Ruth Friedmann

Ruth Friedmann is an experienced event lecturer who has spent the past two decades developing and delivering more than 30 event, venue and festival management subjects and courses across three academic levels in higher education for organisations including UTS, TAFE NSW and various private colleges.

As an educator, Ruth aims to support student engagement and success by bridging the gap between theory and real-world application via her learner experience design approach which has students – and industry – at the heart of what she does.

Ruth’s passion for event management is built on her professional career having worked for cultural institutions including the Royal Botanic Garden and Domain Sydney, Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust; Sydney Living Museums; the University of Sydney; City of Sydney and Kaldor Public Arts Projects. She has been privileged to work on some of Sydney’s iconic events including NYE, Mardi Gras, Open Air Cinema, Sydney Festival, Carols and Opera in the Domain, the Sydney Running Festival, civic events, music festivals and many more.

Her ability to connect academia with industry experts and embed practice into the student experience means her students benefit from access to exciting guest speakers; event, venue and festival site visits with exclusive behind the scenes access; and develop a portfolio of tools to take into their careers. Ruth’s subjects and content are embedded with access to relevant theory and industry insights, and her approach aims to provide students with the ability to practice and apply their knowledge in real time to real events.

Ruth’s research explores events, resilience in higher education, AI and digital literacy and the role of cultural festivals as counterspaces. A Sydneysider with a deep commitment to sustainability and community building, Ruth approaches both her professional and personal life with the same guiding principle: meaningful connection creates transformative change.