Jorge Leiva is an interdisciplinary Colombian-Australian artist and educator with international recognition based in Melbourne. As an artist, he is active in the fields of music, visual arts, performing arts and community arts. Jorge is also an experienced educator who has worked in the field of arts, music and languages in diverse environments and countries. Jorge has published as an arts researcher, educator, poet and visual artist in paper and digital formats including The Literacy Times, New York, T&T Imprenta, Bogota and ANU Press, Canberra.
Jorge has been active in the arts since 1998. He has participated in a variety of multi-art events and festivals worldwide as a visual artist, performing artist, artistic director and producer.
As a visual artist, Jorge has been part of a wide array of art exhibitions, festivals and events including art hubs such as the The Art Centre Melbourne; Synergy Gallery; Melbourne, Melbourne University; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Bogota and as part of the Rainbow Serpent Festival, Victoria, International Theatre Festival, Bogota and Feria de Cali, Colombia.
Jorge is one of the top percussionists in Australia’s Latin Music scene. He has supported world-renowned artists and bands such as Juanes, Li Saumet (Bomba Estereo) and The Cat Empire. In the field of music for screen, his work has featured in international award winning short films (Butterflies, special Prize “City of Annecy Award” in the Festival international du film d’animation d’Annecy, 2018), worldwide social campaigns (The Colombian Ambush, 2018) and advertising campaigns in Australia and New Zealand (BONDS, Christmas Campaign, 2018).
Jorge’s awards and scholarships include Sustaining Creative Workers Initiative, Regional Arts Victoria (2022), Positive Start Program, Regional Arts Victoria (2022), Creative Workers in Schools Grant, Regional Arts Victoria (2021); Youth for Peace Award, Psychologists for Peace Interest Group of the Australian Psychological Society (2020); Languages Teaching Scholarship, Department of Education and Training Victoria (Australia, 2013); South Project Inc., for “EL TARRO”, Leading Art Project across the Southern Hemisphere (Australia2011), ICETEX/ BOX HILL Scholarship (Colombia/Australia, 2007); Colfuturo Scholarship (Colombia, 2010) and First Price Art Competition Plaza & Janes Ed. (Colombia, 1998).
Jorge holds a Master of Teaching (2010), Postgraduate Certificate in Modern Languages (2014) and a Postgraduate Diploma of Teaching (2009) at The University of Melbourne; an Advanced Diploma of Music (2008) and a Diploma in Teaching and Education (2011) at Box Hill TAFE; and a BA in Fine Arts (2004) at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
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