SCOTT RANKIN - KEYNOTE SPEAKER - WRITER - DIRECTOR - SOCIAL & CULTURAL INNOVATOR Scott’s remarkable community-building strategies tackle the most entrenched and difficult social problems through innovative award winning strategies, from the Pilbara, Tasmania, to inner city Sydney and Melbourne. Scott’s innovative work has been the subject of documentaries, Government evaluations and has garnered many awards. He has recently returned from
Big hART, co-founded by Scott in the late 80’s is his passionate contribution to Australian society. He speaks eloquently and inspirationally using real-life examples such as cross-cultural indigenous projects, public housing projects, crime and violence prevention, prevention of juvenile offending, literacy, young men and their journey to manhood, domestic violence prevention, the new rural poor and many other topics. However Scott doesn’t just talk, he offers real insight into these entrenched social problems, and offers practical solutions. Many individuals, communities and corporations who hear Scott speak are inspired, motivated and empowered to do something to help bring about change in a practical sense. Scott is also a prolific Writer and Director, and his creative output has seen him pen such seminal Australian works for Arts Festivals as Box The Pony for Leah Purcell, Riverland for Wesley Enoch and Ngapartji Ngapartji for Trevor Jamieson. In the process his work has helped shape contemporary Australian theatre and contributed to bridging the divide between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. His most recent theatre production Namatjira just completed a sell-out season in Belvoir Street, Sydney and is set to tour nationally in 2011/12. Selected recent speaking engagements International Colloquium on Prevention of Crime; Alfred Deakin Innovation Lectures; Rex Cramphorn memorial lecture, Sydney Festival; Eat Drink Talk Art Sydney Festival; National Playwriting Australia Conference; Art at the heart conference, Alice Springs; Australian Performing Arts Centres Association 2005; National Local Government Conference 2006 Awards Scott and Big hART Inc have received: Ros Bower Award; 8 Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) Awards; 2 Premier’s Literary awards; a Human Rights Award (arts); World Health Organization Award for Safe Communities; 3 Green Room Awards - including Most Innovative Production and Best Direction; the 2008 Myer Performing Arts Group Award as well as an AFI Award; and the 2008 Deadly Award for Best Film Television or Theatre. | 
