Midweek Minds: The Engagement Generation

About the event

Can we have your attention? In an age of on-demand streaming, snackable content and 24/7 audience engagement and TikTok remixes, how can publishers and artists sustain an audience? Via rapid-fire keynote, hear how three creatives keep eyeballs on their art (or is it content?), including The New Yorker creative director Nicholas Blechman, in an Australian exclusive appearance as part of Midweek Minds -- Vivid Sydney’s Wednesday night gatherings for the creative and curious at the State Library of NSW. Blechman will discuss how the century-old magazine stays vital and viral, adapting to consumer behaviour without shifting its integrity or brand. Additionally, Sydney Instagram-famous graphic designer and comedian Elliot Ulm and Melbourne animator and artist Steffie Yee will share the joys and difficulties of a creative career that caters to an online audience. Afterward, head to the Library Bar for a chance to chat with the speakers, meet other creatives and establish community in the spirit of informal networking. Find further inspiration each Wednesday during Vivid Sydney with Midweek Minds. On 27 May, A New Cultural Paradigm lays out paths towards a more ethical, equitable creative landscape, featuring New York architect Dong-Ping Wong, Walkley Award-winning photojournalist Mridula Amin and Lesbian Space Princess filmmakers Leela Verghese and Emma Hough Hobbs. On June 10, Legally Bonded sees American artist and technologist Mindy Seu, Bundjalung painter Shaun Daniel Allen and Australian multi-media artist Jason Phu dive into questions surrounding artistry and AI-generated content, fair use, digital rights and authenticity. This event is presented in partnership with State Library of New South Wales.