Local Giants Regional Producer Platform | Meet the Participants

Local Giants is thrilled to announce the 2022 cohort taking part in the Regional Producers Platform – a skills development program led by Performing Lines that takes participants through a practical, industry led capacity building program in producing, culminating in an in person gathering at APAX 2022. The cohort was chosen from a list of 76 applicants, demonstrating the necessity for investment in regional arts infrastructure.

The Local Giants supported participants are:

From June to September, these practitioners will engage in weekly lectures and tutorials, coming together over Zoom to work through the various stages of producing live work, deep dive into individual project ideas, as well as explore sustainable models relevant to their regional context particularly for presentation and touring. The platform will also see opportunities for one-to-one industry mentorship.

Our heartfelt congratulations to all producers selected for the Regional Producers Platform. We look forward to seeing the connections and works that will come to life through this experience.

The Producer Platform is one part of Local Giants, the ambitious new capacity building program born of a partnership between Regional Arts Australia, PAC Australia and Performing Lines, which seeks to unlock the cultural ambition and potential of regional Australia.

In addition to the Producer Platform the program includes regional artist residencies in South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland, as well as new regional work co-commissions.

The Participants

Aimee Grey | QLD

Aimee Gray is part theatre extraordinaire, part circus performer, part producer, part play master. Aimee is highly experienced in community facilitation and her work centres around celebrating individuals and communities, utilising multidisciplinary art forms in theatre, film and music to create accessible works.

Aimee began creating multidisciplinary theatre in Darwin in 2014 where she created an emerging artist ensemble developing productions incorporating theatre with circus and live music. From here she has gone on to develop, produce and tour an hilarious outdoor performance on a giant Hill’s Hoist clothesline, a musical comedy show, film clips and web series.

As an independent artist and producer Aimee is also contracted by numerous organisations in QLD, NT & SA including Everybody NOW! and the Festival of Small Halls. Having toured and lived in her House Truck for 5 years, Aimee now lives on the Sunshine Coast on Kabi Kabi country.

Amber Grossman | QLD

Amber Grossmann is a teaching artist, playwright, director, performer, and long time lover of overalls from the Cairns Region. The Performing and Visual Arts have been her life long passion.

Amber’s work in the arts aims to facilitate greater youth involvement and opportunity for young creatives in regional and remote locations. Her primary areas of interest are playwrighting, directing, and facilitating projects that inspire young artists to follow their passions. She is passionate about creating vibrancy of the arts in her community, and the viability of the arts careers for upcoming artists.

Amber has worked with some of Queensland’s leading theatre companies; including JUTE Theatre Company, The Young Company Theatre & Queensland Theatre. Amber also works for the Cairns Regional Council and the Cairns Regional Art Gallery as a contracted artist.

She currently lives in Cairns, where she works as an independent artist and producer for Overall Arts, as well as studying her secondary teaching degree through James Cook University and working at St. Andrew’s Catholic College.

When Amber is not producing, performing or painting, she can be found hiking in the heat, or cuddling up with her bearded dragon and a good book.

Anna Thomson | NT

Anna Thomson is a Garramilla (Darwin)-based clown, independent producer, theatre-maker, puppeteer, and physical performer, working and performing on Larrakia land. She studied Lecoq-based clown, physical comedy, mask and performance making at the John Bolton Theatre School in 2015 and at the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA) Summer School 2018.

She has operated her business Anna Thomson Comedy since 2011, offering productions and interactive, roving entertainment and workshops for festivals and events. She has self-toured solo and ensemble performances nationally. She works in theatre-in-education, as a facilitator and director of community theatre with young people and children from diverse backgrounds and abilities and was a clown with the Starlight Children’s Foundation from 2016-2021. Anna has a love of satire and delights in creating highly visual, physical and interactive theatre and comedy that explores environmental and social issues and stories, with children, young people and adults.

Claire Chapman | NSW

Claire Chapman is a theatre maker and performance artist with a particular interest in audience participation and interactivity.

Claire is a self-producing artist and emerging producer. In the past, her work drives its feminist undercurrent through comedy and story-telling, relating to her audience by sharing common experiences.

After being awarded the BBM Global Industry Scholarship for Drama Claire spent her time pre-covid in London being mentored by and working with renowned contemporary theatre-makers and performers such as Reckless Sleepers and Punchdrunk. She has performed across locations in Australia, the UK and Spain.

Returning home to Ulladulla (south coast of NSW) Claire is passionate about working with her local community, shifting her practice from performance to facilitation. Claire is the Co-Director of The Deadly South, an initiative surrounding supporting local artists to establish and maintain their careers here on the South Coast.

Funded by CreateNSW The Deadly South has been able to platform local artists through its Freak of the Week series and is currently working with over 30 different artists in the region collating their skills and portfolios to showcase in a six week Cabaret season.

Craig Bary | NSW

Craig is a committed and active member of the dance community in New Zealand and Australia. He has worked with many companies and choreographers over his 20+ year professional life.

He has been a founding member of key organisations such as Catapult Dance Choreographic Hubs professional company, The New Zealand Dance Company and Garry Stewarts Australian Dance Theatre. Craig has worked with many different companies and choreographers, some of which include, ADT, Tasdance, KAGE, Leigh Warren and Dancers, Chunky Move, The Farm, Bangarra, Douglas Wright Dance, Footnote New Zealand Dance, Sue Healey, Shaun Parker Company, Legs on the Wall, Tanja Liedtke and Lisa Wilson Projects.

A new resident of Waitui located in the Barrington Coast region and part of the MidCoast Council, Craig is excited to connect with the region by building on his relationship with Catapult Dance as an associate artist and the company’s first emerging producer. Catapult’s focus is on bringing accessible dance theatre works to regional centres, where we are currently the recipients of CreateNSW regional touring funding, taking our latest work ‘Awkward’ throughout regional NSW 2022-2023.

Danelle Degrassi | TAS

Hailing from the Southern Beaches region of lutruwita – Tasmania, Danelle Degrassi aka Nelle, is an 8th generation Tasmanian and first generation Triestino. She is an emerging producer and professional live performance artists with an extensive background in multiple disciplines, including music, writing, dance, circus, theatre, and digital arts.

She is currently employed as a Cultural Program Officer at the Moonah Arts Centre in nipaluna – Hobart and is responsible for curating small indoor shows and large-scale outdoor events, as well as running an annual performance program.

she is passionate about supporting and advocating for youth, multicultural communities and Firsts Nations artists and is deeply inspired by traditional and contemporary arts practices and working cross-culturally and collaboratively on new works.

Danelle’s original works have showcased at Hobart Fringe Festival, Taste of Tasmania, Cygnet Folk Festival, Festivale, Jackey’s Marsh Forest festival, Palm Creek Festival (QLD) and many more.

Georgia Deguara | WA

Georgia Deguara is Director of West Australian all-female performance company, YUCK Circus. YUCK is a multi-award winning, internationally-touring production company keen on championing the female voice across live performance.

Georgia grew up in the isolated coastal town of Broome, beginning her training at Theatre Kimberley’s Sandfly Circus at the age of 11. When not touring with YUCK, Georgia works with Theatre Kimberley in producing, performing, and mentoring roles. Specialising in Outreach programs, she tours to isolated Indigenous communities providing circus as a tool of creative expression.

Whether in front of an audience of 3000+ in Edinburgh Playhouse, or to a town of a total 30 people, community is at the forefront of Georgia’s work. Currently with 4 touring works, and as an independent producer for other organisations and performers, Georgia strives to create exciting work in the industry, and to use her knowledge to inspire the next generation of artists.

Georgia’s position in the Regional Producer Platform is supported by Circuit West and Regional Arts Australia’s Quick Response Grant..

Jade Ranson | SA

Jade Ranson (she/her) lives, works and plays on the land of the Nukunu people, in a Mid North country town called Port Pirie in South Australia.

Jade is an emerging producer and works as an Associate Producer for Country Arts SA. She is passionate about country artists and their stories and aspires to advocate for opportunities to see more work be created in the region by regional artists.

Although a professional career in the arts is quite new for Jade, her community is renowned for putting on a musical or two and she enjoys working off the stage, just as much as she enjoys playing on it.

Natasha Shimpf | NSW

Currently based in Wagga NSW, Natasha is a co-producer and co-director of Freeroam Theatre Incorporated (2020).

Growing up in Griffith, NSW, Natasha discovered her passion for theatre and performance. Between 2002 and 2016 she competed, performed and was an instructor of dance, in regional Australia. From here she continued to delve deeper into the theatre scene and went on to obtain her Certificate III in Live production, Theatre and Events (Technical Operations). After graduating high school, she moved on to study Stage and Screen (Acting) at Charles Sturt University, and has now worked her way into the professional creative industries.

Natasha has produced new original works such as, “TOME- An improvised theatre experience” and ‘Marionettes’, an original work, in collaboration with the Wagga Art Gallery and the Young Creative Collective. She has performed in shows such as ‘The Tempest’ as “Ariel”, ‘All the Flags’ by Van Badham, as “Woody” and most recently performed in ‘TOME’.

Natasha is currently co-producing Freeroam Theatre’s 2022 season, comprising of “Speaking in Tongues” by Andrew Bovell and “Mr Melancholy” by Matt Cameron. Natasha aims to ignite the professional theatre scene in rural Australia, by creating opportunities for regional creatives to demonstrate their creative potential.

Natasha’s position in the Regional Producer Platform is supported by Eastern Riverina Arts through the Renew Wagga project, in partnership with the NSW Government.

Rebekah Gibbs |VIC

Bek Gibbs is an arts manager and producer with experience in a diverse range of disciplines including circus, immersive theatre, festivals and more. Her passions lie in working with young people and expanding minds.

After establishing her career as an arts manager touring both regionally and internationally Bek turned her focus to producing. Living and working on the Wiradjuri land of Albury Wodonga Bek is now the Associate Producer for the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.

Bek has honed her craft in organisations such as Broad Encounters, Circus OZ, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Crown Casino and Spiegelworld. She has a Bachelor of Production (Stage Management) from The Victorian College of the Arts.

Rebekah’s position in the Regional Producer Platform is supported by Flying Fruit Fly Circus and Regional Arts Australia’s Quick Response Grant.

Rosie Sitorus | WA

Rosie Sitorus is a woman born of two migrant parents, based in Jambinbirri (Geraldton). Her creative practice, focusing on music, spoken word performance and writing, often intersects with her work as a linguist and creative project manager with rural, regional and remote Aboriginal communities.

Since moving to Geraldton in 2013, Rosie has helped to build the local creative community, organising workshops, performances and collaborations with local and visiting artists From 2015-2018, she co-wrote and performed Fat Girls in Bike Shorts, a regionally devised and produced work. Now an emerging producer and self-managed artist, Rosie has produced several storytelling and musical projects, as well as managing Warralgurniya, a cross-cultural songwriting project that won a WAM Song of the Year Award in 2021 and recently performed at Perth Festival 2022.

Sarah Reuben | NT

Sarah Reuben lives on Larakia Country/Darwin and is a theatre maker, performer and producer. For her own Theatre Company, Ruby Gaytime Productions, Reuben wrote and produced: Best, Short Change, Death Party and This Jew Sits. Sarah co-created and produced I’ll Tell you in Person, which had seasons at both Darwin Festival 2020 and Perth Festival 2021 and Lower The Bar for a season at Darwin Entertainment Centre and a regional tour with ArtBack. Most recently she co-wrote and performed in The Hypotheticals, which premiered at Darwin Festival 2021.

Sarah is a co-creator of the nationally touring show Shania Choir, creator of the webseries Deadly Tales and 2020 was awarded the NT Literary Award for The Hypotheticals, which she co-wrote with Jeffrey Jay Fowler. Most recently, Sarah completed her Post Grad through the University of Melbourne in Creativity in Health, focusing on the intersection of performing arts and medicine, a huge passion of hers. This resulted in a large-scale animated storytelling project aimed at increasing health outcomes for children living in remote Aboriginal Communities.

Sinsa Mansell | TAS

Sinsa is a proud Trawoolaway women from larapuna the Northern region of lutruwita Tasmania. She is a program producer and project officer, as well a co-founder, performer, and choreographer with the successful pakana kanaplila a traditional/contemporary Tasmanian Aboriginal dance troupe. Sinsa sat on the Ministerial Arts and Advisory Council for State Growth and the First Nations Advisory Group for APAM in addition to advisory panels for the Moonah Arts Centre, Ten Days on the Island Festival and the Walantanalinany Palingina (WaPa) Program. She’s also been a member of the assessment panels for Arts Tasmania, Australia Council of the Arts and Constance ARI.

Sinsa is a Mentor and support for a range of organisations and many of the palawa arts opportunities for her community come through her roles with the Situate North Program, the Tarraleah Residency and Moonah Arts Centre Seed opportunity.

Sinsa’s position in the Regional Producer Platform is supported by Performing Lines TAS and Regional Arts Australia’s Quick Response Grant..

Sky River | WA

Sky River is a Margaret River (Woodichup Bilya) based writer, producer, puppet and theatre maker, influenced by her relationship with Western Australia’s South West environment. Sky weaves imaginative storylines and mythic inspired characters to explore humans and the interrelated world to encourage a sense of belonging and care.

With a background in Theatre Studies (Griffith University) Sky is passionate about creating regional arts opportunities and community engagement, with themes exploring ecological identity. Sky leads teams of artists to produce original puppet shows as ‘Folk of the Puppetree,’ touring three small scale shows. In 2019 she produced medium scale show, ‘Digby and the Dragon,’ featuring animation, puppetry and land inspired soundtrack. Current work in progress is ‘The Marri Tree Girl.’

Sky coordinates a weekly program for adults living with disabilities and in 2021 produced the Artzability Short Film Festival. Drama and art teaching positions include Margaret River Independent School, Barking Gecko Theatre Company, youth outreach program The Concrete Club. Award winning, published performance writer (EDGE performance writers), Sky has published research on puppetry and ecology in Performance of the Real Journal (Performing Ecologies Edition). Sky holds BA Honours (ECU) and received a 2021 National Regional Arts Fellowship.

http://www.skyriverart.com.au/

Tracey Skinner | VIC

Tracey Skinner(she/her) is a General Manager of a regional arts organisation, an artist and an emerging producer. She is based in the Western Wimmera town of Natimuk where she now calls home.

Early years were spent in the performing arts as a vocalist and dancer working in her hometown of Melbourne and across Japan. Her love of movement pushed her to open an arts and movement studio where she teaches movement modalities and also provides space for others to do so.

Studying Textile design both in London and RMIT in Melbourne added another dimension to her diverse interest in the arts.

After serving on the committee for a number of years, she joined the highly regarded regional arts organisation ACT Natimuk, as General Manager in 2020. She has managed a variety of arts projects in her role there. An all rounder from performing to administration she has a keen interest in producing work that supports the aerial, circus and physical theatre artists in her local community, and encourages ‘regular’ folk to believe that they can too, be performers.

Currently, she is Program Producer for ‘ Gatherings 2022’ -an outdoor activation arts and culture event occurring across the Northern Grampians Shire.

Local Giants is supported by the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund—an Australian Government initiative, the Australian Government through the Regional Arts Fund, and the NSW Government through Create NSW.