Staff

Executive Director
Katherine Connor

Projects Coordinator
Liz Newell

Board

Chair & Public Officer 
Helen O’Neil

Vice President
Simon Hinton

Treasurer
David Barrett

Board Member
Ian English

Board Member
Angela Flynn

Board Member
Kerri Glasscock

Board Member
Rachel Healy

Board Member
Louisa Norman

Board Member
Shayne Price

Board Member
Peter Ross

Board Member
Kris Stewart

Executive Director

Katherine Connor

Katherine Connor has worked as a performing arts presenter, a producer and an arts planning consultant in Australia for 20 years.

Katherine was previously a director at a venue management and consulting firm where she was also the venue manager at The Hills Centre for the Performing Arts (2002-2005) and a Project Director, delivering business plans, feasibility studies and projects briefs as well as establishing operations at several local government and privately managed venues across Australia.

Katherine has also sat on the management board of City Recital Hall Angel Place and the Hills Cooperative Limited, was a director of Theatre Services for seven years, an Associate Producer at Leader Entertainment and has managed Theatre One Productions and Management Services since 2012.

Katherine has undertaken a variety of producer roles either in a lead or co-producer capacity, working on productions including Leader of the Pack, The Boy From Oz, Hills for Hope, Smoky Dawson: A Life Remembered and CONNECTED.

She has also assisted several councils and arts organisations in securing project and operational funding for both arts facilities and touring work, and has conducted risk assessments on behalf of event and production companies including Douglas Fabian Productions and Chinese National Day (for the Sydney Opera House).

Katherine is Executive Director at Performing Arts Connections Australia, delivering the annual Australian Performing Arts Exchange.

Programs Manager

Lynda de Koning

Lynda has over twenty years’ experience in the arts sector across a wide variety of roles for producers, presenters and government organisations in the areas of arts policy, management, producing, programming and festival coordination.

Most recently, Lynda worked for Arts South Australia as Principal Special Projects and Policy Officer, supporting arts policy with a specific focus on the delivery of the Arts and Culture Plan South Australia 2019 – 2024.

As Program and Tour Coordinator for Patch Theatre Company for over five years, Lynda coordinated the company’s program, as well as brokered and managed Patch Theatre’s national tours, including Yo Diddle Diddle and Emily Loves to Bounce.

At the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust, as Program Executive Lynda produced their music program and as Programming Coordinator, Lynda focused on the delivery of the OzAsia Festival, including the OzAsia Festival Symposium from 2007 – 2009. Lynda has also held the roles of General Manager for Writers SA and Company Manager for Riverland Youth Theatre.

Projects Coordinator

Liz Newell

Liz is a playwright, theatre producer and production manager based in Perth, WA. Since 2012 she has held various roles in programming, logistics and production for Perth Festival, with stints coordinating the Contemporary Music and Writers Festival programs. She has been a Producer for Fringe World Festival and more recently worked as a Tour Manager for The Last Great Hunt, during which time she toured Canada, Japan, China, the UK and within Australia, and in her capacity as Producer she coordinated and delivered national and international tours. After working on the 2016 PAX & Conference in NSW, Liz returned in 2019 as Projects Coordinator.

In her independent theatre pursuits, Liz is an award-winning playwright and freelance producer, and has worked with artists including Fairbridge Folk Festival, Lab Kelpie, The Cutting Room Floor, The Kabuki Drop, Zoe Pepper, Andrea Gibbs and more. In 2016 Liz founded Maiden Voyage Theatre Company, with the purpose of creating opportunities for women in theatre, and is its Creative Director. The company’s work has been recognised with numerous awards, including the 2017 Blue Room Theatre Award for Best Production (Toast), and a nomination for the Fringe World Festival Martin Sims Award (Alone Outside).

Finance and Membership Services

Bronwyn Edinger

Bronwyn has 25 years’ experience in the management of the performing arts as a CEO and consultant, as well as experience in hospitality, marketing and research.

Her arts industry roles include founding General Manager of Perth Theatre Company, General Manager of Arts on Tour NSW, Director of Merrigong Theatre (IPAC), General Manager of Black Swan State Theatre Company, General Manager of City Recital Hall Angel Place, General Manager of Bell Shakespeare, Associate Director with Aegeus Executive Search and Director of Glen Street Theatre. Bronwyn has undertaken a range of arts industry roles, chairing a number of boards and state and federal government funding panels. She is a past president APACA and a recipient of the PAC Australia Touring Legend Award in 2016.

As well as working with PAC Australia, she is currently a board member of the Theatre Royal Hobart and consults through her business Independent Thinking.

Chair & Public Officer

Helen O’Neil 

Helen O’Neil is the Deputy Chair of the Cultural Facilities Corporation, an ACT Government enterprise which manages the Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra Museum and Art Gallery and ACT Historic Places. She is also Chair of South East Arts NSW, a regional arts development organisation. Helen has experience as an advocate, manager and policy adviser in the cultural sector and recently retired as Director of the British Council Australia. Her other roles have included Executive Director of the Australian Major Performing Arts Group, and of the Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Senior Advisor to the Minister for the Arts, a Director of Craft ACT and Chair of the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals.

Vice President

Simon Hinton

Simon Hinton has been Artistic Director / CEO of Merrigong Theatre Company since 2005, managing the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre and the Wollongong Town Hall. He has worked in a range of arts industry positions over the last 20 years, including as Marketing Manager of Queensland Theatre Company and Executive Officer of Ausdance (NSW). He has served on numerous industry boards and committees, currently including the Helpmann Awards Regional Touring (Chair), Industry and Children’s Presentation Panels, the Ausdance National Board and the Create NSW Theatre Board. Under his leadership, Merrigong has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most successful regional companies – producing, presenting and touring exciting contemporary theatre.

Treasurer

David Barrett 

David Barrett (South Australia) is currently with the City of Gawler in South Australia as the Manager of Business Enterprise and Communication. Previously he was the Unit Manager, Cultural Facilities for the City of Marion, encompassing management of Council’s commercial leases and (most importantly) the Marion Cultural Centre. The Centre comprises of a theatre, meeting rooms, art gallery, café, outdoor plaza and library. Prior to working at Marion, David was Advisor, Performing Arts for the City of Tea Tree Gully where he managed the Golden Grove Arts Centre. David has worked professionally within the performing arts and outdoor events industries since 2001 as General Manager Entertainment for the 20th Australian Jamboree, Theatre Technician for the Shedley Theatre and Technical Assistant for Apollo Lighting. His involvement in South Australia’s amateur theatre scene stretches back to 1989 with many appearances in front of and behind the curtain.

David’s formal training is Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice and Bachelor of Commerce, but it didn’t take long for him to see the light and pursue a career in an area that he is passionate about – performing arts.

David was also a Chair of the South Australian Presenters Association (SAPA), the state-based presenter association, a presenter representative on the PATA Council and Treasurer of Out of the Square Inc, a network of suburban performing arts centres that plan, package, programme and present the best possible arts and entertainment to audiences outside Adelaide’s CBD.

Board Member

Ian English

Ian has had some 25 plus years associated with the industry, across Australia, Asia, UK and Europe and, to a lesser degree the US, having lived and worked in Australia, Hong Kong and the UK. While predominantly as a technology supplier, he has also spent considerable time as a speaker and consultant across all of these regions.

From first entering the sector, as a complete novice to what was a very different environment to today, he has grown with and helped lead various regions, areas and verticals to positive outcomes, success and growth. He is now consulting with various supplier partners as well as state, national and, to a lesser degree, international associations. Separate to his “day” job, he has also been engaged in mentoring both “up and comers” and those needing/seeking guidance and support, for most of his business life.

This has been staff, friends of friends, business associates and introduced contacts. He is a long term member of ILM (Institute of Leaders and Managers), VMA (Venue Management Association) and was honored with a Lifetime Honorary Membership of PACA in 2018.

Board Member

Angela Flynn

Current Director of Kukuni Arts, and Principal Project Manager, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Strategy at Arts SA, with 15 years of experience in the arts and culture sector. A creative producer and arts worker with a primary focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts practice within both visual and performing arts. Experienced across multiple contexts including: Indigenous and non-Indigenous festivals, state arts institutions, peak arts funding bodies, national and international arts markets, multi-artform and experimental art genres, and community engaged arts praxis.

Board Member

Kerri Glasscock

Kerri Glasscock is the founding co-director of artist run company 505 which own the legendary live music club Venue 505 in Surry Hills, and award winning Old 505 Theatre in Newtown. Beyond the walls of 505 Kerri Glasscock has worked in various roles in the Sydney arts scene as performer, director and theatre practitioner. In 2013 she was appointed as CEO & Festival Director of the Sydney Fringe Festival with a tenure till 2021. Under her stewardship the festival has grown from a small community event to the largest independent arts festival in NSW, presenting the work of over 2000 artists across 25 postcode areas of Sydney each year.

A vocal advocate for the Independent sector she has contributed to a number of key action plans and resulting policy reforms including the Committee for Sydney’s- Sydney a 24 Hour City Report the City of Sydney’s Live Music and Performance Action Plan, Inner West Council’s Off Broadway Plan. In her role at Sydney Fringe Festival she works extensively leading the way in temporary re-adaptive use of space for performance that has resulted in the 2018 report: An Anthology of Space: Activating Unused and Under-utilised Space for the Performing and Creative Industries of NSW.

She is currently a member of the NSW State Government’s 24 Hour Economy Strategy Industry Advisory Group,  a Co-Chair of the City of Sydney’s Cultural Sector Advisory Committee, is a founding Board Member of the Night Time Industries Association and sits on the Multi Arts and Festival Art Form Board for the State Government of NSW. She served as a Director of the City Recital Hall Board from 2015-2019 and was included in the Sydney Morning Herald Sydney Magazine’s annual 100 Most Influential and Inspiring People List in 2011.

Board Member

Rachel Healy 

Rachel Healy has been working in executive positions in the arts and cultural sector in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney for nearly thirty years including as Director of Performing Arts for Sydney Opera House, General Manager of Belvoir Street Theatre and roles at the State Theatre Company of South Australia, Handspan Theatre and The Australian Ballet. More recently she was Executive Manager, Culture for the City of Sydney, where she was responsible for developing the City’s first cultural policy and its live music and performance action plan.

She has also worked as a cultural industries consultant and producer and has held governance roles on the boards of many cultural organisations and government agencies including the Sydney Opera House Trust, Live Performance Australia, Arts on Tour, Legs on the Wall, Arts NSW, Sydney Writers’ Festival, Hothouse Theatre, the Industry Advisory Board at the University of Technology Sydney’s Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building. She served as Deputy Chair of the Theatre Board of the Australia Council and been a member of the Major Performing Arts Panel of the Australia Council since June 2014.

In 2015, Rachel and director Neil Armfield were appointed Joint Artistic Directors of the Adelaide Festival for 2017, 2018 and 2019. In October 2017, their terms were extended to include the 2020 and 2021 Adelaide Festivals.

Board Member

Louisa Norman

Louisa has worked as a theatre producer and programmer for the past 15 years in a wide range of contexts from London’s West End to women’s prisons. Since 2013 she has worked for Country Arts South Australia producing and programming across a variety of regional communities and art forms statewide. Since 2015 she has been a Helpmann Awards panel member. Prior to relocating to Australia, Louisa worked as a producer in the UK for some of the UK’s leading theatre companies and venues including Headlong Theatre, Clean Break and Soho Theatre in London. Between 2007-10 she worked as General Manager at Clean Break theatre company producing shows at Soho Theatre, Arcola Theatre, London International Festival of Theatre & in women’s prisons in UK. In 2009 she was a recipient of the Rupert Rhymes Bursary which she used to tour a new Palestinian play to refugee camps in the West Bank. Between 2005-7 she worked for Ladder to the Moon producing pioneering interactive theatre residencies in hospitals & care homes in London. From 2007- 12 Louisa ran Stellar Network, connecting professionals in theatre, film and tv industries into cross platform projects.

She recently completed a Masters in Cultural Leadership at NIDA. She has been a member of the Helpmann Regional touring panel since 2015 and is currently an ISPA fellow.

She is passionate that the arts offer a powerful tool for social change.

Board Member

Shayne Price

Shayne Price is the Manager of Arts and Cultural Services for the City of Whitehorse. He commenced with the City as the Coordinator of the Whitehorse Performing Arts Centre and responsible for season programming and venue management. Shayne has played a key role in the feasibility and business planning for the redevelopment of its performing arts centre. In addition to performing arts Shayne’s portfolio extends into festivals, art collection, community art and heritage services. Shayne has been on the Executive Committee of the Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centre (VAPAC) since 2011.

Board Member

Peter Ross

Peter is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (1997). He has worked professionally in the entertainment industry since 1987 as a producer, director and actor.

He is currently employed by Tamworth Regional Council, initially as the Theatre Director of the Capitol Theatre Tamworth (2009 to 2012) and then as the Manager of Entertainment Venues, which programs and manages the Capitol Theatre Tamworth, Tamworth War Memorial Town Hall, Tamworth Regional Entertainment Conference Centre and Tamworth Community Centre. Peter is the Executive Producer and Director of the Golden Guitar Awards.

Peter is Chair of the Board for the Tamworth Regional Conservatorium of Music and is on the boards of NAPACA (NSW & ACT Performing Arts Centres Association ) and Arts North West. He was on the board of Arts On Tour for 8 years up until April 2020.

Board Member

Kris Stewart

Kris is the Artistic Director of Brisbane Powerhouse and is the founding director of events such as the New York Musical Theatre Festival, The Sydney Fringe Festival, Curiocity Brisbane, the Festival of Voices and New Musicals Australia. At Brisbane Powerhouse, Kris founded the Queensland Cabaret Festival, Wonderland Festival, IRL Digital Festival and MELT Queer Culture Festival and headed a number of key events, including the Brisbane Comedy Festival, the Australian Performing Arts Market, and the World Theatre Festival.

Brisbane Powerhouse is a centre for contemporary culture on the Brisbane River that presents a year-round program of music, comedy, theatre and music theatre, writers + ideas, dance, film, digital and visual arts. Over 680,000 people attended our venue in 2019, with more than 1100 performances of 352 shows being presented.