THEATRE MAKING IN 2024:

DISCUSSION PANELIST

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Cassandra Fumi is a theatre director and maker based in Naarm. Her work is socially informed and community centred. Her directorial credits include: World Problems (MTC), The Crocodile (fortyfivedownstairs, GRA Winner Best Director - Independent 2024); Far Away (fortyfivedownstairs); The Mermaid (La Mama); Dog Show (Melbourne Fringe), Nadja (Cockpit Theatre, London). She has worked as Associate Director, A Very Jewish Christmas Carol (MTC), Assistant Director The House of Bernarda Alba (MTC); Oh Deer! (Aphids); Wittenoom (Red Stitch) and Touring Director on We All Know What’s Happening (Vitalstatistix). She works regularly as Associate Artist with Samara Hearsh, Aphids and The Rabble. www.cassandrafumi.com

DISCUSSION PANELIST

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Caitlin Dullard began working at La Mama in 2006, first as a volunteer then as Front of House, Mobile (touring) and Access (community) Producer before being appointed Company Manager/Creative Producer in 2014 and co-CEO in 2019. Caitlin holds a Masters of Teaching (English and Drama), a Post Graduate Diploma of Arts (Theatre), a Bachelor of Arts (Drama and Literature) and a Post-Graduate Certificate of Arts & Community Engagement at the VCA. She has facilitated and directed numerous community projects with a wide range of participants working with Western Edge Youth Arts, Carlton High Rise Estate, Platform Youth Theatre, Bendigo Health Care, Festival for Healthy Living, Transvisions Arts, AMES and Sydney Road Community School. In 2013 she was the Community Partnerships Coordinator at the Centre for Cultural Partnerships, VCA & MCM, University of Melbourne.

DISCUSSION PANELIST

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Jonathan Homsey is a choreographer and curator working from the position of a Queer Person of Colour based in Wurundjeri country. Originally an award-winning dancer for crews during the naughties in Southern California, he is humbled to be a community leader in so-called Australia for the past decade, galvanising people together to dance. From Footscray Community Arts to Melbourne Museum, Jonathan specialises in platforming Street and Queer dance forms to cultivate empowerment for sexually and ethnically diverse young people. He is the 2021 Green Room for Best Dance Production and is the 2022 Melbourne Fringe Festival’s Director Choice Winner. In 2023, he was awarded 4 stars for his work choreographing Guys and Dolls for Antipodes Theatre Company and his aquatic performance Shower Thots from The Age.

DISCUSSION PANELIST

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Cameron Lukey’s producing credits include acclaimed productions of 33 Variations (starring Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn), Angels in America (featured in The Age, Time Out Melbourne and The Guardian’s annual top 10 lists) and the Australian premiere of The Inheritance. He began his career as an opera singer, performing as a chorister for Opera Australia and as a principal artist for the company’s schools program. Cameron collaborated with producer Michele Bauer to present a new production and tour of Master Class (featuring a Green Room Award winning performance by Maria Mercedes) and the Australian premiere of Harvey Milk – The Opera in Concert. Cameron presented a tour of Resident Alien (featuring a Green Room Award nominated performance by Paul Capsis) and an acclaimed new production of Strangers in Between by Tommy Murphy. Cameron joined the team at fortyfivedownstairs in 2016 and was appointed Artistic Director in 2023.

DISCUSSION PANELIST

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Alexander Swords is a writer, narrative designer and director in video games, games for change, and interactive experiences with over 20 years as a storyteller. They’re also the creator of the Forest Paths Method for Narrative Design, a player-first approach to understanding story in an approachable and collaborative way, used internationally by developers and educators. Advising government, arts organisations, and educators, they’re an advocate for diverse stories and their writers, teach at the National Institute for the Dramatic Arts (NIDA) and the Victorian College for the Arts (VCA), are a resident practitioner at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and member of the Advisory Council for the Australian Writers’ Guild. They're currently working on Totem Teller, various mixed reality projects with S1T2, a VR experience about the memory of lost places, and a new interactive theatre project as a way of developing guidelines for audience consent.

PANEL MODERATOR

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A Maori playwright, actress and artist. Takatāpui, Kikki is making moves in Naarm and is proving to be one of the most important voices in her field making art with a Pasifika voice. Based on Boonwurrung country, her notable works include And She Would Stand Like This (Antipodes Theatre Company), starring in Travis Alabanza’s BURGERZ (Theatreworks), Orlando (Antipodes) and STUCK (Gavin Roach presents).

PRODUCER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

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Brandon directed the Australian Premiere of 'Ghost Quartet' (two 2020 Green Room Award Nominations, return season in 2021) and co-directed with Trudy Dunn their immersive reimagining of ‘Guys and Dolls’ at Chapel Off Chapel in August 2023. Other Antipodes credits include Sam Martin's 'Sam I Am' (sold out season at La Mama, Victorian Premiere), 'And She Would Stand Like This' (Australian Premiere), 'Passing Strange' (Australian Premiere, five 2023 Green Room Award Nominations), and the Winter Lab - Antipodes' annual development program for new work and bold ideas. Antipodes presented their first production originating from the Winter Lab in November 2023 with ‘Orlando’ at fortyfivedownstairs.

PRODUCER & NEW WORK MANAGER

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Cameron is a Naarm/Melbourne based multidisciplinary theatre maker, WAAPA graduate and all-round creative. As Antipodes’ New Work Manager, they've produced numerous developments and networking programs (including the annual Winter Lab 2020 - present, Festival of the Unseen 2023) in addition to the premiere of Orlando, Antipodes' first production originating from the Winter Lab. Other credits include: This is Living (Assoc Director, Gavin Roach), Guys & Dolls (Production Manager, Antipodes), Protein (Assist Director & Sound Design, Autonomous Inventions), MIMMA (dir. Adam Mitchell, Orana Prod.), RENT (dir. Mark Taylor, JTC) and Assassins (dir. Roger Hodgman, BSSTC). www.cameronsteens.com