, you will end up with a meaningful and useful piece of research.

About the Author

Tandi Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Tell us a bit about your background, Caitlin!

What is your role at Patternmakers?

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled?

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

What's your working style?

Why are you excited to work for Patternmakers?

About the Author

Categories

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Tell us a bit about your background, Mia!

What is your role at Patternmakers?

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled?

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

About the Author

Categories

Be in the loop

Tell us a bit about your background Melanie!

What is your role at Patternmakers?

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled?

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

About the Author

Categories

Be in the loop

Can you describe what your career path has looked like from graduating university to where you are now?

At what moment did you decide it was right for you to start Patternmakers? What has the reception been like, and how did that feel?

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome? If so, how have you broken out of that thinking?

What advice would you have to young women who are entering the workforce and are feeling like a fraud or an imposter?

How should a young person starting out go about accessing mentorship or acquiring a mentor?

What has been the biggest challenge in your career to date?

Did you receive a piece of advice when you were starting out that was particularly influential?

What advice would you have liked to have heard?

About the Author

Be in the loop

Categories

What is your role at Patternmakers?

What does your average day look like?

What do you love about your job?

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

What are some of your non-work-related goals for the rest of 2018?

Favourite city of the most interesting place you've visited or travelled?

What is your greatest personal achievement or something you feel truly proud of?

About the Author

Be in the loop

Categories

What is your role at Patternmakers?

What does your average day look like?

What do you love about your job?

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

What are some of your non-work-related goals for 2017?

What is your greatest personal achievement or something you feel truly proud of?

About the Author

Categories

Be in the loop

What is your role at Patternmakers?

What does the average day look like?

What do you love about your job?

What is your favourite type of cultural experience and why?

What do you do outside of Patternmakers?

What is your greatest personal achievement?

About the Author

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Be in the loop

What exactly do you do at Patternmakers?

What does your average day look like?

What do you love about your job?

Tell us your favourite type of cultural experience and why.

Where do you go for inspiration?

Favourite city or the most interesting place you’ve visited or travelled.

What are you currently reading?

Biggest distraction from productivity?

Favourite quote?

Advice for Arts professionals doing research?

About the Author

Be in the loop

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Connect