Melissa Bedford

Melissa is an educator with a career spanning more than 25 years working in museum, gallery and school contexts. She holds qualifications in Visual Arts, Education and Arts Management from the University of Melbourne and is committed to increasing youth engagement with contemporary art. Melissa's role at MUMA involves collaborating with artists, academics, schools and collegiate organisations to develop and produce opportunities for bringing artists and audiences together to engage with ideas, materials and important cultural issues.

In addition to her work at Monash University, Melissa has initiated a number of freelance education projects including producing the Fitzroy Art Spaces Tour (FAST) and authored numerous resources for NETS Victoria, Photo Australia and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).

In 2019 Melissa participated in the Tate Summer School at Tate Modern, London and in 2023 was the recipient of a Gordon Darling International Travel Grant to the United Kingdom and Italy.

For more than a decade Melissa has contributed to Arts Network within the Strategic Partnerships Program and been a committee member at MAENVI. She has also been an invited panel member for Creative Victoria and supported VCE curriculum reviews at the VCAA.