QLD Equity Graduate Day 2024

Host(s)

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  Daniel Evans

  Daniel Evans is an award-winning writer, director and producer who has worked internationally in theatre, festivals, print and television. He is currently the Associate Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre.  In 2024 he won two Matilda Awards - Best Director, Best Mainstage Production - for his work on Drizzle Boy; Australia's first neurodivergent play written by a neurodivergent playwright. In 2023, he again won two Matilda Awards for Best Director and Best Mainstage for his work on The Almighty Sometimes by Kendall Feaver (Queensland Theatre) and again in 2020 for Best Director for Cinderella by Matthew Whittet (QPAC & Myths Made Here).  As a director, his work includes Medea (Queensland Theatre), Tiny Beautiful Things (Remount, Belvoir Theatre Company) Vietgone (Queensland Theatre), Drizzle Boy (Queensland Theatre), Away (La Boite Theatre Company), Mr Burns (Griffith), Three Sisters (QUT), The Tragedy of King Richard The Third (La Boite Theatre Company), The Seagull (Queensland Theatre), The China Incident (Queensland Theatre), Rabbit (Metro Arts), Single Admissions (Metro Arts). As a writer, he has written numerous works for the stage including Joan Must Die* (*I Never Liked Her Anyway) (QUT), Algorithm (QUT), 600 Ways To Filter A Sunset (Queensland Theatre’s Scene Project) and was the winner of the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award for his play Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (Queensland Theatre/ Australian Theatre for Young People).  Together with Amy Ingram, he founded critically acclaimed performance collective, The Good Room, whose works include Let’s Be Friends Furever (Brisbane Festival), I Want To Know What Love Is (Queensland Theatre and Brisbane Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse, Critical Stages National Tour),  I Just Came To Say Goodbye (Brisbane Festival), I've Been Meaning To Ask You (Brisbane Festival & Riverside Theatres, Sydney/  Sydney Theatre Award 2021 Winner, Best Production for Young People),That’s What She Said (Metro Arts) and I Should Have Drunk More Champagne (Metro Arts). He has previously worked as a senior writer for Frankie magazine, SMITH Journal and SPACES and as a producer for Paramount, Endemol Shine Australia, iTV, Network Nine, Network Ten and SBS. 
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  Christen O'Leary

  Christen O’Leary is a highly accomplished actor with an extensive string of theatre credits to her name having worked with major theatre companies around Australia. Christen recently performed with Queensland Theatre’s First Casualty. Also recent is the Sydney Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre’s production of Triple X. For La Boite Theatre Company, she has appeared in their production of An Ideal Husband, as well as Away, Blackrock, Medea and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has performed in many Queensland Theatre Company productions including Mouthpiece Antigone, Twelfth Night, Scenes From a Marriage, Much Ado About Nothing, Gloria, The Seagull, Bombshells, The Cherry Orchard, The Game of Love and Chance, The Marriage of Figaro, The Beaux Stratagem, Gilgamesh, The Threepenny Opera, The Woman Before and the premiere production of Wesley Enoch’s The Sunshine Club. Also with the Queensland Theatre Company but in conjunction with the Melbourne Theatre Company was the production of Ladies In Black. For the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and the Queensland Theatre Company, she performed in the highly acclaimed End of the Rainbow. Christen performed in Kay & McLean Productions’ Brisbane and Adelaide tour of North by Northwest. With the Melbourne Theatre Company, Christen was engaged in Ruby Moon, Don Juan in Soho, The Rover, Wednesday to Come, Cosi, Assassins, A Little Night Music, Company, Hinterland, Man in the Balloon, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Urinetown The Musical, The World’s Wife and the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Her work with the Sydney Theatre Company includes The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Urinetown The Musical and The Threepenny Opera. For the Malthouse Theatre, Christen has worked on Porn Cake, Goodbye Vaudeville Charlie Mudd and for Playbox, Ruby Moon, Tear From a Glass Eye and the Goldberg Variations. Over 2010 and 2011, Christen performed with The Production Company’s The Boy From Oz, receiving generous critical acclaim. 2014 she toured with HIT Productions in their one woman show Bombshells.  Christen was recently seen on the small screen in the second series of Tim Minchin’s Upright. Her work in other television series includes internationally acclaimed drama Wentworth, Neighbours, Rush, Blue Heelers and the mini-series Hoges, a story based on the life of Paul Hogan. Her work in film includes the Kriv Stenders directed feature film Australia Day, which debuted to critical acclaim at the 2017 Sydney Film Festival. Christen has won a Matilda Award for her role as ‘Judy Garland’ in End of the Rainbow for Queensland Performing Arts Centre as well as receiving a Helpmann Award nomination. She won a Helpmann Award for her performance in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and has been nominated for Goodbye Vaudeville Charlie Mudd and Urinetown The Musical. She has been nominated for seven Green Room Awards, winning twice for her work in A Little Night Music and Company.
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  Colin Smith

  Colin is a graduate of the Bachelor of Creative Industries (Drama) program at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and a two-decade-plus veteran of the Brisbane (Yuggera country) theatre scene. He was a Core Ensemble member with the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble between 2007 and 2019, performing with the company in numerous productions including Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare's Briefs or Let's Kill All The Lawyers, Metamorphoses, Food of Love: A Shakespeare Cabaret, As You Like It, Richard III, The Merchant of Venice, The Bomb-itty of Errors, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mary Stuart, The Tempest, Hamlet, and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. He was a Matilda Award winner in the Best Lead Male Actor category for his work in Queensland Theatre's An Octoroon (2017), and received nominations in the Best Supporting Male Actor category for his work in Queensland Theatre's The Odd Couple (2015), and in the Aruga Best Ensemble category for being a member of the five-actor team of Belloo Creative’s Boy, Lost (2022). He was also a finalist for Best Australian Actor at the 2023 AFIN International Film Festival for his work in the short film Trapped by Third In Line Productions. His other theatre credits include: Queensland Theatre - Black Diggers, Twelfth Night, Nearer The Gods, Our Town, The Sunshine Club, and As You Like It; La Boite Theatre Company - A Streetcar Named Desire, Romeo & Juliet, From Darkness, and Closer; Queensland Ballet - Vis-à-Vis: Moving Stories; Ensemble Theatre - Black Cockatoo; Elbow Room - What I’m Here For; THAT Production Company - Così; and Redcliffe Independent Theatre - Noises Off. He is a proud Australian Aboriginal of the Jagera people, and is a member of the MEAA's Equity Diversity Committee.
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  Anna McGahan

  Anna McGahan is a multi-talented performer on both stage and screen. On screen, Anna launched her career with a leading role in Underbelly: Razor, following it up with the series regular role of Lucy on the Nine Network’s, House Husbands (three seasons). After being nominated for two Logies for her role in Underbelly and winning the 2012 Heath Ledger Scholarship, Anna’s other lead TV roles include Anzac Girls, Spirited, two seasons of The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Glitch, Picnic at Hanging Rock, the NBC series Joe vs Carole, Troppo, Darby and Joan and the critically acclaimed ABC mini-series, In Our Blood. Anna’s lead feature film credits include, One More Shot (to be released 2024), Spirit of The Game, Project Eden and 100 Bloody Acres; for which Anna received a Best Actress nomination at the Australian Film Critics Association Awards. Anna’s distinguished theatre credits include, the lead roles of Anna in Closer and Portia in Julius Caesar, both for the La Boite Theatre Company, Connie in the Sydney Theatre Company production of The Effect, Charmian Clift in Queensland Theatre’s production of Hydra, and Clara in the world premiere of, Managing Carmen for the Queensland Theatre and Black Swan Theatre. Anna is also an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and novelist. Her debut novel, Immaculate was honored with the Australian Vogel’s Award (2023). It was also nominated for the 2024 MUD Prize, the Queensland Literary Awards ‘Queensland Book of the Year’ and is currently being developed for the screen by Hoodlum Productions.
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  Nadiah NfuZion

  Nadiah "NfuZion" is Australia’s first and only internationally recognised freelance dancer, educator and choreographer specialising in Dancehall, various styles from the African diaspora, and House, often working between Australia and Europe. Born in Naarm, Australia and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in a South African & Malaysian household, Nadiah relocated back to Australia in 2005 and began her professional career in Meanjin in 2008. Since 2015 she has taken her career beyond the Australian boarders to acquire, share and exchange knowledge globally. To date, Nadiah has shared her electrifying energy, captivating movement and creative vision on stages, theatres, festivals and studios, in over 30 countries world wide! In addition to being a movement artist, Nadiah is a creative entrepreneur having launched her own event production and talent management company, Nfuze Events, as well as a niche dance hub dedicated to African and Caribbean dance styles called Rhythm and Roots Movement. Nadiah is also an emerging DJ. Nadiah is a member of Paris based house and all styles crew, Paradox-sal; and Pantsula crew, Via Vyndal Pantsulas from Johannesburg. Nadiah is a passionate culture keeper and community leader constantly striving to inspire, empower, educate, elevate and foster collaborations. Her passion, generosity, and authenticity is palpable and shine through in every aspect of her profession. Some Career Highlights: • KOFFEE • MAJOR LAZER • Kanye West • Robin S • Christian Louboutin • YourShot QLD 2023 Runner up JBL Stage BRISBANE • Juste Debout 2017 Dancehall Winner PARIS • Red Bull Dance Your Style 2021 Winner BRISBANE • Red Bull Dance Your Style 2019 Finalist PARIS • SYTYCD Australia Season 4 Top 20 • Dancehall Queen of Australia 2008 • QUEEN BLOOD by Ousmane Sy & Paradoxsal • Boom Badda Dan 2017 Finalist KINGSTON • Ladies of Hip Hop Festival 2018 NYC • Dare to Dancehall by Laure Courtellemont & Ousmane Sy LA and PARIS • BLAZE The Show Australia Tour 2013
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  Alison Currie

  Alison Currie holds a Research Masters in Choreography and Performance from University of Roehampton, UK (2015) and a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance from Adelaide College of the Arts (2003). Alison's work forms connections between, audiences, performers, objects and locations in various ways. She has created works for theatres, galleries, site specific live performance and video, and often works collaboratively with sound, visual, media artists and other choreographers. Alison has been working as a choreographer since 2004. Her first major work ‘42a’ premiered at the Experimental Art Foundation in South Australia in 2008 and toured to three states of Australia in 2010. Alison currently shares practice with Ade Suharto which includes an iterative series of performance moments entitled ‘Maintain, Rest, Value’ (2023-ongoing), and has begun working on the second co-directed work with Alisdair Macindoe after the success of their work ‘Progress Report’ (2021/2023). In 2021, Alison premiered two new works - ‘Progress Report’, co-directed with Alisdair Macindoe at Vitalstatistix Kaurna Land South Australia, and ‘Somewhere, Everywhere, Nowhere’, co-directed with Yui Kawaguchi for OzAsia Festival. They were described respectively as “riveting dance theatre” by Dance Australia, and “powerful, haunting performance” by InDaily. In 2020, Alison was commissioned by Garry Stewart to create ‘Of All Things’, performed by and created with Australian Dance Theatre. She was also a finalist at the Keir Choreographic Awards 2020 with ‘De-Limit’, co-directed with David Cross with seasons at Dancehouse and Carriageworks. In recent years, she premiered ‘Creatures’ with The Human Arts Movement Adelaide City Council (outdoor performance) and at the Samstag Museum for Adelaide Dance Festival, ‘Close Company’ with Singapore's RAW Moves for OzAsia Festival 2018, and ‘Concrete Impermanence’ at Adelaide Festival Centre and two seasons in Melbourne (The Substation and Dancehouse for Dance Massive 2019). Other significant works by Alison include: ‘I Can Relate’ commissioned as part of 24 Frames Per Second by Carriageworks, Sydney (2015) and presented at Light Moves Festival Limerick, Ireland (2017) and with a live performance component at ACE open, Adelaide (2017). ‘Things Meeting Now’ co-created with Bridget Currie and performed at the Art Gallery of South Australia for Adelaide Festival (2017), Artbank Sydney and at Roehampton University London, ‘Drawing Machine’ created with designer Michael Hurley performed at Wimbledon Space, London (2015). Alison has mentored 18 early career artists sharing her extensive knowledge in choreography, concept development, collaboration and stagecraft. She has lectured at Adelaide College for the Arts TAFE SA/Flinders University. Alison is a National Committee Member of the Dancers Australia Union and was a board member of Dance Hub SA from 2019-2024. In April 2024, she was appointed as ADC's Pre-Professional Program Director.
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  Lisa Wilson

  Lisa Wilson is an award-winning dance artist with an international career as director, choreographer, producer, performer, educator and mentor. Her body of work moves across genres having created for theatre companies, opera, large-scale installation work, intermedia performances, circus, company commissions and full-length independent work.  Lisa’s choreographic credits range from critically acclaimed full-length independent works, to works for - The Australian Ballet Company, Sydney Dance Company, Queensland Ballet, Expressions Dance Company, Opera Queensland, Dance North, Queensland Theatre Company, The Place Theatre (UK), to name a few. Lisa’s work has been nominated and finalist multiple times across a range of critics’ choice awards, Australian Dance Awards, Helpmann Awards; and six-times nominated and winner at the Matilda Awards. Her work has toured nationally in Australia to critical acclaim and showcased at national performing arts markets. As a choreographer Lisa has been awarded numerous fellowships, grants and residencies both in Australia and internationally, including the prestigious Hephzibah Tintner Choreographic Fellowship. Lisa has also been a leading, professional contemporary dancer and in her early career collaborated and performed for prominent choreographers and companies throughout Australia and the United Kingdom, appearing in arts festivals and venues worldwide in Japan, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Singapore, China, Germany, Mexico, New Caledonia and the U.S.A.   As a leading figure in the Australian dance sector, Lisa has initiated programs such as Elevate, a pre-professional/emerging artist transition program, has been a sessional lecturer for over two decades at QUT Dance, a peer assessor for The Australia Council for the Arts, an original board member of The Supercell Festival of Contemporary Dance and board member of Ausdance Qld, providing dance expertise and representing the interests of dance artists at a governance level. In 2021 Lisa’s vision launched Studio1, a new Creative Arts Hub, which houses artists – events – community in a micro-arts precinct, in Meanjin/Brisbane’s inner South. Studio1 supports excellence alongside inclusivity and experimentation for dance and physical theatre. As a two-studio micro precinct, it engages and connects community and events, as part of a multi-use space.  www.lisawilson.com.au https://www.facebook.com/LisaWilsonProjects
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  Lilly King

  Originally from Boorloo/Perth, Lilly King studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, leaving in 2017 with a Bachelor in Dance (Elite Performance). As an independent, King has worked with a plethora of artists and  choreographers. Lilly was a founding dancer of Brooke Leeder & Dancers  and performed the works STRUCTURAL DEPENDENCY (2018 & 2021) and RADAR (2019). King was awarded the Best Newcomer (Dance) Award 2019 for her work in RADAR ( as well as Scott Elstermann & Shona Erskine's BANG! BANG!) in the Performing Arts Awards WA (PAAWA). Lilly was also a founding member of Syndicate Performance, co-creating shows Us, At the Moment (2018), The Kitchen Sync (2019) & SPEECH! (2020). King also performed in Mitch Harvey, Rob Tinning & Brooke Leeder’s In Good Company (2021), Stephanie Lake’s COLOSSUS (Perth Festival 2020), Sally Richardson’s MUSE (2020), Scott Ewen’s Wasps At War (2019), Scott Elsterman and Shone Erskine's BANG! BANG! (2019). In January 2022 King joined Australasian Dance Collective, debuting in a regional tour of triple bill THREE 1.0 by Melanie Lane, Jack Lister and Hofesh Shechter. Since joining ADC she has performed Maxine Doyle's Salamander (2023), Amy Hollingsworth's Lucie in Sky (2023), Jack Lister's Halcyon (2023) & Cass Mortimer-Eipper, Kate Harman & Gabrielle Nankivell's triple bill, THREE 2.0.
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  Tony Auckland

  Tony’s career in the arts industry has spanned many areas – actor, director, producer, teacher, agent. Initially studying acting under Hayes Gordon at the Ensemble Theatre, he then graduated from the NIDA production course.  His first job post NIDA was as production manager at La Boite Theatre in Brisbane.  Following this he worked in Sydney directing student productions at Ensemble and was a part of establishing a school’s touring Shakespeare company.  In 1988 he was invited back to Brisbane to take up the position of Director of La Boite’s Youth Theatre. In 1992 with his partner Jenni Kubler he established Kubler Auckland Management and since then has represented actors throughout Australia.
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  Michael Balk

  Michael Balk is an actor, producer, presenter and singer and current President of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). He has had extensive involvement in theatre, film and television with a large portion of the last decade focused on children’s entertainment. Michael was previously Associate Producer Programming with Nine Entertainment Co and appeared as senior actor in the network's children's programs SMASHHDOWN! and BrainBuzz. Michael is also known widely as scrapboy in the AFI & Emmy award-winning ABC kids show dirtgirlworld and Get Grubby TV. Previously, Michael was the Director of Entertainment at Australia Zoo and often works in advertising on television. A professional member of the Australian Academy of Cinema Television Arts, Michael been a proud member of MEAA since 2000 and during his time as QLD President of the National Performers Committee he served on the Animation Committee, Screen Committee, and Intimacy Guidelines Committee.

• Michelle Rae

  Michelle Rae commenced as Director of MEAA Equity in January 2021. Michelle has been MEAA’s Queensland director for 13 years during which time she has been intimately involved in MEAA’s key campaigns and negotiations across the Equity, Crew and Media sections of our union. Before joining MEAA, Michelle was an organiser and campaigner at the Australian Council of Trade Unions. When she joined MEAA she had found her home. Michelle is passionate about the Australian arts industry and has worked closely with Queensland performers and creatives throughout her time at MEAA.
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  Egan Sun-Bin

  Egan is a storyteller and an Equity Organiser for the Media Entertainment Arts Alliance. He is a 2020 QUT Acting Graduate and since then, has worked as an actor, director, writer and teaching artist. Most recently, Egan has just finished working on Scenes From A Yellow Peril which was part of Queensland Theatre’s Door3 Program and was associate director for Monkey Baa’s The Peasant Prince which is currently touring along the East Coast.