Artists
We thought of life by analogy with a journey, a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end, and the thing was to get to that end, success or whatever it is, maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing or to dance while the music was being played. Alan Watts. 'An Introduction to Metaphysics'.
​
Peter Dufty is a singer songwriter and visual artist based in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs. His work spans over his lifetime, stretching across several modalities including acoustic and electric guitar, vocals, photography, drawing and painting. Peter’s warrior stories are ever present in his music and visuals, creating a certain satire, advocacy and humility with regards to mental health matters. Peter regularly performs at events such as ‘No Suppression’, ‘Consumer Worker’s Forum’ and mental health service celebrations. Peter is a pioneer Peer Support Worker, having supported people for over 15 years. He has an intricate ability and penchant for challenging stagnant beliefs with great humour.
Amber Dubs is a multi-disciplinary practitioner – MC and poet, DJ, radio host, theatre maker/director, producer, and performing artist born and raised on Wangal and Gadigal lands in the inner west of Warang (so called Sydney). She has created and performed domestically and internationally; from poetry residency workshops in Rhodes, Greece performing new, original works for the local community to rapping in underground bars of Berlin, Germany and performing in a short film “Hansel meets Gretel” written and directed by Mohamed Farahat that made official selection for the Berlin International Film Festival 2019, where she lived and worked for an extended period of time. Proud to be a wordsmith on the roster and copyright/licensing manager for eclectic independent Australian Hip Hop label Rah! Records, Amber’s repertoire extends from music production, rap, classically trained singer and cellist, backline/stagehand support for international tours, to theatre, tv and film, poetry, directing, copyright/licensing, Djing, song writing and live performance of all forms.
Scott Gardiner is a musician/composer who writes solo piano music. He began composing at age 11 and was influenced by the emotive melodic phrases of 19th Century Romanticism, the musicals of the 1930s and 1940s and the repetitive harmonic structure of popular music. Apart from these influences, Scott responds to his environment - buildings, people, energy and the spirit world, through his music. His first album, Interruptions from Everyday Life (2012), was a collection of work he composed whilst moving from house to house in Sydney’s inner west. This body of work, mapped his healing journey and also documented a decade of re-invention and self-discovery. The second album, With These City Lights was composed 7 years later and during a time when Scott moved back to his home town to reconnect with his roots and focus on grounding and intuition. Currently, he is composing a new body of work, Studies in Ascension, a set of work that explore the release of trapped energy from different sources in his new physical environment.
Amanda Rae Kelly is an artist based in Sydney’s Inner West. She has been creating and performing for over 30 years and has been the lead vocalist in several bands spanning many genres. She currently writes, creates, and records in her home studio and her first album “Dusk till Dawn” was released November 2015. Her unique style stems from a diverse creative and musical background and includes elements of theatre, jazz, film and pop, igniting a truly inspirational experience for the listener and audience. Amanda is driven to share her lived experience stories with the intention of creating understanding with regards to mental health distress and trauma. She believes this awareness is essential if we are to move towards effective support and prevention, as well as a cultural landscape which values and honours humanity, empathy, honesty and love.
Bronwen Kate Iferd is an artist and creative facilitator who allows her art and life to inform each other. She grew up and resides in the Southern suburbs of Sydney and loves nothing more than creating colourful adventures of abstraction using a mixture of artistic mediums. Art has remained a strong anchor throughout her life. It has helped her give voice to things that might not otherwise have been able to be expressed using words. It’s the language to which makes most sense to her and through her own personal experience of mental health & recovery, it has been the catalyst for change, healing & a way to make meaning of her experiences and growth. She also currently works as a peer worker in mental health, using her lived experience and qualifications to support others through their own way of personal recovery. This most recent series of work are created using mixed media materials on paper and canvas. Her current work is a series called "Inner Galaxies" which explores the endless possibilities of our internal landscapes, of being human and the experiences that shape us.
Max Simensen has worked in the public mental health sector since the age of 17 as a Peer Worker and now, as a Consumer Partnerships Co-ordinator. He has also worked for Headspace National on the Youth Reference Group, Orygen - The National Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental Health as a youth advocate. He regularly attends events where he speaks publicly about mental health, trauma, the LGBTIQ community and his experiences as a trans man. Max is passionate about human rights and the celebration of diversity in all aspects and walks of life. Max is our Master of Ceremonies for 'Wisdom of Warriors' events.
Beate Zanner is a person who has been involved in the theatre world in the late 70’s to the mid 90’s. Working behind the scenes from lighting to stage management. Beate tried to get into the AFTVS which included writing a script about my childhood and as a result was given an interview. This took Beate in another direction of needing psychological help while being told for many years to get help. It has meant Beate landed exactly where she needed to be in dealing with life. Working as a Peer Worker/Consumer Advocate for over 13 years has helped Beate to find her voice by sharing her story with other people who also struggle with life at various times. Beate began to write poems, as it helped other people realise they are triggered, which helped them to learn to take hold of their life! Beate believes people can only go in another direction by being understood with empathy, validation and held without judgements. Beate has found writing the poems has helped her immensely as well to understand and accept herself as a human being because of sharing with other people.
Bryan McShane is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer based in the Inner West of Sydney. Bryan has nearly thirty years’ experience playing guitar and over ten years’ experience recording and producing his own music and that of mates. On the journey, he has obtained a Bachelor of Music @ UNE and a Diploma of Audio Engineering @ JMC, as well as producing over ten albums worth of his own music, available on Spotify. He has an array of influences from Blues to Jazz, Electronic/EDM to RnB, Indian to Classical and everything in between. Bryan has been a Peer Support Worker for nearly two years, often incorporating learned musical skills into the support work. Playing, writing, and recording sound are at the core of Bryan’s being and have been essential in understanding his own mental health journey and helping spread awareness to others living with mental distress.
Sydney-Based Polynesian Artist, Katherine Vavahea has been spreading aloha throughout the Music Industry with her soulful and soothing voice. Singing everything from sweet R’n’B hits to Funkadelic tracks across Australia. Think of a caterpillar that after a long time of incubation deep in the chrysalis emerging as a brand new and colourful Butterfly.
Realising and pursuing your hearts desire after a long period of slumber is synonymous with my late blossoming as an Artist. It is never to late to follow and pursue your dreams!I love the opportunity to make people feel something that takes them out of their everyday circumstances and loose themselves in the music.
I feel so humbled every time I get the opportunity to sing my music and perform in whatever capacity it is required.
We are always looking for artists to join our 'Wisdom of Warrior' events. If you are interested in performing or exhibiting please complete the form below.