Stephen Armstrong

Stephen was the Executive Producer of Malthouse Theatre until 2011. Previous executive positions include Artistic Associate at Sydney Theatre Company, General Manager of Queensland Theatre Company, General Manager of Chamber Made Opera, and Administrator of Handspan Theatre. Stephen is a founding Board Director of Chunky Move and is currently a Trustee of the Victorian Actors’ Benevolent Fund. For the Australia Council, he previously Chaired the New Media Arts Fund and been a member of the Drama Committee, Performing Arts Board and Theatre Fund. He was a regular panelist on ABC TV’s Critical Mass and has contributed commentary and reviews to numerous publications. Stephen has twice been a judge for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards (fiction and non-fiction); the Melbourne Prize for Literature; and the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award. He has been on the Advisory Panel for the Churchill Fellowships (Culture) since 2008. A graduate of History & Philosophy of Science and Literature at Melbourne University, in 2006 he completed the Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Awards include: 1992 Myer Group Arts Award (Chamber Made); 1999 George Fairfax Fellowship; 2005 Green Room Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre; and the 2008 Kenneth Myer Medallion for Outstanding Achievement in the Performing Arts.

Humphrey Bower

Humphrey is a Perth-based actor, writer, director, dramaturg and independent theatre-maker. He is currently the artistic director of Night Train, a Perth-based chamber theatre company with a focus on the art of storytelling, using live music, dance/movement and spoken word to make intimate, visceral theatre. Humphrey was a founding member of the Melbourne ensemble Whistling in the Theatre, he co-founded Perth independent theatre company Last Seen Imagining and Night Train. Humphrey has worked for companies including the MTC, STCSA, Playbox/Malthouse, Anthill, Theatreworks, Black Swan, Yirra Yaakin, Thin Ice, Deckchair, Spare Parts, Steamworks, and with many independent playwrights, directors and choreographers. He has also worked extensively as an actor and producer on Radio National and as an award-winning narrator of audio books. Humphrey won the 2010 Helpmann Award for Best Supporting Actor in the MTC’s Richard III and he has received multiple Victorian Green Room Award nominations.

Jo Duffy

Jo Duffy’s varied and extensive career in the arts over the past 17 years has spanned Australia, Italy, Scotland and Poland. In 2011 Jo was appointed as the new Artistic Director of Ten Days on the Island, Tasmania’s International Arts Festival, she will deliver her first Ten Days in March 2013. From 2009 – 2011 she was the Artistic Director of the Darwin Festival. She worked on seven Edinburgh Festival Fringes where she was the Associate Director of Aurora Nova, the highly acclaimed showcase of international physical and visual theatre. Jo spent three years as Consultant Producer for The Brave Festival – Against Cultural Exile, in Wroclaw, Poland; the festival presents the artistic traditions of vanishing, marginalized and displaced cultures of the world. She was part of the programming team for three Sydney Festivals and, as a performing arts manager, has worked closely with many companies in the development, presentation and promotion of their work, including projects with the small to medium sized theatre companies in Australia, Venti Lucenti in Florence and Poland’s Teatr Piesn Kozla. Jo Duffy has developed a reputation in Australia for her passionate pursuit of independent arts projects, including her extensive involvement with regional and remote communities and artists.

Helen Hristofski

Helen Hristofski has extensive knowledge and experience in Australia’s youth theatre and arts education sector. Helen studied at WAAPA, has degrees in Education and Arts Management, and is an Honorary Associate of the University of Sydney. Helen is currently the Education Manager at Sydney Theatre Company, prior to working at STC Helen was the Education Manager at Bell Shakespeare and worked as a Coordinator for Performing Lines. Helen has worked to co-produce, present and commission the work of many small to medium companies over the years. Helen was a pioneer for digital live streaming of performances particularly to remote locations. Helen has a keen interest in offering theatre programs in regional areas that provide opportunities that are relevant to communities, and work to build their capacity, resilience and cohesiveness. Helen also has strong connections with the international youth arts community and attended was the Australian Delegate to assitej in 2011 in Copenhagen and attended New Visions/New Voices at The Kennedy Centre in 2010. 

Steve Mayhew

Steve is currently Creative Producer, Regional Performance Development and Presentation at Country Arts SA developing contemporary professional performance in regional South Australia and commissioning new works featuring regional artists for touring and festivals across the state. He is the Artistic Director of the 2012 National Regional Arts Conference and Festival to be held in Goolwa, South Australia. A graduate of the Drama Centre at Flinders University, he has worked as a director, dramaturg, writer, creative producer or general manager of companies and festivals including Urban Myth, Riverland Youth Theatre, Junction Theatre, Brink Productions, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Restless Dance Theatre.

Sarah Neal

Sarah Neal is currently acting Artistic Director of Brisbane Powerhouse, stepping in from her role as Head of Programming for the organisation. She was born in Brisbane and commenced her involvement in theatre at the age of 13, joining La Boite Youth Theatre and remaining with the company until she completed high school. Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing. At the completion of her first degree, she began writing and directing short films, which screened in Australia and internationally. She then worked as a director’s assistant to acclaimed filmmaker Nadia Tass, which began an association spanning ten years, and saw Sarah writing feature films and directing and producing another five short films.

After ten years working on a broad range of film and television projects, Sarah took up the position of Producer at Brisbane Powerhouse in 2005. As Producer, and then Head of Programming for BPH, she has created and curated a number of festivals including the World Theatre Festival, Brisbane Jazz Festival, Brisbane Comedy Festival, Frankly! Pop Festival, and Sound Polaroids. Sarah has also created an outstanding artist development program for theatre, dance and live art practitioners, which supports the creation of vibrant new works. She is involved in a number of committees and juries for both theatre and film, and has mentored emerging artists in both disciplines.

Fiona Winning

Fiona Winning is an independent writer and producer. She spent nearly a decade as director of the Performance Space in Sydney, and was instrumental in negotiating the development of the CarriageWorks contemporary arts space. As Director of Performance Space, she was responsible for programming and producing a range of performances, installations, international exchanges and training and development projects. Previously, Fiona was Artistic Director of Playworks – the women performance writers network. From 1990 to 1995 she was Artistic Director of Death Defying Theatre (now Urban Theatre Projects), relocating and relaunching the company in western Sydney in 1990, and initiating the company’s practice of collaborating with local communities to make work fusing contemporary performance and popular culture.  Fiona was awarded a Fellowship by the Australia Council’s Community Cultural Development Fund in 1995. She was Writer-in-Residence at University of Western Sydney’s School of Social Ecology the same year. She served on the NSW Ministry for the Arts’ Theatre Program Committee from 1993 to 1998, including three years as Chair.