Our People
Staff
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Co-CEO
Erica (she/her) is an independent creative producer with more than 15 years of contemporary and experimental performing arts practice working across Australia and internationally. She has produced for Melbourne Fringe, Sydney WorldPride, the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM), Next Wave, Sydney Festival, Performance Space, Darwin Festival and others. She is dedicated to facilitating arts outcomes which are rigorous, relevant, and reflective of the communities they serve. She is a recipient of the Green Room Award for Innovation in Curation and Programming and the George Fairfax Memorial Award for Excellence.
As a consultant and facilitator, she is an active advocate for a strong creative sector. Erica initiates online spaces for discourse around class, power dynamics between artists and institutions, and interrogating what a healthy, inclusive arts practice can be. Since 2022 she has been a member of the Arts Wellbeing Collective’s Lived Experience Advisory Group. Born and raised on Wurundjeri country in Naarm (Melbourne) Erica is a proud Ballardong Noongar woman with Irish Convict, Scottish and Cornish heritage. She is a Graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (Bachelor of Production) and a 2024 candidate of Small Giants Academy’s Mastery of Business and Empathy program.
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Co-CEO
Joshua (he/him) is an artist and creative business leader with sixteen years of experience as an executive leader of arts organisations and a passion for supporting and connecting people. Born and raised in Lutruwita/Tasmania, from 2007 to 2020 Joshua was the founding CEO/Artistic Director of DRILL, a national leader in youth dance, dedicated to fostering the growth of contemporary dance in Tasmania. He is a Graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (Bachelor of Dance), and current MBA candidate at Melbourne Business School.
Joshua was the General Manager of TNA from 2021-23 before moving into the role of Co-CEO. In that time he led the design and implementation of TNA’s Equity Action Plan, created the LeaderShift program, drove national political advocacy, and provided increased support for the youth arts sector. Joshua is guided by strong principles of justice and equity, informed by his queer identity and regional, working-class background.
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Program Director
Steph is an accomplished creative producer who has worked over the past decade with artists and festivals across Australia and the UK. Steph is also a composer and performance-maker, creating works in experimental theatre and live art spaces and composing music for stage & media.
Steph is passionate about advocating for the value of arts workers to society, and about innovating to build sustainable arts careers and equitable pathways from education to industry. Recently Steph worked with Circus Oz as Producer of Artform & Industry Development, where she was dedicated to facilitating opportunities for artists and cultivating a thriving Australian circus sector.
Steph holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts and a Master of Arts & Cultural Management.
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Manager, Sector Development & Membership
Yuhui is a Geelong-based, Singaporean performance-maker. Fuelled by a preoccupation with how transient places and people are, her work attempts to find a connection between home and inhabitant, country and citizen, body and culture. Projects include Baby Cake (Next Wave & Darebin Speakeasy 2018), Museum of Me (Darebin Arts 2016), Neighbours (Big West Festival 2015), Uncommon Places (Melbourne Fringe Keynote 2015) and Geelong Sweats (Geelong Arts Centre development 2020). She has worked across various arts administration roles for organisations such as Back to Back Theatre and the National Arts Council in Singapore. She is currently on the Artistic Directorate of Next Wave.
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Communications Manager
Wen-Juenn writes and edits poetry on unceded Wurundjeri land, and her writing has been published or is forthcoming in Meanjin, Antithesis, Landfall, Southerly, Scum Mag, and Going Down Swinging. She previously served as poetry editor at Voiceworks.
Board
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Chair
Kate is a performance maker, dramaturge, and facilitator specializing in collaboratively devised performance. She was the founding Artistic Director of Rawcus, leading the award-winning ensemble for 22 years (2000–2022). A long-time collaborator with Back to Back, Kate has contributed as a co-devisor, dramaturge, and director. She was also part of Arts House’s multiyear Refuge project, exploring the role of artists and cultural institutions during climate catastrophes. Kate lectures at the Victorian College of the Arts (Theatre) and is trained in group facilitation and mediation. Her relational, collaborative practice embraces complexity and diversity, aiming to fuel dreams, spark reflection, and amplify connection.
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Treasurer
Lou is a highly experienced strategic leader with more than 18 years’ experience in the performing arts and is passionate about connecting artists with audiences through the power of live performance, community engagement and the development of the next generation of artists and arts workers. She is the Executive Director of Sydney Dance Company, with previous roles including Director of Production & Events at Sydney Opera House, Create Infrastructure Senior Manager (Create NSW), General Manager of Circus Oz and Director of Operations of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
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Board Member
Alex Desebrock is an independent artist based Whadjuk Noongar land (Perth), Australia. Her work spans interactive theatre, live art, installations, online and public interventions. She is the lady behind Maybe ( ) Together and a founder of FLOCK.
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Board Member
With over 40 years of experience in the arts industry, Sue was also the Artistic Director of Polyglot Theatre from 2000 - 2022. She is also currently both the Australian representative and President of ASSITEJ International – the global association of Theatre and Performance for Children and Young People – of which TNA is the Australian host and secretariat. In 2019 she was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
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Board Member
Carin is the Executive Producer of Hobart based Mature Artists Dance Experience (MADE), and has an extensive background in the performing arts, film and television. After relocating from the UK she worked in a range of leadership, program and policy development roles for the Australia Council for the Arts from 1997 to 2015, including Director of Dance for seven years. Following this she was the Executive Director of Australian Plays - a national organisation providing essential services to playwrights and the Australian theatre industry.
Carin is the Executive Producer of Hobart based Mature Artists Dance Experience (MADE), and has an extensive background in the performing arts, film and television. After relocating from the UK she worked in a range of leadership, program and policy development roles for the Australia Council for the Arts from 1997 to 2015, including Director of Dance for seven years. Following this she was the Executive Director of Australian Plays - a national organisation providing essential services to playwrights and the Australian theatre industry.
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Board Member
Nithya is a contemporary performance maker, curator and researcher. She is also an equity and justice advocate and has worked for meaningful change in the arts here, and across the Asia Pacific. Nithya currently forms 1/4th of the South Asian artist collective H-ME W-RK, serves as a board member at Theatre Network Australia and is working on a range of independent projects. Her show NAYIKA: A Dancing Girl has its global premiere at Belvoir St Theatre in April 2024. Most recently, she was co-Artistic Director at Arts House and has previously held senior roles at Creative Australia, NIDA, and Leeds City Council. She holds an award-winning PhD in Performance Studies and lives between Australia and India, via Kuwait and the UK.
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Board Member
Anthony is Chief Executive/Executive Director at Country Arts SA. Working in regional contexts has broadened his outlook and understanding of his place in community. He is dedicated to championing First Nations peoples’ rights and celebrating the diversity of regional communities. And is driven by the stories of regional South Australia to create experiences that can’t be made anywhere else in the world.
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Board Member
Tim is the Executive Producer and Co-CEO of Back to Back Theatre in Geelong. Previously he was Creative Director and CEO of Chamber Made from 2013–2018 and led the fundraising for the rebuild of La Mama Theatre, following the devastating fire in 2018. He has also worked at Arts Centre Melbourne and Creative Partnerships Australia.
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Board Member
Lachlan is Director, Policy, Strategy and Governance with Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation. He has held executive and strategic advisory roles in the Victorian Public Service, leading policy design and implementation, and was previously a lawyer with Corrs Chambers Westgarth. He has also composed and performed music for theatre, having studied piano at the Melbourne Conservatorium.
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Board Member
Liesel Zink is an award-winning Independent choreographer of Ukrainian and German descent living in Meajin/Brisbane. Interested in the intersection of contemporary dance and community engagement she has developed and presented work around Australia, Asia and Eastern Europe using her artistic process as a means for artistic, cultural and intergenerational exchange. More broadly, Liesel is a dramaturge, facilitator, producer and advocate seeing her engage with a range of independent artists and organisations including Performing Lines, Force Majeure, Tasdance, LINK, Expressions Dance Company, M.A.D.E., Supercell, DRILL, Co3 Youth, and Stompin Youth.
Thank you
TNA acknowledges the vital contribution of former board members: Simon Abrahams (Co-founder & Chair 2010-2017), Görkem Acaroğlu, Sarah Austin (Co-founder), Caroline Bowditch, Maude Davey (Co-founder), Robyn Gawenda, Rose Godde (Co-founder), Ben Graetz, John Harvey, Andrea James, Catherine Jones, Lorraine Kambala (Observer), Harley Mann, Fiona Maxwell (Co-founder & Chair 2009-2010), Chris Mead, Cassie McGannon, Erin Milne (Co-founder), Alice Nash (Co-founder & Deputy Chair 2009-2017), Veronica Pardo, Sam Routledge, Emily Sexton, Jill Smith (Chair 2018 - 2022), Brad Spolding, Zainab Syed, Chris Thompson (Co-founder), Ann Tonks, Annette Vieusseux, Lyn Wallis and Geoffrey Williams (Co-founder).
Advisory Committees
ASSITEJ Advisory Committee
Sue Giles AM, Kevin du Preez, Lesley Graham, Fleur Kilpatrick, Fiona McDonald, Zoe Scrogings, and Che Skeen.
CaPT Advisory Committee
Chris Carlos, Adelaide Church, Georgia Deguara, Meredith Kitchen, Tony Rooke, Jasmine Straga, Lil Tulloch.
Members
Click here for a full list of TNA members bla bla bla.
Life Members
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Life Member 2017
Simon is a founding member of TNV – one of the Committee who established TNV as an 18 month sector development project. Simon was also Chair of the Board from 2010 to 2017. -
Life Member 2017
Sarah is a founding member of TNV – one of the committee who established TNV as an 18 month sector development project. Sarah was a member of the Board from its beginnings in 2009 until 2017. -
Life Member 2023
Nicole was TNA’s founding Executive Director for 15 years, starting with the organisation in 2009, developing it as a National organisation, and leaving at the end of 2023. -
Life Member 2017
Alice is a founding member of TNV – one of the committee who established TNV as an 18 month sector development project. Alice was also Deputy Chair of the Board from its beginnings in 2009 until 2017. -
Life Member 2020
Bethany was a highly respected staff member - Program Manager and Program Director - of TNA for six years from 2014 to 2020, and TNA’s ‘poet-in-residence’. -
Life Member 2022
Jill was a dedicated member of the Board for ten years from 2012 to 2022, including as Co-chair from 2018 and Chair from 2019 to 2022. -
Life Member 2021
Brad was a dedicated member of the Board from 2009-2010 and a returning board member from 2014 to 2021.
Donors
TNA would like to acknowledge and thank all of our generous donors who make our support for the independent sector possible.
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Nicole Beyer
Merlene Hutt
Carin Mistry
Lou Oppenheim
Jono Perry
Erin Taylor
Dianne Toulson -
Robyn Gawenda
Sue Giles & Ian Pidd
Neal Harvey
Linda Herd
Margot Storm
Theatre Kimberley
Cassie McGannon
Lou Oppenheim
Viv Rosman
Nicholas Whymark -
Thank you for entrusting us with your generous financial gifts in 2020 and 2021, including contributions towards 1000 x 1000: Crisis Cash for Artists
Nicole Abadee
Simon Abrahams
May-Brit Akerholt
Olivia Allen
Lesley Alway
Gillian Appleton
Neil Armfield
Pippa Bailey
Katharine Baillieu
Bill and Jen Barlow
Wendy Becher
Xanthe Beesley
Meredith Bell
Robert Benson
Bek Berger
Nicole Beyer
Louise Bezzina
Robyn Bishop
Nancy Black
Jenn Blake
Rob Brookman
Karilyn Brown
Grainne Brunsdon
James Buick
Samantha Butterworth
Hugh Chalmers
Harriet Cheney
Claudia Chidiac
Lisa Clarke
Rosie Clynes
Jill Cochrane
Georgie Coleman
Janine Collins
Lorraine Collins
Emilie Collyer
Jill Colvin
Karla Conway
Holly Cooper
Sara Cowdell
Michael Cowen
David Cox
Carol Crowe
Jenna Davey-Burns
Jenn Davies
Rebecca Dean
Rea Dennis
Fiona DiBerardino
Julian Di Bez
Eva Di Cesare
Rose de Jong
Alexandra Donald
Tessa Dorman
Heather Dowling
Annette Downs
Selene Dudley-Bateman
Kathryn Duncan
Anne Dunn
Mark Edmonds
Keith Fagg
Kate Ferguson
Iain Finlayson
Diane Fisher
Stephen Fisher
Anna Fishman
Julie Fitzsimons
Alan Fletcher
Megan Fowler
Jan Frolich
Kath Fyffe
Robyn Gawenda
Virginia Gay
Jesse Gerner
Sue Giles
Amrit Gill
Bruce Gladwin
Hilary Glow
Judy Gold
David Goodman
Kraig Grady
Clare Grant
Christine Graunas
Vivienne Halat
Pei Wun Han
Kharen Harper
Gareth Hart
Erin Hawthorne
Linda Herd
Louise Herron
Janet Hiller
Anne Holland
Ritchie Hollands
Jen Hooper
Kathleen Lawler
Michael Lawrence
Jennifer Layther
Allon Lee
Susan Lee
Simon Loffler
Simone Lourey
Robin Love
Belinda Lui
Fiona MacDonald
Michael Mack
Iain Martin
Suellen Maunder
Helen Maclaren
Ben Magistrale
Roland Manderson
Andriana Mantzouranis
Aaron Martin
Alicia Marilyn Matthews
Lisa McCready
Aneke McCulloch
Joel McGuinness
Clare McKenzie
Robyn McLeod
Elizabeth Melbourne
Dean Michael
Patti Miller
Carin Mistry
Tom Molyneux
Wendy Moore
Stephen Morey
Joanne Morrison
Martina Murray
Shahaan Murray
Rose Myers
Philip Myles Neri
EJ Norvill
Lauren ODwyer
Lou Oppenheim
Michaela Ottone
Margaret Parker
Katharine Parsons
Eddie Paterson
Steven Paul
Pauline Peel
Daniel Clarke and Nick Pelomis
Sarah Penhall
Bogart Phillips
Natasha Phillips
Julie Pinkham
Jo Porter
Mark Postlethwaite
Rosalind Price
Sumitra Puri
Paul Rae
Jerry Remkes
Liz & Robert Reed
Alison Richards
Michael Richards
Alison Richardson
Damien Ricketson
Megan Roberts
Richard Roberts
Ian Robertson
Aqua Robins
Vivien Robotham
Carla Roebuck
Viv Rosman
Karen Ross
Alison Russell
Leigh Russell
Charice Rust
Catherine Ryan
Kristen Ryan
Katrina Sedgwick
Julia Selby
Rohini Sharma
Nathan Sibthorpe
Joseph Skrzynski
Margot Smith
Melanie Smith
Natalie Smith
Thomas Smith
Cara Sputore
Caroline Stacey
Linda Stainton
Geoff Street
Jill Standfield
Tim Stitz
Janet Summers
Augusta Supple
Catherine Swallow
Emily Sweeney
Helen Symon
Alicia Talbot
Doris Tate
Madeline Taylor
Paul Terrell
Carla Theunissen
Jo Thomas
Anne Thompson
James Timmins
Kathe Trigg
Kristen Trollope
Kimberley Twiner
Robyn Vale
Mary Vallentine AO
Roslyn Varley
Eliot Vogel
Melynda von Wayward
Sally Walasek
Jonathan Wald
Asher Warren
Kaye Weeks
Kerry Whannell
Sam Wild
Jessica Wilkinson
Paul Williams
Fiona Winning
Amanda Wright
Julie Wright
Penny Wright
Vanessa Wright
Rebecca Yuen
Bri Zammit
1955
ACTNatimuk
Adelaide Festival Centre
Adelaide Festival Corporation
Annamilla Foundation
Arts-in-Sync
Australian Childhood Foundation
Australian Talented Youth Project
Back to Back Theatre
Breathe, Move & Tone
Brisbane Festival
Chamber Made
Circus Trick Tease
COLUMBUS Group
Dancehouse
Dancenorth Australia
Elbow Room
Far and Away Productions
Garage Project
Gravity and other Myths
GUTS Dance Central Australia
Hothouse Theatre
Ilbijerri Theatre Company
Incite Arts
Intimate Spectacle
Kath Papas Productions
Kestin Family Foundation
La Mama Theatre
Live Words NSW
Martin Street and Associates
Maybe ( ) Together
Metro Arts
MMPS
Multicultural Arts Victoria
Musical Theatre WA Incorporated
National Touring Selector Country Arts SA
not yet it’s difficult
Novo Wealth
Opera Queensland
Outer Urban Projects
Performing Lines
Pixel Seed Fund
Polyglot Theatre
Punctum Inc
RV Jordan Pty Ltd
Theatre Network Australia (TNA)
The Myer Foundation
The Very Good Looking Initiative
Board Members
Vessel
Windmill Theatre Co
wreckedAllprods
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