2016 full Vivid Ideas Guide can be downloaded here: www.vividsydney.com/ideasguide

Vivid Ideas today finalised its 2016 program with more than 180 events and over 400 speakers from across the world. Launching its official event guide in Sydney today, Vivid Ideas unveiled several major new events and an expanded list of world class speakers to the line-up, confirming the 2016 program as the most ambitious yet.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer-Vivid Sydney, Sandra Chipchase said, “The 2016 Vivid Ideas program is a dynamic showcase of art, creativity and innovation. It will bring to life inspiring successes stories and spark important debates around the business of creativity. Showcasing Sydney at its cutting-edge best, it is a reminder that our city is a global world leader in creative innovation and ingenuity.”

Vivid Ideas will feature for the first time a special event presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Internationally acclaimed director of The Dressmaker, Jocelyn Moorhouse, will hold an ‘In Conversation’ event on Thursday 16 June. In 30 years as writer-producer-director, Moorhouse has worked with many of the biggest names in film from Kate Winslet to Winona Ryder, Hugo Weaving to Colin Firth. Moorhouse will share her experiences of directing all-star casts and creating Australian cinematic masterpieces including The Dressmaker (5 AACTA Awards) and Proof (6 AFI Awards).

In another first, Vivid Ideas will host a Women in Electronic Music Symposium on Saturday 18 June. Presented by MusicNSW, it will bring together some of this generation’s trailblazing female dance music artists, DJs and emerging producers for Australia’s very first Women in Electronic Music Symposium. Aimed at supporting, inspiring and promoting the brightest female artists in electronic music, this Sydney-exclusive will include a three-day masterclass series, debate panel and a one-night-only showcase of female talent at the Vivid Ideas Exchange.

Vivid Ideas is also pleased to add 2016 NSW Woman of the Year Jen Armstrong. Jen is the founder of the Beauty Bank, a charity collecting unwanted toiletries and beauty products for women in need, particularly those experiencing domestic violence. It has helped over 3,000 women and men since 2013. A survivor of domestic violence, Jen is a passionate speaker about the effects of domestic violence and the power of resilience. She will share insights into promoting a culture of innovation by learning from our mistakes at Mistakability on 7 June.

Robot lovers will be pleased to hear the hugely popular Robowars have announced the Australian premiere rumble by the crocodile ‘Deathroll’ robot, fresh from the Los Angeles set of the Battlebots TV show. Weighing in at 150 kilograms, this is a robot not to be messed with. Robowars returns to Vivid Ideas on 5 June for another epic showdown. Robots big and small, and built by hand from metal, power tools and toy parts, battle it out in this one-day event.

Yahoo and General Assembly will present one of the largest learning events ever staged in Sydney: Code in the Park on Saturday 18 June offers an introduction to coding for all ages and abilities. The event is designed to transform thinkers of today into creators of tomorrow. Expect an afternoon of inspirational digital speakers and interactive demonstrations by Australia’s tech innovators.

Technology will also be in focus at another new event, Creating Cut-Through Content on 3 June. The average person consumes more than 10,000 pieces of digital content per day. With every brand out there becoming a publisher, how can you create content that cuts through the noise? Learn from the editors and publishers behind popular publications including Georgia Frances King (Editor, Kinfolk Magazine), Nick Shelton (Founder, Broadsheet) and Joanne Gray (Editor, Australian Financial Review’s BOSS Magazine).

The Media Architecture Biennale 2016 (MAB16) is also pleased to confirm global design leader Carlo Ratti, as keynote speaker for its closing ceremony on June 4. Prof Ratti is an architect, engineer, inventor and educator at Boston’s prestigious MIT and director of Director of the SENSEable City Lab. He is at the forefront of connecting technology and the built environment. His Digital Water Pavilion at the 2008 World Expo was hailed by Time Magazine as “One of the Best Inventions of the Year.” He has been included in Esquire Magazine’s “Best and Brightest list,” in Blueprint Magazine’s “25 People who will Change the World of Design” and in Forbes Magazine’s “People you need to know” in 2011.

Tickets continue to sell quickly for the Vivid Ideas highlight Game-Changers talks featuring legendary filmmaker Spike Jonze; House of Cards creator Beau Willimon, and Orange is the New Black writer and creator Jenji Kohan, and Australian global fashion influencer Margaret Zhang. This series provides rare, behind-the-scenes insights into the creative workings of these cutting-edge cultural icons at the height of their industries. Early Bird tickets to the Game-Changer Talk Series end 22 April so book today to avoid missing out.

Running 27 May to 18 June, Vivid Ideas is part of Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas. Speakers and subjects span the creative industries including technology, start-up smarts, film, storytelling, design, architecture, visual arts and communication. At Vivid Ideas, makers, thinkers, pioneers and businesses come together for professional development, updates on relevant industries, market opportunities and world class innovation. The program builds engagement between the creative industries and the broader economy, exploring trends, movements and opportunities that shape society and business globally.

Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. For more information about Vivid Ideas, visit vividsydney.com/ideas

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