TNA Board

TNA’s Board is an Industry Board, primarily made up of representatives of arts organisations and independent artists. There are currently twelve members, drawn from across the country, who are governed by TNA’s Rules of Association

Kate Sulan

Chair

Kate Sulan is a performance maker, dramaturge and facilitator, specialising in collaboratively devised performance. Kate was the founding Artistic Director of Rawcus, an award-winning ensemble of performers with diverse minds, bodies and imaginations and led the company for 22 years (2000-2022). Kate is also a long-term collaborator with Back to Back. She has worked with the company as a co-devisor, dramaturge and director. Kate was one of the team of artists working on the multiyear Refuge project at Arts House. Refuge explored the role of artists and cultural institutions in times of climate catastrophe, bringing together emergency management, artists, the community and local, regional and international partners. She works as a lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts (Theatre).
Kate has an Advanced Diploma in Group Facilitation (Groupwork Centre) and is a trained mediator (Resolution Institute). She holds space and facilitates complex and challenging conversations with care and creativity.
Kate’s practice is relational and collaborative. Her work embraces complexity and diversity and is underpinned by the desire to fuel dreams, accumulate questions, slow down time, invite reflection, open possibilities and amplify connection.

Cassie McGannon

Deputy Chair

Cassie is an experienced policy and advocacy adviser. She has held policy and strategy roles at Social Ventures Australia; the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet; the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet; Grattan Institute; and as an adviser to a federal Cabinet Minister. She holds a Masters in Public Policy degree from Princeton University.

Lou Oppenheim

Treasurer

Lou is a highly experienced strategic leader with more than 18 years’ experience in the performing arts and is passionate about connecting artists with audiences through the power of live performance, community engagement and the development of the next generation of artists and arts workers. She is the Executive Director of Sydney Dance Company, with previous roles including Director of Production & Events at Sydney Opera House, Create Infrastructure Senior Manager (Create NSW), General Manager of Circus Oz and Director of Operations of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Caroline Bowditch

Caroline is currently CEO at Arts Access Victoria, and was previously living and working in the UK for 16 years. She is an international artist, teacher, and speaker, and has held roles such as Scottish Dance Theatre’s Dance Agent for Change, Associate Artist with Paragon Music (Glasgow), Dance4 (Nottingham) and Imaginate (Scotland), and was Visiting Professor at Coventry University.

Emily Coleman

Emily Coleman is a Bundjalung-Githabul multidisciplinary creative artist from a long line of storytellers. Her family is from the Bonalbo area of so-called New South Wales, and was raised in the Somerset Region (QLD) on the lands of the Dungidau people. Currently based in Canberra, Emily is the Associate Producer for Theatre Network Australia’s 2023 APAF. she is a QUT BFA (Drama) graduate and the former Artistic Director/Creative Producer of Digi Youth Arts (2019-2022). Emily has worked across a variety of roles including touring actor, writer, community engagement coordinator, theatre-maker, producer, youth engagement facilitator, and designer. She’s had the opportunity to work with renowned First Nations artists and arts practitioners across music, theatre, street art, film, dance and visual art. She has been part of the teams delivering sovereign projects and managing partnerships with Brisbane Festival, 989FM, BLAKSOUND, Inala Wangarra, ABC, QPAC, Spotify, triple j, 4ZZZ, Brisbane Street Art Festival, La Boite Theatre Company, Museum of Brisbane, Yonder Festival & Metro Arts. Notably, she worked throughout remote communities and Youth Detention Centres along the East Coast, and was awarded the Jessie Reid Dyce Memorial Prize for her contributions to community arts in Hunter Valley. Her practice has always and will always be guided by her community and passion for truth-telling.

Alex Desebrock

Alex Desebrock is an independent artist based Whadjuk Noongar land (Perth), Australia. Her work spans interactive theatre, live art, installations, online and public interventions. She is the lady behind Maybe ( ) Together and a founder of FLOCK.

Sue Giles AM

With over 40 years of experience in the arts industry, Sue was also the Artistic Director of Polyglot Theatre from 2000 - 2022. She is also currently both the Australian representative and President of ASSITEJ International – the global association of Theatre and Performance for Children and Young People – of which TNA is the Australian host and secretariat. In 2019 she was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Carin Mistry

Carin is the Executive Producer of Hobart based Mature Artists Dance Experience (MADE), and has an extensive background in the performing arts, film and television. After relocating from the UK she worked in a range of leadership, program and policy development roles for the Australia Council for the Arts from 1997 to 2015, including Director of Dance for seven years. Following this she was the Executive Director of Australian Plays - a national organisation providing essential services to playwrights and the Australian theatre industry.

Nithya Nagarajan

Nithya Nagarajan is a contemporary performance maker, curator and researcher. She is also an equity and justice advocate and has worked for meaningful change in the arts here, and across the Asia Pacific. Nithya currently forms 1/4th of the South Asian artist collective H-ME W-RK, serves as a board member at Theatre Network Australia and is working on a range of independent projects. Her show NAYIKA: A Dancing Girl has its global premiere at Belvoir St Theatre in April 2024.

Most recently, she was co-Artistic Director at Arts House and has previously held senior roles at Creative Australia, NIDA, and Leeds City Council. She holds an award-winning PhD in Performance Studies and lives between Australia and India, via Kuwait and the UK.

Anthony Peluso

Anthony Peluso is Chief Executive/Executive Director at Country Arts SA. Working in regional contexts has broadened his outlook and understanding of his place in community. He is dedicated to championing First Nations peoples’ rights and celebrating the diversity of regional communities. And is driven by the stories of regional South Australia to create experiences that can’t be made anywhere else in the world.

Tim Stitz

Tim is the Executive Producer and Co-CEO of Back to Back Theatre in Geelong. Previously he was Creative Director and CEO of Chamber Made from 2013–2018 and led the fundraising for the rebuild of La Mama Theatre, following the devastating fire in 2018. He has also worked at Arts Centre Melbourne and Creative Partnerships Australia.

Lachlan Tan

Lachlan is Director, Policy, Strategy and Governance with Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation. He has held executive and strategic advisory roles in the Victorian Public Service, leading policy design and implementation, and was previously a lawyer with Corrs Chambers Westgarth. He has also composed and performed music for theatre, having studied piano at the Melbourne Conservatorium.

Liesel Zink

Liesel Zink is an award-winning Independent choreographer of Ukrainian and German descent living in Meajin/Brisbane. Interested in the intersection of contemporary dance and community engagement she has developed and presented work around Australia, Asia and Eastern Europe using her artistic process as a means for artistic, cultural and intergenerational exchange. More broadly, Liesel is a dramaturge, facilitator, producer and advocate seeing her engage with a range of independent artists and organisations including Performing Lines, Force Majeure, Tasdance, LINK, Expressions Dance Company, M.A.D.E., Supercell, DRILL, Co3 Youth, and Stompin Youth.

Thank you

TNA acknowledges the vital contribution of former board members: Simon Abrahams (Co-founder & Chair 2010-2017), Görkem Acaroğlu, Sarah Austin (Co-founder), Maude Davey (Co-founder), Robyn Gawenda, Rose Godde (Co-founder), Ben Graetz, John Harvey, Andrea James, Catherine Jones, Lorraine Kambala (Observer), Harley Mann, Fiona Maxwell (Co-founder & Chair 2009-2010), Chris Mead, Erin Milne (Co-founder), Alice Nash (Co-founder & Deputy Chair 2009-2017), Veronica Pardo, Sam Routledge, Emily Sexton, Jill Smith (Chair 2018 - 2022), Brad Spolding, Zainab Syed, Chris Thompson (Co-founder), Ann Tonks, Annette Vieusseux, Lyn Wallis and Geoffrey Williams (Co-founder).

Our People