Our Team

Fiona is the Executive Director of the Centre for Creative Health and is a passionate advocate for health and medical research. She commenced with the Foundation in 2010 after holding key roles in the professional services industry, tourism and healthcare sectors. She brings a wealth of experience in public relations, corporate communications, brand development and strategy as well as government relations and media management to her role.

Fiona has enjoyed overseeing strategic communications, community and stakeholder engagement and branding for the Foundation as well as its affiliate brands. She is a member of the Board of Governors for Military and Emergency Services Health Australia and Centre for Creative Health and has sat on a number of Advisory Committees including Cure for Stroke Australia and Kidney Transplant & Diabetes Research Australia.

Launched in 2016, Fiona has played a major role in the development, management and expansion of the Foundation’s first Under Our Roof project providing much needed accommodation for country cancer patients to stay with their families while having treatment in Adelaide.

She is delighted to be involved in establishing the Centre for Creative Health in South Australia to improve the quality and experience of healthcare in our hospitals through a range of best-practice art and music programs and creative initiatives for the benefit of patients, visitors, staff and the broader community.

Fiona began working for the Centre for Creative Health in 2017 as the Gallery Coordinator for the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and now holds the position of Senior Curator, working across a number of sites in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) and the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN).

Fiona assists in creating a healing environment within each hospital through regular exhibition programs, artist in residence programs and special projects associated with the visual arts and galleries program.

Fiona’s arts background ensures she is well positioned to deliver outstanding projects and programs within CCH. Fiona earned a Master of Visual Arts from the University of South Australia in 2012, and a Master of Arts (Curatorial and Museum Studies) and a Master of Arts (Studies in Art History) from the University of Adelaide in 2015.

Undertaking internships with the South Australian Museum and the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (Beijing) led Fiona to work for key arts organisations in Adelaide including the South Australian Living Artists Festival (SALA) and the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia. From 2016 to 2018 Fiona was an active member of the Board of Co-Directors who ran FELTspace, an established artist-run gallery located in Adelaide’s CBD.

Fiona finds the opportunity to share art with the hospital community to be extremely rewarding and greatly enjoys the challenges of integrating art into the healthcare setting.

Steph Cibich is an Adelaide based curator with a passion for bringing creative projects to life. She believes that art can help us lead more engaged and informed lives and is committed to the promotion of contemporary artists.

Steph has worked as the Assistant Curator/ Program Officer at the Centre for Creative Health since 2019. In this part time role, she facilitates artists by curating exhibitions across multiple South Australian hospitals and health care facilities.

Steph also works as an Independent Curator and has built a strong practice working closely with artists, ARI’s and key arts organisations to deliver engaging exhibitions and arts projects. She is the founding force behind Art Vending Machines Australia (AVMA) – a public art initiative that launched the first ‘Adelaide Art Vending Machine’ at the Art Gallery of South Australia in 2019. This project came to life while she undertook internships as part of her Master of Arts (Curatorial and Museum Studies, 2018) following a Postgraduate Diploma in Art History (2017) at the University of Adelaide.

In 2019, Steph was selected as Emerging Curator by the Art History & Curatorship Alumni Network and Floating Goose Studios Inc. As part of this program, she curated her first exhibition ‘Material Connections’ at Floating Goose Studios (SALA 2019) and was awarded the inaugural City of Onkaparinga Contemporary Curator Award (SALA award). In 2020, Steph was simultaneously appointed FELTspace Emerging Curator and the inaugural ART WORKS Emerging Curator. The latter was part of an exhibition and residency program delivered by Guildhouse in partnership with the City of Adelaide and led to the successful curation of three exhibitions and accompanying programs at the Adelaide Town Hall.

In addition to these projects, Steph has led several non-exhibition-based projects such as ‘Creatives in Captivity’ – a short term interview series streamed through Instagram exploring the practice and achievements of SA based artists in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. She has also been a guest on several podcasts and panel discussions.

Recently, Steph joined the volunteer Curatorium at Post Office Projects in Port Adelaide. She was also appointed Co-Chair of the Art History & Curatorship Alumni Network in 2021.

Victoria joined the Centre for Creative Health (CCH) team in 2020 as Program Administrator. Prior to CCH, Victoria spent 10 years at Guildhouse where she held various roles in Membership Services, Communications and as Executive Officer. She also holds a Bachelor of Visual Art (Art and Theory) from the University of South Australia.

In her current role as Program Administrator, Victoria supports the Executive Director and the CCH team to deliver programs and services, and to raise awareness of CCH within the broader community. She is passionate about the role of art in all aspects in society and sees that CCH plays a meaningful and impactful role in healthcare.

In her spare time, Victoria has been learning wheel-thrown ceramic and she says she expects to be quite good in about 10 more years!

Dr Patsy Tan is an American Board-Certified Music Therapist and Australian Registered Music Therapist. She is also a certified in Neurologic Music Therapy and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Music Therapy. Patsy is a professional member of the American Music Therapy Association, Australian Music Therapy Association and a founding member of the Association for Music Therapy, Singapore (AMTS). She is also a founding member of the International Association for Music and Medicine where she is currently serving on its scientific committee and editorial board of the Music Medicine Journal.

For the past 25 years, Patsy has worked with a variety of population in the United States, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia as a music therapist including pioneering medical music therapy in Singapore.

Patsy has published in scholarly journals and presented at various professional conferences internationally. Patsy returned to Singapore from the US and joined the Singapore General Hospital ENT in 2005 as an Auditory-Verbal Therapist and music therapist where she pioneered medical music therapy in Singapore and established the first music therapy program specifically for hearing impaired children with cochlear implants in aural/oral habilitation in SE Asia. Patsy relocated to Adelaide, Australia in 2016, working at the University of Adelaide and as a music therapist researcher at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Patsy is delighted to join the Creative Health team as the lead Music Therapist from 2020.

Brad works with the Centre for Creative Health coordinating the ‘Mule Shed’ Activity Hub at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre. As a Diversional Therapist he offers a creative distraction for patients requiring clinical rehabilitation services.

Brad completed a Master of Visual Art in 2010. His thesis focussed on an illustrated investigation into the notion of personal memory as a crucial facet of human existence.

Brad’s work has featured in 14 solo and collaborative exhibitions. He has also spent time as a woodworker. Brad has broad experience across the South Australian arts scene, working in venue construction and management with the Adelaide Festival, Fringe Festival and Garden of Unearthly Delights as well as undertaking stage and set construction for Slingsby Theatre and the South Australian Film Corporation.

With a strong sense of the impact the environment has on people’s wellbeing, combined with his passion and experience, Brad has now moved into a hospital setting. Working with patients on their rehabilitation journey, Brad offers activities and projects, including visual art, woodwork creations, and gardening as diversional activities.

Brad says it has been a privilege to see firsthand the positive impact of the arts within the medical fraternity and feels incredibly grateful for the experiences he has shared with his patients and the relationships that have grown from those moments.

Estelles’ role as an Art therapist in Central Adelaide Palliative Care will see her working across the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Royal Adelaide Hospital with both Patients in a hospital setting and in the community.

Holding both an Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Art therapy and Graduate Diploma of Art Psychotherapy from the IKON Institute and as a member of ANZACATA (Australia, New Zealand and Asia Creative Art Therapist Association) Estelle has worked at Central Adelaide Palliative Care since 2015 and supports patients at end of life and their families.

Previous work in events, media and communications has given Estelle a solid background in the area of understanding visual meaning and ritual.  Estelle values the importance of human experience and has a passion for celebrating each person’s unique story.  The Art therapy process helps patients explore and understand the Spiritual, Physical and Psychosocial aspects of their life, and end of life experience.  Supporting people as they gain greater clarity and resolution of their life experience is a large part of Estelle’s role.

Other areas of work include NDIA managed Clients living with a disability; elderly people and working with children in the areas of grief and bereavement; learning difficulties and trauma.

To work alongside and advocate for people at such a difficult time of life is an honour and a privilege. Placing the patient at the centre of their care, and supporting them to find acceptance and peace, is of utmost importance to Estelle’s practice.

Kaz Pedersen began her role as Visual Arts Tutor for The Hospital Research Foundation (THRF) Group in 2015. Kaz brings a wealth of knowledge to her role, with many years’ experience as an artist and art tutor working with all age groups, cultures and ability in the community. She believes she is ‘living the dream’ in her role as tutor and facilitator of the Monday Art Group at the Jamie Larcombe Centre on the acute ward with her Art Trolley on Thursdays.

Kaz also facilitates art exhibitions for veterans and emergency service personnel through THRF Group charities Centre for Creative Health and Military and Emergency Services Health Australia. She assists the Arts Scholarship Program partnered with the Adelaide Central School of Art and she acts as a conduit for participation in the Napier Waller Art Prize.

Kaz says she is very proud to be part of THRF Group’s dynamic vision and she enjoys reflecting on how the practise of visual arts appears to relax people, reduce depression and anxiety in patients.

In her spare time, Kaz likes getting amongst nature with hiking and camping, she also enjoys painting, potting, learning new skills and techniques and you will often find her reading an array of novels, biographies and travel books.

Karin Foxwell has been employed since 2016 with The Hospital Research Foundation (THRF) Group as an Art Therapist for Centre for Creative Health and Military and Emergency Services Health Australia, both part of THRF Group. With over 20 years’ experience as a counsellor and art therapist, Karin helps our veterans and emergency service personnel utilise art therapy as an outlet from their mental and/or physical wounds from service.

Based at the Jamie Larcombe Centre, Karin facilitates a therapeutic creative process with individuals to explore difficult life experiences and emotions, including those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress. Her role enables patients to safely and confidentially express and share open communication which encourages healing and growth. Karin is inspired daily by the patients she helps and feels privileged to be supporting our wounded veterans and emergency service personnel heal.

In her spare time Karin enjoys reading, practicing her art for future exhibitions and taking care of her son.

Lou works as Diversional Therapist for the Centre for Creative Health. In her current role, Lou works in the Mental Health units at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and at Glenside in the Acute Services unit.

Lou has worked in a variety of art related positions in the United Kingdom, Sydney and Adelaide, including as a pastel portrait artist and an animator before digital technology existed! While studying, Lou worked as an art tutor for Carclew Youth Arts Centre, including in schools and at the Art Gallery of South Australia where she ran art workshops for clients with mental health issues.

In 2004 Lou graduated with a Bachelor in Visual Art, receiving a Helpmann Academy and Adelaide City Council award followed by the Constance Gordon-Johnson Sculpture and Installation prize in 2005. She continued to work predominantly as an artist in Mental Health settings including across a range of Mental Health Community Centres in SA and in hospital settings.

Today, Lou dedicates her time and energy to support creativity in the lives of people who suffer from mental health issues; she finds the work both inspiring and humbling, often amazed by the talents of so many clients.

Luisa works as an Art Therapist at Modbury Hospital for the Centre for Creative Health, and began her role with the organisation in 2021. She has a background in art education, art research and art psychotherapy and she is also an art practitioner, working with varied formats and materials that explores ideas about memory, life narratives and textural qualities in a subject.

In her current role, Luisa provides Art Therapy to various units across Modbury Hospital including Palliative Care, Geriatric and Rehabilitation, helping patients during difficult times of their lives.

Luisa enjoys being part of The Hospital Research Foundation Group that focuses on the wellbeing of individuals and the South Australian community and being part of a team that support her therapeutic work for professional and personal growth. Luisa has a passion for learning and she continually engages in knowing more about Art Therapy and other therapeutic areas that will help her to provide therapeutic care for patients in hospital.