Lisa McGuigan

Wine Maverick & Creative Entrepreneur

Lisa McGuigan isn’t just part of Australian wine royalty — she is wine royalty with a rebel edge. As the fourth generation of the iconic McGuigan winemaking dynasty, Lisa has wine in her veins, legacy in her DNA, and ambition that’s anything but traditional.

Born into the prestigious vineyards of the Hunter Valley, Lisa took the road less travelled. Before claiming her place in the family’s storied wine history, she carved out her own empire in the world of luxury hospitality. In 2019 she opened VAMP in her hometown of Pokolbin: a medieval-meets-modern cellar door of gothic glam, bold architecture and dark elegance, where chainmail meets crystal.

G.D. Falksen

Award-Winning Author & Screenwriter

G. D. Falksen is an award-winning author and screenwriter. His books include The Secret Life of Kitty Granger, Maiden of War, The Transatlantic Conspiracy, and The Ouroboros Cycle series, while his short fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Hearts of the Abyss, Cthulhu Fhtagn!, and Eternal Frankenstein. He is also Chairman of the Advisory Board of Writers and Artists Across the Country, a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating author visits to underserved schools.

Professor Elemental

International Steampunk Artist & Performer

Professor Elemental is a steam powered rapper, host and writer from the UK. He is a great lover of art and an artful lover. Along with his prolific Hip Hop career, worldwide tours and accolades — he enjoys judging art competitions and has a gallery of forbidden art which he keeps under lock and key in his manor house.

He also has several hats, a punishing addiction to strong tea and a baby orangutan called Geoffrey. He hopes that each entrant has as much fun as possible in creating their own Steampunk creations and is very grateful for the opportunity to see whatever they come up with.

The ‘gallery of the damned’, as it has become known, is rumoured to contain a taxidermied cat which is over 300 years old but somehow still alive, a watercolour which shows one’s demise in garish, shifting red paint, and several sketches of daffodils rumoured to have been drawn by Genghis Khan when he was having an unusually whimsical day.

Dr Kathryn Spurling

Historian, Author & Art Collector

Dr Spurling is well known for her books and documentaries exploring Australian military history and military cover-ups, bringing a meticulous eye for detail, research and storytelling to everything she creates.

Having partnered in an art gallery and being an art collector, Dr Spurling also brings valuable experience in evaluating artistic merit, originality and craftsmanship.