Aunty Robyn Williams is a respected Yugambeh Elder and traditional owner based in Logan City, Queensland, known for her dedication to education, cultural preservation, and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and families. She is a descendant of Bilin Bilin (known as King of the Logan) and a strong voice for her community.

David Burton is a writer based in Brisbane, Queensland. He is the author of over thirty professionally produced plays, two acclaimed books, and has contributed to some of Australia's most innovative theatrical and community arts projects.

David's career spans award-winning theatrical works (including April's Fool, published by Playlab Press), large-scale community commissions for Queensland Music Festival (The Power Within; The Mount Isa Blast), and significant literary accolades, including winning the 2014 Text Prize for How to Be Happy.

His recent work includes co-authoring Icarus (2026) with Maddie Nixon, Merlynn Tong, and Maxine Mellor for Queensland Theatre Company's The Scene Project, and writing Space Cowboy (2025) for QUT, which is set for publication by Playlab in 2026. In 2024 he wrote and co-directed Whitlam: An Australian Fantasy for UniSQ, and was a finalist in the Queensland Premier's Drama Award for The Good Dad. He has also served as Stage Director for QPAC's Spirit of Christmas since 2023, and his long-running collaboration with Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe continues, with their latest production Persuasive Voices touring in 2026.

David holds a doctorate in community-engaged theatre and regularly works across writing, consulting, and content creation for arts organisations. He also maintains a popular weekly blog with hundreds of loyal readers. Alongside his creative practice, David works as a counsellor and coach, bringing a unique insight into community, creativity, and wellbeing.

Angela Barney-Leitch is a Woppaburra Tali Atha whose Country is the Keppel Islands off the coast of central Queensland, Australia, and a distinguished Griffith University alumna. She holds a Master of Education (Research), Graduate Certificate in Employment Law, and Bachelor of Administration from Griffith University.

Prior to her appointment to Griffith's Executive Leadership Team, she worked for over 25 years in strategic planning and policy with state and federal governments, the tertiary education sector, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based organisations. Angela’s tenure as the inaugural Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Australians) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) made her the first Aboriginal Woman to be a DVC in Queensland.

Angela provides strategic leadership in embedding Indigenous knowledges, perspectives, and self-determination across university governance, policy, and practice. Her work is grounded in partnership, impact, and place, supporting Griffith’s commitments to equity, social justice, and delivering meaningful outcomes for communities.

Angela is a Board Member of Queensland Music Festival (and Chair of the Indigenous Australian Advisory Committee), member of the Queensland Public Sector Governance Council, and Chair of the Woppaburra Traditional Use of Marine Resources Aboriginal Corporation, and is a Woppaburra Land Trustee. Her combined experience informs her collaborative approach to leadership and ability to work effectively with staff, students, industry, government, and community partners.

Professor Sandra Gattenhof is a researcher and practitioner in Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice Faculty at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She is currently Academic Lead, Learning and Teaching in QUT School of Creative Arts. Sandra is internationally recognised as expert in the field of arts education and arts & cultural evaluation. Sandra has authored books, book chapters, journal articles, and is sought after speaker board chair and board member. Sandra was chief investigator for Australian Research Council Linkage Project The Role of the Creative Arts in Regional Australia (2019-2023), led Valuing the Arts Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (2020) and was lead researcher for Woven Stories: Engaging the Arts as a resource for resilience in rural communities (2023-4). Sandra's current research is an ARC Discovery Project titled Uncreative Australia: impacts of declining participation in arts education. Sandra has received Drama Queensland’s Life Member Award and Drama Australia President’s Award for her outstanding contribution to drama education.

Katrina Torenbeek is the Director of Creative Learning and Community Engagement at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), and Festival Director of the Out of the Box festival. Katrina has broad executive management and programming experience across festivals, venues and arts organisations including Queensland Music Festival, QPAC and Metro Arts, where she co-managed the Australia Council MAPS for Artists Initiative. She has managed many signature programs and events, with a dedication to delivering engagement and learning activities in urban, regional and remote communities. She has also worked as a Teacher and Business Manager for Drama Queensland, Drama Australia and IDEA.

Tim is currently the Operations Directorr at Empire Theatre. He is a dedicated and passionate arts manager, acknowledged for creativity, strategic thinking and an innate ability to distil complexity. He guides clients and directs staff to reach their potential whilst maintaining high production and presentation values.

Sam is an award winning performer and theatre maker who has worked across live performance, film and TV as an Actor, Director, Writer, Producer, Stunt Performer, Stunt Rigger, Physical Theatre Performer, Movement Director and workshop facilitator. He has worked internationally for a number of companies and productions and is the co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Gold Coast based arts organisation Shock Therapy Arts.

Luke is a creative and strategic leader in regional arts and culture based in Gympie, with nearly 30 years’ experience across international, national, state, and local contexts.

In his current role, Luke oversees the delivery of RASN services supporting artists, arts workers, communities, and local government across regional and remote Queensland. His work focuses on fostering sustainable practice, cross-sector collaboration, and vibrant arts ecosystems. He is deeply committed to the advancement of regional arts and culture through people-centred exchange, genuine engagement, and service excellence.

Alongside extensive freelance consulting, governance, and not-for-profit board work, Luke has held senior roles including General Manager at PAC Australia, Manager of Venues and Events at Gympie Regional Council, and Creative Broker with arTour, a Queensland Government initiative supporting touring opportunities for Queensland artists and audiences.

Kim Tran is the Director, Policy and Governance at Live Performance Australia (LPA). LPA is the peak body for Australia's live arts and entertainment industry, representing the interests of its 400+ members. LPA's membership covers all art forms and includes producers, promoters, festivals, venues, and service providers such as ticketing companies. In this role, Kim is an industry advocate for public policy changes that support the sustainability and growth of the industry. She also develops best practice guidance and provides policy and regulatory advice to members to assist with their day-to-day business operations.

Michelle Ryan is the Artistic Director of Restless Dance Theatre and one of Australia’s leading voices in inclusive contemporary performance. A former performer with Australian Dance Theatre under Meryl Tankard, Michelle toured internationally before acquiring disability and shifting her focus to leadership, advocacy, and creating pathways for disabled and neurodivergent artists.

Since joining Restless in 2013, she has led the company onto major national and international stages, with acclaimed works including Seeing Through Darkness, Intimate Space, Private View, and Guttered. Under her direction, Restless has received multiple Ruby Awards, Helpmann nominations, and the 2025 Green Room Award for Outstanding Ensemble.

Michelle is an advocate for equity in the arts, known for challenging conventional ideas of excellence, representation, and access in contemporary performance.

Georgina Bullock is the Programs Manager and Community Liaison at indelarts, bringing more than six years of experience with the organisation, over 15 years of performing arts teaching experience, and nine years of work across the not-for-profit sector.

Her professional experience spans disability services, child healthcare, mental health support, LGBTQIA+ youth services, and animal rescue, providing her with a strong foundation in community engagement and inclusive practice.

At indelarts, Georgina has led the development and delivery of accessible performing arts training programs across South East Queensland, including the Redlands, Logan, Toowoomba, and Brisbane regions. Her work has encompassed venue procurement, facilitator recruitment and training, stakeholder engagement, and program management. As a key point of contact for participants and community partners, she plays a vital role in connecting people with disability to meaningful arts opportunities.

Georgina holds a Bachelor of Drama and Theatre Studies and a Master of Marketing. Her postgraduate research focused on audience development for disability-centred theatre, culminating in her thesis, “Disability-Centred Performances are for Everyone: Motivations and Barriers for Purchasing Tickets to Disability-Centred Theatre Performance in Australia.” Her research explored the barriers audiences face when engaging with disability arts and identified strategies to support the long-term sustainability of artists with disability and disability-led work.

Committed to best-practice accessibility and inclusion, Georgina regularly consults with members of the disability community to inform the design and delivery of indelarts’ programs. As a proud neurodivergent arts practitioner, she is passionate about creating safe, inclusive, and impactful opportunities that amplify the voices, talents, and contributions of the disability community.

Katrina Mills is the Coordinator of Cairns Performing Arts Centre Precinct (which includes CPAC, MMP & Ticketlink). From a grass roots start in community arts, events & festivals, and film, she moved into local government. With 15 years at Cairns Regional Council, she has been effective in managing, programming, operations, strategy, recruitment, leadership and event delivery across the cultural services and facilities portfolio of Performing & Multi-Arts Venues, Festivals and Strategy teams.

Her career also included a very solid stint in the reality television industry in both operational and creative teams, filming worldwide with projects such as US Survivor series for 7 years. Katrina’s passion has always been to facilitate the business of arts and culture in all its myriad form. To nurture and support all the creatives with a heavy focus on the operations to enable the magic.

Ebony Bott is a nationally respected arts leader and producer with more than two decades of experience across Australia’s major cultural institutions. Appointed Artistic Director of Brisbane Festival in October 2025, she brings a rare blend of artistic ambition, commercial acumen and civic understanding. Previously Head of Contemporary Performance at Sydney Opera House, Bott led one of the country’s most ambitious multidisciplinary programs, attracting more than 120,000 paid attendees annually. Her career spans festivals, major venues and producing organisations, with a strong commitment to artist development, equity, and audience connection. Her leadership signals a confident, future-focused chapter for Brisbane Festival.

Stephen Quinn is a creative leader, producer and multidisciplinary artist with over a decade of experience delivering festivals, theatre, community-engaged projects and artist development programs. As Executive Director of Backbone Youth Arts, he leads one of Queensland's longest-running platforms for emerging creatives, supporting young artists to develop new work, build industry connections and establish sustainable creative careers. He oversees Backbone Festival, an annual youth arts festival that provides emerging artists with opportunities to create, present and test new work, building on the legacy of the influential 2high Festival. Stephen is passionate about creating pathways that help artists thrive.

Roz Pappalardo is a musician, songwriter, theatre maker and arts leader whose career spans performance, touring, programming and cultural development. She creates and tours original music and theatre nationally and internationally. She has held senior programming and managerial roles with major festivals and venues including Cairns Festival, MONA FOMA, Darwin Entertainment Centre and, currently, Tamworth Country Music Festival. In Tamworth, she has championed new approaches to artist development and funding, securing significant grant investment while shifting conversations beyond "pay-to-play" models. She is known for stretching genre boundaries, championing collaboration and creating opportunities for contemporary music and performance to thrive regionally.

Kieran Swann is CEO of Metro Arts, Brisbane’s home for contemporary and experimental practice and artist development. As a curator and producer, he has spent nearly twenty years working across and between artforms; gallery-based exhibitions, public art, performance, social practice, co-creation – dedicated to art that creates spaces for relief and resilience; provokes change and exchange; and demonstrates care, generosity, and beauty.

Brett Howe is a creative leader and arts executive with extensive experience across performing arts, festivals, and cultural organisations. Currently Programming Manager at Redland Performing Arts Centre, Brett has held senior leadership roles at Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Circa Contemporary Circus, and State Library of Queensland. He is known for delivering ambitious, community‑focused programs that combine artistic excellence with strong stakeholder engagement, financial stewardship, and sector leadership. Offstage, Brett plays D&D, owns 300+ Star Wars T‑shirts, and commits fully to the dad joke—without hesitation.

Angie Dunbavan is the founding Company Director of Red Chair, an independent Queensland performing arts company based on Kabi Kabi Country on the Sunshine Coast. With a background in community development and social work, Angie has spent over 24 years building Red Chair into a leading producing and touring company for Queensland's independent arts sector. Her producing credits span regional touring, community-engaged live art, festival production and arts management, including the COMPASS Project, The Keeper Project, The Playlist, Flamenco Fire, The People's Orchestra, Dawn Awakening and Storyplace. She has produced work for QPAC, Brisbane Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, Horizon Festival and numerous regional Queensland venues and councils. Angie is a passionate advocate for sustainable independent artistic careers and for the genuine inclusion of First Nations voices in the creative sector. She has maintained a long and deep collaborative relationship with Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi traditional custodians, embedding cultural knowledge and protocol into all of Red Chair's work.

Jess is a creative producer and playwright based on Darumbal country, coastal Central Queensland. Working remotely with Cairns Gimuy-based JUTE Theatre Company, she oversees DARTS: a multi-year, statewide initiative to Drive and Activate the Regional Theatre Sector. In this role, Jess has been instrumental in shaping peer-to-peer collaboration and touring pathways that empower regional producers and meaningfully contribute to local arts ecologies. In addition to this substantive role, Jess advises regional theatre artists and artsworkers through the Regional Arts Services Network (RASN), and as a regular contributor to peer grant assessment panels with Creative Australia and RADF.

Timothy Wynn is the founding and current Artistic Director of THAT Production Company, an independent theatre company based in Ipswich, Queensland. Theatre: THAT Production Company: Dance Nation (with Metro Arts), Head Over Heels (with Ipswich Civic Centre), Duck Duck Goose (with Theatreworks), Every Brilliant Thing, I Love You Bro, Sea Wall, Kill Climate Deniers (with Metro Arts), Yielding, When the Rain Stops Falling (with Ipswich Festival), God of Carnage (with Ipswich Festival), A Lie of the Mind, Romeo & Juliet, Pains of Youth, Seven Jewish Children (with Anywhere Theatre Festival), Fastest Clock in the Universe, Saved, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Spring Awakening; Queensland Theatre: Neighbourhood Watch (2023 Young Artist Program); La Boite Theatre Company: Thread (La Boite HWY Festival 2019); QUT: Blood Wedding; Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium: Welcome To Thebes; JMC Academies: The Trial. Awards and Nominations: 2021 Matilda Award Best Director for Sea Wall (nominated), 2023 Matilda Award for Best Director for Every Brilliant Thing (nominated).

Ainslee Palmer is an actor, theatre maker, producer and movement director with a love of play, dark humour, and bold storytelling. Since graduating from the University of Southern Queensland with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Theatre/Acting) in 2013, she has built a career spanning performance, movement direction, producing, and arts health work across Australia and internationally.

Ainslee has been a core creative collaborator with White Rabbit Theatre since 2018, working across acclaimed productions as both performer and movement director before becoming Associate Director in 2019 and Co-Artistic Director in 2024 alongside Lisa Smith. Their 2024 Matilda Award-winning one-woman-show Ready or Not piloted at HOTA Home of the Arts in 2024 before premiering at Bulmba-Ja Arts Centre in Cairns followed by a regional tour.

Ainslee is passionate about creating courageous, inclusive spaces that invite curiosity, connection, and a little chaos along the way.

Jeanette Wedmaier leads programming and community engagement at The Empire in Toowoomba, Queensland. With a strong background in arts management, she curates diverse performances and initiatives that connect audiences with the arts. Jeanette works closely with artists and community groups to ensure the theatre remains a vibrant cultural hub for the region.

Tanya Malouf is the Regional & Remote Touring Manager at Shake & Stir Theatre Co and has more than 25 years' experience working across Queensland's performing arts sector.

Her career has spanned touring, producing, operations, stage management, production management, logistics, scheduling, budgeting and company management, providing her with a deep understanding of the complexities and opportunities involved in delivering performing arts experiences to communities across Australia.

Prior to joining Shake & Stir, Tanya was Producer at arTour, a touring initiative of the Queensland Government. She has also worked with many of Australia's leading performing arts organisations, including Opera Queensland, Queensland Ballet, Queensland Theatre, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Circa, BlakDance, Flipside, Queensland Music Festival and QMusic.

Passionate about sector development, artist support and regional engagement, Tanya is committed to strengthening touring pathways and creating meaningful connections between artists, presenters and communities throughout Queensland and beyond.

Emma Gloede is a Brisbane-based performing arts specialist with over two decades of experience producing and programming across outdoor events, theatre, music concerts, and festivals in multi-venue arts organisations. As Executive Producer at Shake & Stir Theatre Co, Emma oversees the production of theatrical projects and works closely with creative and production teams from conception through to delivery.

Previously, Emma worked for Queensland Performing Arts Centre as a Commercial Producer and Head of Programming, where she helped curate the Centre's arts calendar and build partnerships across the sector. Her earlier career includes television commercial production, large-scale event logistics, and technical work in lighting, staging, and sound.

Vicki joined indelarts in June 2025 following her role as Director of Programming and Presenter Services for HOTA (Home of the Arts) /Experience Gold Coast. Over the course of her career Vicki has worked her way through resident Stage and Company Management roles for Star Casino before moving into Production Management and finally settling into Producing and Executive Producing for several years prior to being promoted into the Director role at HOTA. Vicki possesses a deep understanding of the arts sector, as well as strong commercial acumen, and is guiding indelarts into the next chapter of growth and success.

Felix Preval is an internationally recognised arts leader with over a decade’s experience in festival direction, programming and management, with a track record for presenting diverse and dynamic international performing arts programs that successfully connect with local audiences. He is experienced in working with artists across theatre, dance, music, cabaret, circus, comedy and live arts, including commissioning new works of scale by local and national artists. Felix held the position of Artistic Director of Darwin Festival from 2017 - 2022, and was previously Festival Producer of Melbourne Fringe from 2012-2016.