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INTRODUCING
Penny Philpott
“I see the Northern Beaches through different eyes.”
– Penny Philpott
Warringah Council's Artist-in-Residence in 2015
Immediate areas of focus:
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Establish the Northern Beaches as the arts hub of Sydney.
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Fair and transparent representation for the residents of Frenchs Forest
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Further promote art and creativity, particularly among youth
Penny Philpott sees the Northern Beaches through the eyes of an artist, from the beautiful bushland of Frenchs Forest to our unique and precious coastline and beaches.
She’s passionate to maintain our No. 1 lifestyle and says repeatedly to all who will listen – “How lucky are we to live where we live”.
It’s safe to say Penny Philpott captures the artistic essence of the Northern Beaches, seeing what many others don’t. Apart from being acutely aware of her local environment’s natural beauty, she envisions the beaches as becoming the cultural hub of Sydney
SEEING THE NORTHERN BEACHES THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES
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In addition to her passion for the arts, Penny is passionate about fair and transparent representation for the residents of Frenchs Forest.
Having served as a Councillor on the Northern Beaches from 2017-2021 she was instrumental in instigating many creative projects. As a dog lover and long-time dog park user with her beloved canines, she was instrumental in the development of the popular Lionel Watts dog park.
As a former Artist-in-Resident with the Warringah Council, the co-founder of the Forest Youth Company and a passionate campaigner for arts to be taught, she wants to tap into the artistic potential of her community.
Penny’s passion for community and art grew after emerging from a long career as a journalist and editor in the publishing industry. She retired to study a a DipFA at Northern Beaches TAFE, before going on to gain a BVA (Hons) and MFA at Sydney University (SCA).
She has lived in Frenchs Forest since building her home there in 1978 with her late husband Bob. Together they established sporting and theatrical organisations, receiving a Centenary medal in 2003 for Services to the Arts.
The couple were passionate about community, contributing enormously to the arts and sport, always with a focus on local youth. In 1981 when their two sons decided they wanted to play cricket, Penny and Bob told them to go find some friends who loved cricket and they’d start a team. The Redbacks Cricket Club was established and is still going strong today as the Wakehurst Redbacks.
Just four years later, after the launch of Glen Street Theatre, Penny and Bob recognised the need for a performance outlet catering to local youth. They created the Forest Youth Theatre Company, attracting 400 people to its launch at Glen Street.
With Bob as director and Penny as producer and designer they focused on musical theatre which required larger casts. The couple ran the company for 20 years, with the support of many friends and community members. They presented more than 35 productions involving over 2,500 local young people and were recognised for their services to the arts in 2003 when they both received Centenary of Federation medals.
In 2015 she was appointed Warringah Council’s Artist-in-Residence spending six months in the outdoor studio of the Curl Curl Creative Space, working with materials from the Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre. One of her sculptures became a permanent display in the garden outside the Warringah Creative Space.
Today, she works as a sculptor, curator and teacher and has served on several advisory and representative boards within the Northern Beaches
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