Creative Industries Networking Event

Next date: Saturday, 24 October 2026 | 09:45 AM to 01:30 PM

HOW MUCH?

The Economic Development and Arts & Culture teams at Banyule City Council and Nillumbik Shire Council invite you to join fellow creatives and industry peers for an inspiring conversation about building sustainable creative careers.

Led by circus director Debby Maziarz and performance maker Kate Sulan, this simulation-based workshop invites artists into a playful, hands-on exploration of financial empowerment. Through improvisation, role play, games and storytelling, participants encounter real-world scenarios to build confidence in negotiating fees, saying no and having conversations about money.

HOW MUCH? offers a generous space to interrogate limiting beliefs, rehearse new behaviours and experiment with language, confidence and choice.

Who's it for?

Perfect for artists and creatives across any artform, genre or career stage who encounter the question ‘HOW MUCH?’ for their time, services or products.

What to expect

• Interactivity (by invitation)
• Peer learning
• This is not financial advice
• We will not tell you what to charge
• Light lunch.

You will leave with

• A simple formula for working out a base cost 
• A list of questions to ask before providing a quote 
• Approaches for figuring out a pricing system
• A template for developing a personalised value statement 
• Language and phrases for navigating requests for discounts or unpaid work
• Case studies from artists who are experienced at negotiation 
• Money principles that align with your practice 
• Less fear and more curiosity when someone asks "HOW MUCH?"

Agenda

• 9.45am - 10.15am. Arrival time. Come early to enjoy a tea or coffee and meet fellow participants prior to a 10.15am start.
• 10.15am - 12.45pm. Workshop. Interactive workshop with role plays, games and storytelling to experiment and rehearse new ways to talk about money.
• 12.45pm - 1.30pm. Light lunch and Networking. Continue the conversation with fellow creatives over a light lunch. 

The event is proudly partnered by the Economic Development and Arts & Culture teams of Nillumbik Shire Council and Banyule City Council.

Please note that due to the nature of the event and restricted places, attendance is important. A $10 booking fee is payable at the time of booking to confirm your place and will be refunded when you attend the event. Late cancellations and no-shows will forfeit the $10. 

Your Workshop Facilitators

Debby Maziarz

Debby Maziarz, is an award-winning leader and creative entrepreneur providing leadership and business development support for creatives and communities. In 1996 Debby founded Westside Circus (Circus Nexus), a leading social circus enterprise for young people. She was CEO/Artistic Director from 1996 - 2010, resourcing the organisation’s growth and directing large-scale physical theatre works with young people and communities.

In 2010 Debby established Debby Maziarz Productions to further build the capacity of artists and organisations to realise their big ideas.

Debby is a recipient of an Australia Council CACD Fellowship (2016 – 2017) and an Australia Council Creative Community Fellowship (2019 – 2020) in partnership with National Arts Strategies. In 2023 she participated in The Art and Practice of Leadership Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, USA. 

Kate Sulan

Kate Sulan is a performance maker, dramaturge and facilitator based in Naarm, Melbourne. Kate was the founding Artistic Director of Rawcus, an award-winning ensemble of performers with diverse minds, bodies and imaginations and led the company for 22 years (2000-2022). Kate is also a long-term collaborator with Back to Back Theatre. She has worked with the company as a co-devisor, dramaturge and director and toured extensively with the company.

Kate has collaborated on many new works across theatre and performance. Companies she has worked with include Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company, Restless Dance Company, The Women’s Circus, Polyglot, Aphids, Western Edge, Stuck Pigs Squealing, Melbourne Fringe, The Centre for Reworlding, Arts House with the multiyear Refuge project, A Climate for Art, Browns Mart, BEAT entertainment, State Theatre SA and Darpana (India). Kate is currently a lecturer in Theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts and is the Chair of Theatre Network Australia. Kate has an Advanced Diploma in Group Facilitation (Groupwork Centre) and is a trained mediator (Resolution Institute).  

When

Location

The Hurstbridge Train station is about a 5 minute walk from the Community Hub.

Hurstbridge Community Hub, 50 Graysharps Road, Hurstbridge, 3099, View map