OUR TEAM

CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

FRANKIE SNOWDON

Originally from Alice Springs, Frankie is a Victorian College of the Arts alumnae (2008). Her practice as a dance artist spans performance, choreography, teaching, community based work and large scale dance projects. As a dancer, Frankie has worked for companies and choreographers including Gideon Obarzanek/Chunky Move, Brooke Stamp, Martin Del Amo, Adam Wheeler, Opera Australia/Kate Champion and Sara Black. Independently, Frankie has choreographed and performed for Lucy Guerin Inc., Next Wave Festival/Nat Cursio Co., Le Scratch and Harvest Music Festival, as well as choreographing, performing and producing 3 Independent works from 2009 to 2014 with Melbourne based collective 2NDTOE.

In 2015, Frankie received an Ian Potter Grant and spent 18 months creating, presenting and collaborating on projects in Europe including guest teaching at Dancebase in Edinburgh and helping to facilitate the ConVERGE residency program at Ponderosa in Germany – this period culminated in her refocusing her practice back in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. Frankie has a large involvement in teaching and dance development, most notably founding the Alice Can Dance (2012 – present) performance education program which engages over 200 young people from Central Australian public schools in a development and performance outcome each year. Frankie is an alumnus of the 2017 Australia Council Future Leaders Program and former Chairperson of the Watch This Space ARI Board (Alice Springs). Since returning to Central Australia, Frankie and long time artistic partner Madeleine Krenek have created and presented two full-length works The Perception Experiment (2017) and The Lost Dance Project (2018) and one short work DANCE (a short homage) (2020), alongside teams of national collaborators.

Frankie believes fiercely in dance and all art as a vehicle for social and political commentary and change, as well as a platform for celebrating and empowering all people.

MADELEINE KRENEK

Madeleine Krenek is a 2009 VCA alumna who has worked in Australia with companies Chunky Move, Tasdance, Not Yet It’s Difficult – David Pledger, Opera Australia with Neil Armfield and Kate Champion, One Step At A Time Like This with Stephanie Lake and Supple Fox. She has also worked for independent Australian based choreographers Jo Lloyd, Russell Dumas, Carlee Mellow, Shelley Lasica, Sara Black, Rebecca Jensen and Sarah Aiken. Internationally Madeleine has worked for Chicago based company Lucky Plush Productions under the direction of Julia Rhoads, Canadian choreographer Michael Monataro (Cirque du Soleil, Topological Media Lab), and New Zealand choreographers Julia Harvie, Julia McKerrow, Fleur de Thier and Megan Platt. She was nominated for a Greenroom Award for her work in the ensemble of Jo Lloyd’s Future Perfect, was named Dancer to Watch in Dance Australia’s Critics Survey 2013 and has received an Ian Potter Cultural Trust Grant.

Madeleine’s choreographic credits include full length works The Perception Experiment and The Lost Dance Project, and short work DANCE (a short homage) alongside Frankie Snowdon; ‘Family’, ‘Something Blew’ and ‘Alice Can Dance’ 2012-2018 with 2NDTOE, and ‘About Being One’ presented by The Body Festival (NZ). Madeleine has also received an extensive choreographic commission through Movement Art Practice in New Zealand and many smaller commissions to create works in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

Madeleine maintains a rigorous teaching practice and has taught dance and improvisation at many tertiary training institutions in Melbourne, in regional and remote communities in the Central Desert and East Arnhem Land, and most notably is a founding and current member of the Alice Can Dance initiative, a dance education and development program which expands throughout Alice Springs and surrounding communities. She has also guest tutored for overseas institutions including The University of Chicago, Visceral Dance Center (Chicago) and Movement Art Practice in New Zealand. She has also travelled extensively overseas throughout Europe, the UK, North America and New Zealand to develop her professional practice through creative developments, choreographic residencies, workshop and classes.

OTHER STAFF

  • Ashleigh Musk (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, dramaturg and community arts facilitator based on unceded Arrernte Country (Mparntwe/Alice Springs) in the Northern Territory (Australia).

    Ashleigh has performed and toured with artists and companies including Marrugeku, GUTS Dance, Jenni Large, Liesel Zink, Daniele Constance, STOMPIN, Jamaal Burkmaar, Denada Dance Theatre and Tami Dance Company. She recently collaborated with Daniele Constance to create the large-scale community work ‘Looks Like a Tourist’, premiering at Horizon Festival (Gubbi Gubbi Country) in 2022.

    Her work ‘Fertile Ground’, co-created with Michael Smith, premiered at Metro Arts in May 2021 before touring to SPRING.LOADED.DANCE (Mparntwe, NT) and MONA FOMA 2022 (lutruwita, in collaboration with STOMPIN). Through the Sunshine Coast Council’s Place to Play program she created ‘Beats x Caloundra’ a site responsive participatory work presented at the Caloundra Regional Gallery. She presented From Infancy (supported by Red Hot Arts Central Australia and Arts NT) at the 2022 Desert Festival in Mparntwe. She currently developing SUB (in partnership with GUTS Dance, Darwin Festival and Tasdance).

    She was the co-founder of AGITART (Figueres, Spain), an an annual international dance festival - Figueres es mou, audience engagement projects, a touring dance company, theatre programming and collaborations with international partners.

    Ashleigh has a long history working with young people, using dance as a tool for expression, confidence and creativity. From 2013-2018 she was a facilitator for COSMOU and CONARTE (Catalunya, Spain), leading movement workshops and creating multidisciplinary performances with young people. She has been a choreographic collaborator for ‘Alice Can Dance’ with GUTS Dance since 2018, creating large-scale contemporary dance works with over 250 young people in Mparntwe. She has also worked in remote communities as part of Artists on Tour with Artback NT since 2019.

    She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance Performance) (QUT) as well as a Postgraduate Diploma of Contemporary Dance from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (UK) and a Postgraduate in Production and Cultural Event Management from the University of Barcelona (Spain).

  • Toni Lord (she/her) is a proud Arrernte/Yankunytjatjara woman from Central Australia, who has had a passion for dance and the performing arts from a young age.

    Toni Attended NAISDA Dance College in 2012, beginning a journey into the world of dance where she elevated her abilities as an artist, and had opportunities to perform in College dance works throughout her studies. During her time with NAISDA Dance College Toni was also honoured to be involved within Cultural Residencies on Elcho Island, Galiwinku and MUA Island, Torres Strait where she was embraced into the community traditions learning culture, songs and dances. Toni also took part in teaching opportunities with Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Rekindling Youth Program, and Indigenous youth in Campbell Town, NSW.

    In 2017 Toni returned to Alice Springs, Central Australia taking up an offer to be a Youth Mentor, Dance Co-ordinator and Choreographer with the Yapa Styles Fashion, Alcohol and Other Drugs Preventative Program. At Yapa Style’s, Toni built upon her experience not only as a choreographer, creating performance pieces for the program, but as a dance teacher working with youth teaching dance technique while encouraging their development as future performing artists. Toni has worked with GUTS since 2020 as a choreographer on Alice Can Dance, and developing and facilitating the Brave Bodies Program. In 2022, Toni choreographed her first 20 minute work Kwatye, which premiered as part of Parrtjima Festival.

    Toni’s dream moving forward is to continue to develop herself as an artist, dancer and choreographer, embracing her heritage and belief as an Aboriginal woman - “we were dancers from the very beginning; we danced in the stars, now we dance on land sharing culture and stories”, and continue her love for working with all youth/members of the Alice Springs Community inspiring them to understand their bodies as artistic instruments, and their ability to come together through the fun of dance.

BOARD

  • Lilly Alexander was born and grew up in Mparntwe Alice Springs before moving to Melbourne to complete her tertiary studies. At Monash University she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Australian Indigenous Studies & Anthropology) and completed Honours (Australian Indigenous Studies) where she received First Class for her thesis Under the Town: Contesting Place in Mparntwe Alice Springs. Lilly returned to Mparntwe in 2018 to take on her current role as Community Development Manager for Children's Ground, a local change organisation led by Arrernte people. Although in the early stages of her career, Lilly has also worked across investment and communications in the non-profit sector. Lilly sees both her work with Children's Ground and as Chairperson of GUTS as an opportunity to strengthen the social and creative fabric of Mparntwe Alice Springs, and safeguard it as a creative, inspiring and nurturing community for all people in Central Australia.

  • Susan Congreve has worked with many arts organisations over the past 21 years, in leadership roles as a manager and consultant and maintains a strong commitment to community development. She has a fine arts background and started her career as an art centre manager at Warlukurlangu Artists in Yuendumu in the mid-1990s. In 1999, she moved to Darwin and coordinated the Telstra Aboriginal Art Awards in her role as Assistant Curator of Aboriginal Art at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. A year later she was appointed as the Manager of ANKAAA, the Association of Arnhem, Northern and Kimberley Aboriginal Artists.

    Since 2003, Susan has worked closely with arts organisations and peak agencies developing business and strategic plans as well as conducting several key reviews. In recent years she has been the Manager of Tracks Dance Company and completed her PhD as part of the CRC-REP - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Economies project. Susan is well known as an advocate for the arts and recognises the importance of art and culture in communities and their far-reaching impact on health, wellbeing and local economies.

  • Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts is a practicing visual artist and arts worker based in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. She has a passion for art and its importance in the development of social and cultural change. Zoya has varied experience in the workforce, nationally and internationally, where her first four years in Central Australia were spent as the Director of Watch This Space ARI. Now she is a freelance arts worker, practicing visual artist and has a small slow-fashion label, god of roger.

    With a practice based in drawing, Zoya primarily works in areas of painting, printmaking, soft sculpture and installation. Underpinning her work is a concern with emotion and its capacity to facilitate introspection and change. Informed by personal and collective experiences and an intersectional feminist framework, she confronts issues surrounding social oppression and mental health, hoping to create intimate anti-patriarchal acts that stimulate contemplation and reflection within both the viewer and herself. Recent career highlights include solo exhibitions 'Caving in' at Sawtooth ARI and 'Building Walls' at Watch This Space; 'The Attempts' intensive collaboration and performance at 2019 Hobiennale; touching review, 'A Kind Revolt', of 'Building Walls' exhibition by Dan M. Procházka; 'Speachless group' exhibition at Rubicon ARI; and collaborations with GUTS Dance and The Samaya Wives in Mparntwe/Alice.

  • See bio in CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR above

  • Aakanksha Sidhu is an artist manager, writer, and designer with work spanning across multiple cities and countries in Australia and South Asia. Entrepreneurially spirited, Aakanksha has experience across cultural and creative industry projects within music, theatre, fashion, cultural policy and audience development. Aakanksha currently works as Manager of Operations and Logistics at Australia’s leading arts and culture think tank A New Approach (ANA) while developing an artist service – Daalee, a holistic and flexible management practice for creative and artistic decision-making. Aakanksha also volunteers her time to the MusicACT committee. Living and studying in multiple regions across India, South East Asia, West Asia, Europe, and now a foothold in Australia, Aakanksha holds a unique global perspective which has cultivated her interest in independent artistry, cultural management, design thinking and permanent forms of equity.

  • See bio in CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR above

  • Laura Harris has diverse experience developing and managing social equity-focused programs, traversing the arts, community, government, impact investment, and social innovation spaces.

    She is passionate about working collaboratively and placing community at the centre of decision making. Laura also specialises in gender equality and social impact analysis, strategy, training, and facilitation.

    Laura has completed the AICD Not-For-Profit Governance Fundamentals training and was previously an advisor to the board of Nightingale Housing.

    Laura grew up on Dharug Country and now lives on Wurundjeri Country, where she leads ILBIJERRI’s Social Impact program, producing performances with and for community, and supporting First Nation’s artists to bring their creative vision to life.

    She also has a woodworking practice making furniture from recycled and reclaimed timber.

  • We've also welcomed Mparntwe local Sunder Madabushi to the board. Sunder is a  professional accountant (CPA) with over 25 years of international experience in Finance, Accounting and Auditing. His professional experience encompasses a wire variety of Industries Including Statutory Corporate Audits of Large Public Limited Companies (Pricewater House Coopers), Tax Audits, CFO of  internationally funded start-up MicroFinance Initiative (India), Telecommunications Sector (New York, USA) and over 15 years as CFO in the not-for-profit sectors in India and Australia. In 2017 Sunder decided to become a stay at home dad and to start a small home-based Bicycle Mechanic Service Enterprise in line with his love for all things cycling. He is also currently a volunteer Snake / Reptile relocater volunteering with the Alice Springs Reptile Center.

PAST STAFF

  • Mary Jane “MJ” Warfield is an arts management professional who lives and works on Arrernte Country in Mparntwe/ Alice Springs. Armed with training in dance and theatre at Rusden (Deakin University), MJ started her arts management career in 2007 and has since worked across Local Government, arts organisations, not-for-profit organisations and community groups. Her work has primarily been focused on working with communities to develop and deliver arts programs and events. These have spanned all art forms and structures, from film festivals to exhibitions, school holiday arts workshop programs to outdoor improvised community dance projects. She directed Warburton Harmony Festival in 2012 and Alice Desert Festival 2013-2015.

    Since 2015 she has been working for Regional Arts Australia managing the Regional Arts Fund and overseeing the delivery of this program at national level. She has an interest in seeing arts organisations thrive and, to this end, has completed Governance training with the Institute of Community Directors. MJ is the Chair of Incite Arts. In 2019 she started working with GUTS Dance Central Australia, assisting to set up this new contemporary dance company.

PAST BOARD MEMBERS

  • Sally Scales is a Pitjantjatjara woman from Pipalyatjara in the far west of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in remote South Australia. She was elected as Chairperson of the APY Executive Board Council in 2019 and was the second women to hold the position. Sally has worked with the APY Art Centre Collective until 2021 in cultural liaison, elder support and spokesperson roles.

    Sally is part of the youth leadership team for the Uluru Statement reform, having been involved in the Referendum Council's Constitution regional dialogues in Ross River, Adelaide and the national convention in Uluru in 2017. Since then Sally has been involved with the Uluru Dialogue leadership. Sally is an independent elected board member of the Australian Childrens Television Foundation and a board member on the Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board.

  • Angela O’Donnell holds a Masters in Arts Administration and is a Churchill Fellow.

    Her work history spans Education, Media, Performing Arts Producing and Touring and Arts management. She has worked in a variety of contexts and locations including Government, not for profits, institutions and independent practice in very remote, regional, national and international settings. She has a fierce commitment to the Northern Territory and the development of the Arts and Cultural sector.

    Angela is currently the Executive Officer for the Creative Industries Steering Committee at the Chamber of Commerce NT, leading and developing the NT's first Creative Industries Strategy.

  • Alex Kelly is an artist, filmmaker and organiser based on Dja Dja Wurrung Country. With decades of experience across film, theatre, communications strategy and troublemaking, Alex has developed a deeply collaborative practice that purposefully connects the disciplines of art and social change.

    As director and producer, Alex has worked on award-winning documentaries including Queen of the Desert, Island of the Hungry Ghosts, and In My Blood it Runs. Based for many years in Mparntwe, Alex worked as creative producer on Ngapartji Ngapartji and co-founded the Something Somewhere film festival. With direct action experience including blockade camps at Jabiluka and autonomous zone organising at la zad in France, Alex brings the tools of grassroots organising and independent media to creative practice. Alex has engaged in global action for climate justice at all levels, including as the Global Impact & Distribution Producer on Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything project.

    In 2013, Alex was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to research documentaries and their social impact in the UK, Canada and the USA; Alex has been further supported by a Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship in 2016 and a Bertha Challenge Fellowship in 2020.

    Alex’s artistic focus is The Things We Did Next, a long-term, multi-platform futuring practice, a hybrid of theatre, imagination and democracy co-created with David Pledger from not yet it’s difficult. Alex is a founding member of social impact film company The Unquiet Collective.

  • Libby Collins is currently a Producer with GARUWA. She has a strong national profile, working in production, marketing, communications and community engagement across the country for more than a decade.

    Libby’s credits reflect a diverse body of work from feature film to TV documentaries. Her most recent works include roles with Channel 10 and NITV collaboration ‘First Inventors’, due to be released in 2023. Libby also worked as a Production Manager (Tiwi Islands) on feature film Top End Wedding.

    After a decade in New South Wales where she fulfilled a national facing community engagement role with Bangarra, Libby returned to the Northern Territory, working with Aboriginal health leaders to get clear messaging into communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her connection to community and culture drives the work she does and through her personal life.

    She is passionate about creating opportunities that advance First Nations people and communities to bring about change.

  • Georgie Sutton (she/her) has been living and learning on Western Aranda and Arrernte Country since 2016. She has worked in various educational roles with young people in Ntaria and Mparntwe, as well as working in policy and advocacy. She met and fell in love with her artist wife while teaching in Mparntwe and enjoys moving and creating, especially with her young son. Georgie is invested in supporting the Arts in Mparntwe as she has experienced the empowering impact it has on the lives of young people and she hopes that her son will one day be able to enjoy a vibrant and dynamic arts community.

  • Joanna Byrne holds a Bachelor of Fine Art with a major in Time Based Art from the College of Art and Design in Sydney (University of New South Wales). This led to her first job as a studio manager at a remote Art Centre on the APY Lands in central Australia. Since then, she has spent ten years working in the Aboriginal Arts sector in central Australia, managing several remote and regional Art Centres. Jo’s experience as an Art centre manager has given her an intimate knowledge of the way arts organisations (both government and non government) in Central Australia work. She has also gained extensive experience growing grass-roots arts organisations in a Central Australian context. Since 2021, Jo has held the position of Operations Manager for the APY Art Centre Collective, based in Adelaide.

    Most crucially, what underpins Jo’s work is being able to identify and nurture artistic talent, facilitating artistic and cultural expression as a way to strengthen community, and to socially and economically empower people.

  • Erin Chew was born in Malaysia and moved with her family to Western Australia to complete her secondary education, before going on to study marketing at Curtin University. A Chartered Accountant with a Masters in Accounting, Erin has spent the majority of her career working in the entertainment & media sector, as well as working with a wide variety of individuals and businesses. Erin is incredibly excited to be involved with GUTS, an organisation showcasing a fierce commitment to creativity driven by a heart that beats for community. Equally, she is grateful to be bringing up her daughter on Arrernte country in Mparntwe/Alice Springs.