You won’t see Alison Nadebaum on stage. But when you attend a Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra performance, you’ll see her work shining through every part of the event.

You’ll see it in the staff member who politely shows you to your seat. You’ll see it in the smile you receive alongside your tickets from the box office. You’ll see it when you watch the musicians of the orchestra treating each other like family.

“If we’re doing it right – and we’re creating, enhancing, and building a culture that lets all those different people flourish – I think audience members can tell,” Alison says.

“Even if it’s a few steps removed from me sitting at my office, or me supporting staff behind the scenes, that’s how [audiences] will see it.”

On 21 May 2021, the TSO announced Alison as its new Director of People and Culture. Alison brings with her 15 years of industry experience, having worked across Australia’s major performing arts organisations. This will be her first post with a symphony orchestra, and she intends to help every musician, crew member, and arts administrator thrive as they pursue their own careers with the TSO, too.

“Someone can approach a People and Culture role – an HR role – just doing the contracts, hiring and firing, and maintaining the status quo. But for me, it’s really about how we help our people flourish,” Alison says.

“It’s how they’re flourishing professionally, and how they’re flourishing personally. In the arts, those two things are really interwoven.”

Home is where the orchestra is

I chat with Alison via Zoom, and her face appears framed by boxes and bags filled with her possessions. Having accepted her position with the TSO, she gears up to travel to the island, making a new home where the orchestra is.

Alison tells me it’s not the first time she’s relocated for her arts career, having originally uprooted from Perth to move to Sydney; she worked in events and business management at the Sydney Opera House for a decade. She then moved to Adelaide, where she worked as Chief Operating Officer at State Opera of South Australia.

Still, it’s never easy to start fresh, and Alison was highly selective when applying for a new role that would be right for her – a role that would “entice” her to give it her all. After taking a year to study her Master of Business Administration, she found the right role with the TSO.

“Each interaction I’ve had with the company so far – during my interviews, and even after I found out I got the job – has been authentic, kind, and personable. But also, the kind of commitment to excellence really shines through.”

During this interview with Alison, I find her to be authentic and kind, too. She talks openly about her “deep respect for the artistic process”, and her intentions to combine strategic decisions with empathy to help motivate the creative people around her.

Fostering a positive culture for Tasmanian arts workers

In any arts organisation, a healthy work environment starts with a positive culture behind the scenes. Alison’s first job as Director of People and Culture will be to introduce herself to the team – and to forge meaningful connections with people she’s never met.
“You come in new to the organisation, and you haven’t built trust yet – people don’t really know you,” Alison says.

“For me, it’s definitely a marathon – not a sprint – to form deep trusting relationships with everyone in the organisation.”

Alison considers there to be three types of people who work in an arts organisation: those who focus on the business side; those who prefer the creative; and those who are right in the middle. The third is where Alison positions herself, and she sees herself as “a translator” who can support each group and enable them to work together.

“We’re not working in a bank or building roads: it’s a creative place, and we need to be cognizant of trends and our views on art and life, the different views within a company, and how we may incorporate that into our work or not.”

Honouring the past while embracing the new