Robyn Jelleff started as a lighting designer in the early 80’s in Melbourne when the local music scene was thriving. She then headed to London in 1987 to try her luck. By the early 90’s she had started to make the move from lighting, to show production and tour management.
After 13 years based in the UK and touring the world with bands, Robyn returned to Australia in 2000 and began working for several of Australia’s best artists and music promoters. For 20 years she has been a partner at McCarthy Jelleff where she works as a Tour/Production Manager and Promoter Rep on tours and events globally.
What would you normally be doing this time of year?
At this time of year, I would hopefully be touring overseas, as the winter months in OZ/NZ can sometimes be a bit quieter work-wise.
What’s a fairly normal day at the moment for you?
A normal day for me at the moment is being based at home, doing a little bit of gardening, walking the dog, etc. I’m enjoying the feeling of standing still for a change and not always being away on tour. I’m trying to keep in contact with my friends and work colleagues as much as I can.
Are you learning anything to improve your skills set?
I am currently undertaking the Mental Health First Aid course which was offered to me through Crew Care. I’m finding it extremely worthwhile.
What bad habits have you slipped into?
Not setting an alarm in the morning if I can get away with it 🙂
How are you coping financially?
I have been lucky enough to be eligible for Job Keeper. Finances are tight and I’m always looking for alternative sources of income.
When do you think live entertainment with return and in what format?
Hopefully, we’ll see some local artists playing smaller venues by the end of the year, then larger venues early next year but still with local acts. At this point, I can’t see international artists performing here until well into 2021. In the meantime, promoters will try to fill the gaps with live shows on the web and TV, along with a few interesting ideas for live performances such as drive-in concerts and so on.
Do you have any words of encouragement?
I’m afraid I don’t really have any sage words of encouragement because as we keep being told, these are unprecedented times and we have no idea what the future holds.
Though I would say that we need to continue to cultivate resilience and adaptability within our industry however, I do feel we are generally quite good at these attributes already.
I would also encourage music industry members to join our union MEAA and our industry associations such as Crew Care, LEIF, etc. For us to have a voice for the Arts at any level of government, we need to have a united stance.
What makes you happy at the moment?
Being able to keep in touch with close family and friends on a much more regular basis, is something I am really valuing at the moment.
