AMBASSADORS

APAM AMBASSADORS

APAM has selected 10 Queensland artists and producers as APAM Ambassadors, to host international delegates. The Ambassadors will share an experience of Brisbane and provide delegates with valuable insight into the sector. 

  • Adam Brunes - Co-Director, The Little Red Company
  • Bridget Boyle - Director, Debase Productions
  • Chelsea McGuffin - Artistic Director, Company 2
  • Danielle Shankey - Producer, Belloo Creative
  • Felicity Mandile - Education and Engagement Director, Queensland Ballet
  • Fiona MacDonald - General Manager / Executive Producer, Imaginary Theatre
  • Jessie Rasmussen - General Manager, SUNPAC
  • Natalie Lidgerwood - Senior Programmer, Arts Centre Gold Coast
  • Sam Foster - Co-Owner, Shock Therapy Productions
  • Steven Mitchell Wright - Artistic Director, The Danger Ensemble

 

BIOGRAPHIES

ADAM BRUNES

Adam is a degree-qualified journalist and widely regarded as one of Queensland’s most prolific arts marketing and PR professionals. With 10 years’ industry experience working in in-house and consultancy roles, Adam has led countless major campaigns and projects for many of Queensland’s major performing arts companies and venues, including La Boite Theatre Company, Brisbane Powerhouse, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, Bleach* Festival, Opera Australia, The Camerata, and Expressions Dance Company.

Adam is also an awarded theatre-maker and producer, with Naomi Price, for the pair’s independent production house, The Little Red Company. For Little Red, Adam has produced a number of corporate events and award-winning live performances at some of Australia’s most prolific venues and events, including Sydney Opera House, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Hamer Hall Melbourne. Co-writing production credits including Rumour Has It, Wrecking Ball and Lady Beatle.

CHELSEA MCGUFFIN

Chelsea trained as a dancer at the Centre for Performing Arts in Adelaide, before switching her interests to the circus. She has worked extensively in the circus industry with both professional companies and community projects. That work includes: Circus Monoxide, Tony’s Imaginary Circus, Artistic Director for Vulcana Women’s Circus, Queensland Theatre Company, and from

In 2008, Chelsea co-founded Company 2 with David Carberry. Here, they strive to create their own work which engages its audiences and pushes the art form to new places. She has created and performed in a number for the Company 2’s award winning works including Sediment, Cantina, Scotch & Soda, Perched and Kaleidoscopes. Her latest creation Fallot begins touring in 2018.

DANIELLE SHANKEY

Danielle is a creative producer of Australian contemporary theatre. She is currently General Manager / Creative Producer of award-winning, independent company, Belloo Creative. Belloo is an all-female, Australian theatre company that produces original contemporary cross-cultural works. Founded in 2013, Belloo explores new ways of firing the imagination and connecting stories with the human body. 

Danielle’s producing credits include: Motherland co-production with Metro Arts (2013); Motherland co-produced national tour with Critical Stages and Queensland Theatre (2016); HANAKO co-production with Brisbane Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse (2016); Rovers co-production with NORPA (to premiere in 2018); and SAND international co-production with Idiot Savant Theatre Company (Japan) and NORPA (in-development 2018). 

NATALIE LIDGERWOOD

Having traversed the globe for fourteen years with Strut & Fret Production House as a senior programmer and producer (theatre and events), Natalie now calls the Gold Coast her base. Natalie is currently Senior Programmer at The Arts Centre Gold Coast and focused on the centres new outdoor cultural precinct – opening March 2018. Natalie continues to be an ambassador for Strut & Fret productions as well as being associated and working with Circa, Bleached Arts, Deborah Colker Dance Company (Brazil) and Curitiba International Theatre Festival (Brazil).

Natalie has managed major events including The Brunswick Music Festival, Valley Fiesta, KERMEZZO (Brussels), Melbourne Festival Foxtel Hub and negotiated and produced numerous music and theatre productions including LIMBO, Fear & Delight, Tom Tom Crew, Men of Steel, The Candy Butchers and the major outdoor spectacle Pyrophone Juggernaut.

SAM FOSTER

Sam is story teller, performer and theatre maker. He has worked as an actor, director, writer, producer, stunt performer, stunt rigger, physical theatre performer, movement director and workshop facilitator. He is the co-owner and co-founder of Shock Therapy Productions.

Sam works in theatre, film and large scale events and has worked for a number of companies and festivals over the past 16 years. His career has taken him to New York, London, Namibia, South Africa, Denmark, Norway and India as well as all over Australia. He was awarded Best Director at the 2015 Matilda Awards for Shock Therapy’s production of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman.

 

Steven Mitchell wright

Steven Mitchell Wright is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Danger Ensemble, for which he has directed and designed Macbeth (Queensland Academy, 2017), Caligula, (Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts 2014 - winner of Gold Matilda Award for Direction and Design), The Wizard of Oz (Brisbane Festival, La Boite Theatre Company and NORPA 2013), Sons of Sin (Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts 2013), Children of War (La Boite Indie 2012, 2High Festival 2011), i war (Queensland Theatre Company and Brisbane Festival 2012), Loco Maricon Amor (!Metro Arts 2012) ,The Hamlet Apocalypse (La Boite Indie 2011, Adelaide Fringe 2010, La Mama 2009 – Winner of Best New Work, Best Director and Outstanding Contribution to Innovative Theatre Practice Greenroom Groundling Awards), Pennies and Beggars in the Street (Brisbane Cabaret Festival/Inhabit Fiesta 2010), Who Killed Amanda Palmer: World Tour (USA, UK, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Canada and Australia 2008/09).

Steven’s independent work includes the direction of Lally Katz A Doll's House after Henrik Ibsen (Brisbane Festival and La Boite Theatre - Matilda Award winner for Best Direction), artistic direction and curation of avant-garde performance event Cross Stitch:Without Apology (!Metro Arts, Brisbane 2011), movement direction and chorus direction Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret (American Repertory Theater 2010), directing Once in Hell (American Repertory Theater 2010), and directing In God We Trust (Groundling Award Winner – Best Direction, Queensland Academy for Creative Industries 2010), direction and art design for Blake Says, Janos Vs Wonderland.

 

Bridget Boyle

Bridget Boyleis a co-founder of Debase Productions and holds a doctorate in Drama. She has worked extensively in the field of clowning as a director, performer and teacher, having studied with Philippe Gaulier in 2001.

With Debase Productions she has been involved in the creation of many new works, including The Furze Family Variety Hour, which she wrote and directed and was staged as part of the Brisbane Festival in 2014. Other works include Hurry up and Wait (with Liz Skitch), originally commissioned by Queensland Theatre which toured Japan in a co-production with Kazenoko Theatre Company in 2012; and Lily Can’t Sleep also commissioned by Queensland Theatre and toured Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Queensland after a premier season in QPAC’s Out of the Box Festival.

Directing credits include Rice (QPDA Finalists reading), The Landmine is Me and Hurry up and Wait for Queensland Theatre, Dead Man’s Cellphone, Little Revolution, Bassett, Twelve Angry Women, Top Girls and Little Hitler’s Ode to an Austrian Bentwood for Queensland University of Technology, Popping Lead Balloons, The Clown from Snowy River, The Look, Lovejunk and Titanic – the Clown Show for debase productions.  Other credits include Of Our Own Volition (Spangled Drongo/ Metro Arts, Snagged (Vena Cava Theatre Company) and Glitter and Dust (pretend productions/ Metro Arts). In 2018 she will direct The Owl and the Pussycat an original opera for children premiering at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and The Longest Minute, a co-production with Queensland Theatre and JUTE theatre.

 

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