PERFORMING ARTS INDUSTRY DAY

THURSDAY 29 OCTOBER, 2020 1:00PM - 3:30PM MINOR WORKS BUILDING

INDUSTRY LEADER BIOS

Chris Drummond, Artistic Director, Brink Productions Chris Drummond is Artistic Director of Brink Productions. His productions have been presented by most major theatre companies in Australia. Credits include Memorial, Ancient Rain, Long Tan, , The Aspirations of Daise Morrow, Thursday, Land & Sea, Skip Miller’s Hit Songs, Harbinger, The Hypochondriac, When the Rain Stops Falling, Beetle Graduation, The Clockwork Forest, This Uncharted Hour and Drums in the Night. Chris’ production of When the Rain Stops Falling won multiple awards including 2010 ACT Green Room Award – Production; 2009 Sydney Theatre Awards: Best New Australian Work; 2009 Victorian Green Room Awards (Production, Set Design, Lighting Design, New Writing for Stage); and 2008 Ruby Award (Best Work). Chris was Associate Director at the State Theatre Company of South Australia between 2000 and 2004 and his credits include Babyteeth, Art, The Dying Gaul, The Merchant of Venice, drowning in my ocean of You and Night Letters. Other directing credits include The Flying Dutchman for the State Opera Company of South Australia (Helpmann Award nomination for best direction) and a devised work entitled The Dissolving Self for NIDA in association with Brink and Carriageworks.

Rosemary Myers, Artistic Director, Windmill Theatre Under Rose’s leadership as Artistic Director, Windmill creates and presents work inspired by the vibrancy, sophistication and inventiveness of young people and the exhilarating challenges they pose to creating theatre of relevance in this modern time.

Rose is a multi-Helpmann Award nominated director, her productions regularly visit leading stages and festivals around Australia and the world, including the Sydney Opera House, Hong Kong’s Arts and Leisure Centre and New York’s New Victory Theatre. Her directing credits for Windmill include Rumpelstiltskin, Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, Fugitive, School Dance, Big Bad Wolf and Girl Asleep.

Prior to Windmill, Rosemary was the Artistic Director of Arena Theatre Company and Artistic Director of Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Out of the Box Festival in 2010. In 2015, she directed her first feature filmGirl Asleep with Windmill Theatre Co, and in 2017 she was awarded the prestigious Australia Council Theatre Award. Angela Heesom & Louise Heesom-Smith, Casting Directors, Heesom Casting Louise Heesom-Smith Casting runs in the blood, especially if your name ends in Heesom. Together Angela and Louise, run South Australia’s leading casting consultancy Heesom Casting, responsible for casting the vast majority of tv commercials and feature films shot in South Australia. Credits include, Wolf Creek, AFI Award Winning Look Both Ways, Beautiful Kate starring Natalie Imbruglia and the soon to be released Aussie blockbuster, Swerve.

Before returning to the family business in 2009, Louise spent five years abroad in London working with tv giant CBS in their Creative Solutions Advertising team before making the move to production managing photo shoots across Europe.

Angela Heesom Joining us from her studios at the South Australian Film Corporation is Casting Guru, Angela Heesom.

With over 30 years experience, the former producer now multi award winning Casting Director has established herself as a prominent figure of Australian Film, having already cast hundreds of commercials to date.

As well as being a government appointed Arts Mentor, Angela is also a National Lecturer of Film and runs a range of highly specialised screen-acting courses at the South Australian Film Corporation.

Andy Packer, Artistic Director, Slingsby Theatre Andy is a director of theatre, music theatre and opera. He has also worked as creative producer of multidisciplinary arts programs, producer of large-scale events, and festival director. In 2007 Andy co-founded Adelaide based theatre company Slingsby. The company’s productions have received 16 industry awards and toured to more than 100 theatres in over 70 cities and towns across 12 countries.

Andy is renowned for creating original live performance moments that are emotionally powerful and visually bold. His work across theatre for young audiences, opera, cabaret, music theatre and symphonic concerts has pushed him to develop a distinctive theatrical form that is at once personal and epic.

Andy has directed productions, concerts and events for Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, State Opera of South Australia, State Theatre Company of South Australia, of Arts, Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide Chamber Singers, Australian String Quartet, Windmill Theatre, Restless Dance, Tutti Ensemble, Rundle Mall Management Authority and the International Astronautical Federation. In 2019 Andy was Show Director for the World of WearableArt Awards Show in Wellington, New Zealand.

Andy was Creative Producer of Programming at Carclew Youth Arts 2003-2006, Creative Producer of Family Events for Adelaide Fringe Festival 2007-2008 and Creative Director of Come Out Festival 2011.

Andy is a Board Member of International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) based in Philadelphia, USA.