Karen Therese grew up in Mt Druitt in Western Sydney, her cultural heritage is Hungarian-Australian. She is an interdisciplinary artist, creative producer and cultural leader. Her practice is grounded in performance, political activism and community building with a particular focus on underground youth cultures.
In 2010 Karen was awarded the inaugural Cultural Leadership Grant by The Australia Council’s Theatre Board to investigate innovative curatorial practices across diverse cultures and art forms, with a vision to embed her practice within Western Sydney. Since then Karen has created and produced significant works for the region. As the recipient of the Creative Producer Fellowship from the Australia Council’s Community Partnerships Board she created ‘FUNPARK’, a large-scale site based event in Mt Druitt for the 2014 Sydney Festival. Karen also directed the youth led performance Mt Druitt Press Conference performed at ‘FUNPARK’ and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA).
In 2013 Karen became the Artistic Director of Powerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT) in Fairfield, developing a dynamic new arts program for the Western Sydney region.
Alongside this Karen is the current 2015 Studio Artist for Griffin Theatre and works independently as an artist and curator. She has worked extensively both nationally and internationally as an Artist and/or Creative Producer for companies such as PS122 (New York), The Centre of Performance Research (New York), The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Performance Space, Blacktown Arts Centre and PACT Theatre for Emerging Artists. She is a graduate of the Victoria College of the Arts (Animateuring) and holds a Masters by Research (Creative Arts) from Wollongong University and was the recipient of a Post Graduate scholarship.
Katy Green Loughrey is a producer and arts manager specialising in contemporary performing arts and culture. She has worked both independently and for several leading arts organisations including Sydney Opera House, Performing Lines, Blacktown Arts Centre, Creative Practice Lab, UNSW and PACT centre for emerging artists.
Most recently, as Program Producer for Sydney Opera House (SOH), Katy researched, developed and launched the new Artist and Sector Development program, focusing on the presentation and professional development of local Australian artists and small companies. Before this role, Katy worked as a producer in the SOH Talks and Ideas team, leading key industry development programs Culture Club and Satellite, as well as producing large-scale international seasons.
As an independent producer and curator, she founded freshly squeezed, a hotbed for experimental collaboration between the arts and non-arts industries, curated several events for the History Council of NSW and City of Sydney, and coordinated Performance in the Gallery, a 7-year long program with Hawkesbury Regional Gallery that facilitated performance training for people with disability.
Margie Breen is a theatre maker who has worked as a director, producer, dramaturge, Community Cultural Development artist, performer, teacher, and project manager in Australia, Singapore, Korea, South America, Qatar, Britain, Europe, and the United States. She has performed, facilitated and toured extensively with renowned physical and visual companies, Erth and Stalker Theatre. She has coordinated and managed national and International artists in multidisciplinary research projects with Performance Space and Critical Path. She was the first director of Milk Crate Theatre and has since been an associate artist, facilitating a women’s program, and a workshop in play reading and analysis. Margie is passionate about community engagement and working with people of all ages to develop connections through theatre and performance. She has directed performances and facilitated workshops with young people in the Central desert, for the Perth Festival in the Pilbara, in regional NSW and in the greater Sydney area.
Daisy Montalvo is a community artist from Mount Druitt who started her career in the Arts as a performer for the Mt Druitt Press Conference at the ‘FUNPARK’ Sydney Festival in 2012. After completing a Journalism degree in 2015, Daisy worked with Curiousworks to deliver film and art workshops for kids in her community and in Casula at the Way Out West festival for children. In 2017, she released a documentary called Broadening Horizons which follows four young girls from Bidwill on a six day hike in Tasmania. Recently in September 2018 she released Las Rosas, a six episode web-series which was shot and filmed across Liverpool, Casula and in her home in Mount Druitt. She is a passionate storyteller and film maker who believes in the importance of sharing and giving voice to the stories of young people in Western Sydney.
Vicki Middleton is an experienced arts manager who has worked in the performing arts industry for 20 years. In 1994 Vicki co-founded Frantic Assembly, which quickly established itself as one of the UK’s most critically acclaimed physical theatre companies. During her ten years with Frantic, Vicki produced and promoted all new work and special projects and produced Frantic’s works in over 30 countries throughout Europe, North & South America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. In 2004 at the age of 31, Vicki was featured in The Guardian newspaper as one of the UK’s top 9 producers. In 2004 Vicki moved to Sydney, taking up post as General Manager of Legs on the Wall, Australia’s leading physical theatre company before being appointed General Manager of Sydney’s much loved Belvoir Street Theatre in 2007. In 2009 Vicki establishing Middleton Arts, an Arts Management Consultancy service providing a broad range of arts focused expertise to Australia’s performing arts organisations. Middleton Arts specialises in international market development and touring, and solution based services from strategic business planning through to organisational reviews and audits. Clients have included Meryl Tankard, Australia Council, Sydney Theatre Company, Playwriting Australia, Force Majeure and Monkey Baa Theatre Company.