The Lock-Up

Exhibition view Khaled Sabsabi, 14 September - 24 November 2024, The Lock-Up, Muloobinba/Newcastle. Courtesy the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane. Photograph: Ben Adams

The Lock Up: An 1800s police station reimagined as a contemporary art space

The Lock-Up is a place of vital encounter between the arts and audiences of today housed within Muloobinba/Newcastle’s original 1861 lock-up on Awabakal and Worimi Country. We support the production, commission, research, residencies and presentation of contemporary multiform art. We are a space to investigate the social issues of today and the cultural forms of tomorrow through critical, artist-led, multidisciplinary and experimental practice. The Lock-Up firmly believes in artists taking risks.

STAFF

ALEXANDRA PEDLEY
DIRECTOR

Alexandra’s experience has crossed the Australian, Asian and European contemporary visual arts sectors. She has curated and managed production for multiple exhibitions and programs in institutions, foundations, commercial galleries, fairs, and artist-run-spaces. Contributing to several artist monographs, she has an editorial history in both English and French with publications produced by Sullivan+Strumpf, SAM Arts Projects/Palais de Tokyo, Paris (co-editor), and Artspace, Sydney; Yvon Lambert, Paris; CAC Brétigny, Biennale of Sydney and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.

Alexandra was Curator at the Lock-Up since 2024. Prior to joining TLU, she headed up Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, was Managing Editor + Artists Relations at Sullivan+Strumpf, and previously worked at Artspace, Biennale of Sydney and was International Studio Manager of artist Mel O’Callaghan based in Paris for close to a decade.

KAR MUN PHOON
CURATOR

Kar Mun Phoon is a curator whose practice engages socially driven and humanistic ideas, focusing on immersive installation, time-based media, and haptic forms of practice approached through an experimental lens.

Kar Mun brings a thoughtful, community‑centred approach to her role, drawing on a broad background in collaborative programming and cross‑disciplinary practice. As a curator, writer and producer, Kar Mun has contributed to exhibitions, programs, events and editorials at Newcastle Art Gallery, The Lock-Up, Newcastle Art Space and VAULT Magazine.

ELLA GRACE PATERSON
GALLERY & CURATORIAL ASSISTANT

Ella is an emerging arts administrator and artist, whose artistic practices span time-based video work and photo-media. She has worked across the creative sector in permanent and project based capacities, including in commercial and live photography nationally and internationally, curation, events and in the music industry. She also has a background in film and screen media, which informs her creative practice.

She was the early-career curator for The Lock-Up’s COLLECT 2026, and has contributed to many group exhibitions as an artist and curator locally and interstate. She has a strong interest in Muloobinba / Newcastle’s youth arts / DIY culture, which she has been active in for over 10 years.

LOTTIE CONSALVO
PATRONS PROGRAM AMBASSADOR

Lottie Consalvo is a Newcastle-based artist, originally from Melbourne. Lottie has voluntarily assisted in the formation of the The Lock-Up’s Patrons Program and is an Ambassador for the program. As an artist, she is represented by Nanda\Hobbs Gallery, Sydney and Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane. Her work has been exhibited internationally, most recently in Germany, Mexico and New Zealand. Lottie is held in collections including Artbank, Newcastle Art Gallery, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Gippsland Regional Art Gallery, Macquarie University, University of Newcastle, Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie, Allens Law Firm and The Stevenson Collection (NZ) and Onna House (New York).

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

NEWCASTLE HISTORIC RESERVE LAND MANAGER (NHRLM) IS A VOLUNTEER BOARD ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE NSW STATE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF CROWN LANDS UNDER THE CROWN LAND MANAGEMENT ACT 2016 AND IS APPOINTED BY THE MINISTER.

THE LOCK-UP (TLU) IS AN INITIATIVE OF NHRLM AND LAUNCHED IN 2014 AS A DEDICATED MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE WITHIN A HISTORICAL BUILDING. TLU SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR PUBLIC USE (DOC18/070103 MAY 2018) AS REQUIRED UNDER THE CROWN LAND MANAGEMENT ACT 2016.

NHRLM is responsible for the conservation, management and cultural use of three heritage listed government buildings including the former Newcastle Police Station and Lock-Up (1861).

For more information contact:

The Business Manager
nhrlmbusiness@gmail.com

GILLEAN SHAW – CHAIR

Current Art Curator for University of Newcastle, its Galleries, Museum and Collection and has curated independent projects for arts and history organisations such as The Lock-Up, Maritime Museum and the Lovett Gallery. Gillean has previously worked in public programs, visitor services and exhibition installation at the Newcastle Art Gallery and was the Curator at The Lovett Gallery. She holds Masters by research in the Presentation of Material Culture, particularly as it relates to historic buildings and collections.

KRISTEN TOLA – DEPUTY CHAIR

Kristen Tola is an archaeologist and heritage consultant with more than 20 years’ experience in the museum, arts and cultural sector. She has worked as a consulting archaeologist across NSW and WA, following earlier roles at Newcastle Museum and the City of Newcastle, where she managed museum operations and the Museum Shop, supported the Fort Scratchley volunteer group, and undertook grant management and stakeholder engagement.

Her expertise includes Aboriginal stakeholder engagement, archaeology, cultural heritage practice, collection management, policy development and heritage conservation. Kristen has been instrumental in securing Heritage NSW support and leading the application to list the Newcastle Government Building Group, including The Lock-Up, on the NSW State Heritage Register. She also secured a Copland Foundation grant for the conservation and ongoing protection of The Lock-Up’s significant padded cell.

ANNETTE MORRISSEY – TREASURER

Annette is a Chartered Accountant with approximately 25yrs experience in a senior financial management and advisory capacity for the commercial, NFP and government sectors. Management Accountant Asset Delivery for the Australian Rail Track Corporation, Annette’s expertise includes project management; governance; budgeting; strategic planning; risk management; taxation; leadership development; change management; IT systems exploitation; financial management, advice and reporting; and financial sustainability.

CATHERINE CROLL

Kate is the founding director of Cultural Partnerships Australia Programming Sub- Committee and has held the position of Director Special Projects at Red Gate Gallery, Beijing since 2009. She is an arts patron, collector and practitioner with extensive experience in the management of multi faceted cultural exchange projects and international touring exhibitions.

ROSEMARIE MILSOM

Rosemarie Milsom is a literary programmer, arts leader and former journalist with more than two decades’ experience shaping public conversations centred on books and ideas. As the founding director of Newcastle Writers Festival, she spent 14 years building a dynamic, widely respected regional literary organisation. Under her leadership the festival grew in ambition and reach, presenting significant Australian and international writers while creating a platform for emerging artists. In 2026, Rosemarie was appointed director of Adelaide Writers’ Week. Alongside her festival leadership, Rosemarie has served as a non-executive director and committee member for several cultural organisations, as well local and state governments.

STEPHEN MCLEAN

Currently self-employed as a Project and Asset Manager, Stephen’s senior management leadership experience has been developed by having excelled in public and private sector organisations. His skills and expertise included multi-site, multi-services operations management, business planning, strategy and execution, customer and stakeholder relationship management, human resource management, workplace change and risk management, tender writing, response and assessment, and internal and external compliance and quality auditing. Stephen’s skills are complemented by the recent completion of the Diploma of Governance from the Institute of Community Directors Australia.

COURTNEY NOVAK

Courtney Novak has been working in the arts and creative sector for over 20 years. She has a passion for contemporary art and ideas, creating connections between art institutions and their communities. As Deputy Director of Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Courtney leads the public program and education and learning teams, increasing the reach, impact and visibility of this leading regional arts institution. Previously, as Artistic Director of The Lock-Up, she led the small independent arts space to become a nationally recognised arts institution. Courtney has also worked arts organisations across the Middle East, including The Third Line Gallery, Christie’s Middle East and Art Dubai. She has also worked with various arts organisations across Australia including Artbank, Australia Council for the Arts and Newcastle Art Gallery. Courtney holds a Master in Curating and Cultural Leadership, School of Art and Design, University of New South Wales and an Undergraduate in Fine Art, University of Newcastle.

VOLUNTEERS