Heaps Decent is an Australian organisation empowering young people through skills building, cultural access and creativity.
Working with underrepresented and marginalised youth, our participatory program of music and visual media activities provides a pathway to discovery, personal growth and agency through self-expression.The people of Heaps Decent – past and present.
Co-founder of Heaps Decent and social media personality Nina Las Vegas was forced into music by her parents in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Nina brought her piano skills to Sydney and entered the exciting world of radio production, and hosted two national radio shows on triple j. In 2015 she started her own music label, NLV Records, and continues to pursue her career as a solo artist. Nina is an inspiring role model for young people, and continues to mentor them in creative enterprises.
Andrew co-founded Heaps Decent with Nina Agzarian in 2007 when he was 22 and regularly touring Australia as a DJ. Andrew has since worked as head chef in his own restaurant, and continues to write about good food and music. Levins also hosts many podcasts, including Hey Fam, Serious Issues, Old Raps, All the Small Games and The Mitchen. Having music knowledge spanning countless musical realms, and having been a DJ since the age of 15 makes Levins an instant favourite with young people.
Heaps Decent facilitator main man Adam started his music obsession at a young age, playing Piano at 4 years old and trying his hand at every other instrument possible until he turned 18 and discovered electronic music. He has remixed for some of the biggest dance labels in the world such as Dim Mak and Southern Fried, and performed throughout Europe, Asia and USA.
Igniting Stages with Authentic Electronic Pop Vibes Award-winning NIMA Triple J artist and mesmerizing performer, Djanaba, is a true luminary in the music realm. Renowned for their captivating artistry, they’ve worked with distinguished acts like PNAU and Sonny Grin. From the dazzling lights of Groovin the Moo and the electric atmosphere of SummerCamp, Djanaba has orchestrated breathtaking performances that blend their Indigenous Bundjalung heritage with their unapologetic queer identity.
Claud is an award-winning screenwriter and director who started making films at age 12, were they good? Maybe not, but we all have to start somewhere. They’ve since made films that have screened at film festivals all over the world and made music videos with artists (MAY-A, Alex the Astronaut) that have hit over 300k views on Youtube. They’ve facilitated workshops at the Sydney Opera House, ATYP and Inner West Council.
Ego is a digital artist and has been working with us since 2015. His multimedia skillset includes video and projection, augmented reality, print, and audio-visual performance, with a trademark surreal and high intensity style. He has created projections for Vivid Sydney, exhibited at MONA FOMA, and worked on music videos for artists including LDRU, KLP, Sachi and Favored Nations. His workshop activities are on the cutting edge – exploring imagined virtual reality landscapes and the latest technologies.
A key facilitator in the development of Heaps Decent, Charlie is a DJ/Producer and man about town. Having DJd since 2005 at clubs and festivals all over, he has a diverse taste in music and a knack for imparting this on anyone who will listen. His passion lies in synthesizers and he made sure Heaps Decent ran like a well oiled machine.
Tom Elliott forms half of Sydney electronic duo Korky Buchek. Fusing house, hip hop, techno, and more, he’s had widespread support from outlets including Triple J, Pilerats, and Nocturnal Sound. Tom is a multi-instrumentalist and producer who has been sharing his talents and knowledge to inspire young, up-and-coming musicians. He has been a facilitator with Heaps Decent since the beginning of 2021.
Ellatronix is a music producer, beat maker, and singer-songwriter who specialises in tropical house and chill out music. After discovering there wasn’t any music labels in Australia solely representing tropical house music producers, she decided to create her own label and in 2021 Soulset Records was established.
Lachlan aka Cheff runs his own street wear design and print business, with a bold signature style influenced by cartoon iconography and manga. He commenced with Heaps Decent in 2023, running workshops that utilise apps and iPads to create original Tee shirt designs, album art and comic strips. These accessible workshops have been a firm favourite in environments ranging from youth justice to school holiday programs, with much unique original work and wearable art created as a result.
Brigitte Hermione is a singer-songwriter from Sydney who has been making music from the comfort of her bedroom from when she was 17. With a laptop, a mic and a passion for music, she released music as an independent artist with the drive to create emotional ballads and pop hits that make you move. Starting out working as a peer mentor at a Shire Youth Organisation, she now helps to create fun learning workshop experiences for young people.
Rose is an artist, art workshop facilitator, and big fan of teaching all ages that they can in fact, draw. Rose has worked and exhibited in Australia, the United States and Europe while creating commissions, murals, paintings, drawings, videos, animations and events for clients and community. Rose studied Fine Art, and her practice is informed by her family of artists and teachers. Rose joined Heaps Decent in 2024.
Based in Sydney, Bella is a classically trained pianist with a Bachelor of Sound and Music Design. She has experience as a composer & sound designer for animation, theatre and short film, recently working with arts organisation Milk Crate Theatre. Bella is also engaged as a creative workshop facilitator with Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Wes is a Proud Wiradjuri man from Wagga Wagga, a country rural boy who grew up with a love of cinema. Wes has a Bachelor in Television Production (Stage and Screen), as well as numerous collaborations with artists and communities as a filmmaker. He has a keen interest in storytelling and is constantly with a camera, traveling to new places, learning and reflecting on what the media and society does with certain issues and Indigenous topics.
Meem is considered a pioneer in Australian electronic music-making, and has performed at some of Australia’s hugest music festivals and supported various first-class international acts. Meem has been part of the team at Heaps Decent since 2015, using his many years as a music producer and educator to engage even the shyest workshop participants.
Australian-born, formerly Berlin-based Deepchild (Rick Bull) maintains a fierce reputation as one of Australia’s great electronic music exports. From his 2007 Berlin debut at the city’s legendary Berghain/Panoramabar, playing to thousands at EXIT Festival, Detroit Electronic Music Festival and more, a stunning international reputation precedes him. A “DJ’s DJ” with over 20 years of club, broadcast, composition and writing experience, Rick’s contribution to electronic music is deeply rooted.
Jackie Atim Okot is an emerging artist from Wagga Wagga. After bursting onto the local scene in 2016, she was chosen to support Australian Poetry Slam winner Zohab Khan on his regional tour. Jackie has since received a Variety Heart scholarship, published a number of works in collaboration with local artists, and is undertaking a mentorship curated by Eastern Riverina Arts. She was the feature artist at the Mother Tongue Multilingual showcase in 2018, and co MC’d the 2018 FUSION Multicultural Festival.
Howard is an artist, filmmaker and educator with 20 years of experience in the creative arts. Howard was previously based in London and worked with museums and galleries including The National Portrait Gallery, Serpentine Gallery and Tate Modern. Since relocating to Sydney, he has worked as co-Artistic Director/CEO at Shopfront Youth Arts, and in recent years worked for various organisations including the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Living Museums, and Sydney University.
Sarah uses her extensive experience as a multimedia artist and independent filmmaker to facilitate engaging visual art workshops. Sarah has previously held the positions of Associate Director at Milk Crate Theatre, and Outreach Director at Shopfront Arts Co-op. Sarah has a Masters in Media Arts and Production (UTS), a Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting (AFTRS), and also is a qualified school teacher. She has been working in film and television production for several years.
Elizabeth is an accomplished DJ, producer (BRUX), and singer with various music awards under her belt. Elizabeth is a whiz at writing catchy pop melodies, and also undertakes all of her own music production. Having released many singles, EPs and an album at a young age, she has been a a great role model and inspiration for the young people involved in Heaps Decent workshops. Elizabeth is currently residing in New York.
Sydney-based singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Jess Nitties writes and performs her music under the alias ‘Sparrows’. Her unique approach to songwriting involves using found sounds to complement her rich vocals, creating sweet soundscapes in her music. She has had 2 Hype Machine #1 tracks and generated huge support across radio and online tastemakers. Her love of guitar and writing music started from stories of her father and uncle playing in bands back in the day.