Danielle Tuwai is an arts and cultural project manager, events producer, curator, programs manager and entrepreneur. She is Māori, Fijian, Tongan (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Daliconi, Leimatua) born in Aotearoa (NZ) and migrated to Australia at age six, and has since had the privilege of growing up and working on Gadigal Country.
Currently, Danielle is Cultural Projects Coordinator, Cultural Infrastructure, at City of Sydney Council working on the provision of affordable creative space for artists and arts organisations (Accommodation Grants Program, Short Term Empty Properties Program and Creative Live Work Spaces).
Danielle specialises in Indigenous and Multicultural engagement and programming. With over three decades involved in arts & culture, her extensive experience includes, but is not limited to, arts administration, travel consulting, radio broadcasting, activism and as a performance artist in
the music, media, entertainment, and community sectors.
Having worked locally, nationally (Barunga, Buderim, Port Fairy) and internationally (Singapore, Los Angeles, Nashville), Danielle has developed, produced and administered works such as SongHubs, EQUALIZE, First Nations Connect, Professional Development Series for Women, Starting Ground Master Class (APRA AMCOS), Yabun Festival, Young Black and Deadly Rising Stars, Klub Koori (Gadigal Information Service), Jersey Boys, Adams Family and Blue Man Group (New Theatricals), and coordinated captioning services for deaf and hearing impaired (AI-Media).
Danielle has performed as an artist in bands for entertainment and social change that include 2indij, South West Syndicate, Carl Stewart Band, Renegades of Munk and Dukebox.
Since childhood, through family and friends, Danielle was involved in community radio as a broadcaster and DJ (Radio Redfern, Radio Skid Row and Koori Radio). She majored in music at Newtown Performing Arts High School and took part in PACT, Redfern Dance Theatre, Pacific Wave and Casula Powerhouse youth productions (Hip Hopera, Trackwork, Home).
Danielle founded the popular Redfern Night Market (2014-2016) where she identified opportunities for local creators and encouraged economic development projects. She founded Ace Agency, established to increase the participation of culturally diverse artists in Australian contemporary music, where she produced the X-Change Music Program and managed artist, Angus Field.
Through Danielle’s work she has had the opportunity to work collaboratively as a producer/project manager in partnership with cultural institutions such as Sydney Festival, Vivid Sydney, Studios 301, Mushroom Publishing, Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks, BIGSOUND, Unearthed, Homeground (Opera House), City of Sydney Council, Creative Victoria, Campbelltown Arts, Blacktown Arts, and La Perouse Aboriginal Lands Council.