Jess Scully

Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, Jess Scully is a curator who uses creativity to engage people in the knowledge economy and with urban life in the twenty-first century, working to shape a sustainable and inclusive future. In 2019 she was elected as Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney.

Jess has charted a unique career over twenty years; founding ground-breaking festival Vivid Ideas, Australia’s largest creative industries event; supporting emerging talent through projects such as the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards; sparking new thinking through TEDxSydney and transforming public space as a public art curator. She has also worked as a policy advisor, radio host and magazine editor.

As a Councillor, Jess advocates for new models to address the housing crisis and support workforces of the future, is working on reviving nightlife and expanding access to culture, and protecting digital rights in the public realm. She is committed to opening up politics to younger and more diverse people, to expand who plays a role in shaping the life of the city.

Her first book, Glimpses of Utopia, will be published by Pantera Press in August 2020.