BaoBao Chen 陳玟臻 (Taiwan)
Co-founder, Executive Producer
As the co-founder and Executive Producer, BaoBao has led Small Island Big Song from a single idea into a globally recognised platform through international co-productions, strategic partnerships, and large-scale touring. With extensive experience in cross-cultural collaboration, BaoBao has worked alongside artists across 16 countries throughout Asia, Pacific and Indian Oceans, producing creative exchanges through on-Country residencies. She has also managed international concert tours spanning 23 countries, delivering more than 100 performances worldwide.
A strong advocate for artivism and impact producing, BaoBao has developed outreach and in-reach models that expand performances into week-long activations. She has curated programs with leading cultural institutions around the world, including 43 major universities and performing arts centres across the United States, as well as major commissions including Holland Festival, Taiwan International Festival of Arts (TIFA), and the 2022 Italian Capital of Culture.
BaoBao is a 2023–2025 Fellow of the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) and a 2026 Professional Fellow of the U.S. Department of State. As a bilingual public speaker, she has presented in both English and Mandarin at events including TEDx, COP, APAP, ISPA, CINARS, WOMEX, Peace Boat, Stanford University, and others.
Before founding Small Island Big Song, BaoBao gained international recognition as a finalist in Australia's "Best Jobs in the World", building a social media following of 130,000+.
Tim Cole (Australia)
Co-founder, Artistic Director
Tim is an Australian creative who has been working on cross-cultural arts projects with music at the heart since producing Not Drowning Waving’s album and DVD ‘Tabaran’ in Papua New Guinea.
Skills developed whilst studying film making at Melbourne University during the day, and producing music at night, which led to a career of equal parts film & music, for artists & events including Archie Roach, The Australian Indigenous Music Awards, Proof & Bran Nue Dae (film soundtracks), Not Drowning Waving, My Friend the Chocolate Cake, The Sing Sing Concerts, Shellie Morris and the Borroloola Songwomen and Circus Oz with 8 years of international touring with seasons on Broadway NYC & West End London.
His reputation in Indigenous arts led to him to Alice Springs as Senior Music Producer for CAAMA Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association. It was the experiences here recording traditional songlines whilst hearing the 5th IPCC report, which led to the founding of ‘Small Island Big Song’.
Tim holds a BEd. in Media Arts from Melbourne University an A.D. in Music Production from the University of Victoria in Australia and has received a Churchill fellowship and invitation to speak on climate change and the arts at the United Nations, APAP - NYC, WOMEX. Along with industry recognition through numerous awards for projects he has played a key creative role on.
