Oliver Hughes (he/him) is a proud, award-winning, Noongar actor and writer from Perth. He began training at John Curtin College of the Arts and continued onto WAAPA in the Aboriginal Performance course (graduating 2021), followed by the Bachelor in Performance Making (graduating 2024). His credits include work with Yirra Yaakin in Ngalaka Daa (2018-2021) and Panawathi Girl (2022). Spare Parts Puppet Theatre in Wundabaa Gaay-Guwaali (2022), Hare Brain (2024), The Murmuration of Lost Birds (2024) and Reach For The Sky (2025). Other credits include Out For The Count (2025), ASK (2024), Salted Pretzels (2023)(PAWAA Nomination), BESIDE (2021).

Shelby McKenzie (They/She) Shelby McKenzie is a performer, theatre maker, and movement artist. They graduated with first-class honours from WAAPA, where they focused on embodiment in live theatrical performance. Shelby has been studying Auslan since 2023, their goal is to bring Auslan into their process to increase access to and opportunities in theatre through language-inclusive practices. Most recently, Shelby acted in the Western Australia Opera’s Il Trovatore at His Majesty’s Theatre and The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer. In 2026, Shelby will be developing work interstate and internationally as she travels to Sydney and Toronto to further her career in theatre and film as an actor, deviser and director.

Tao Issaro (he/him) is an Indian/Australian multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound designer and performance maker based in Boorloo, WA. As a composer/sound designer in Australia, Tao has worked for Encounter Theatre, Monkey Brain Theatre, Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, Tura New Music and Ochre Contemporary Dance Company, to name a few. Tao was nominated for 2 PAWA 2024 awards for outstanding composition and sound design for his work on Encounter Theatre's Beneath The Music. As a performer, he is currently working with Sensorium Theatre, providing bespoke sensory theatrical experiences for neurodiverse children in schools across Perth.

Zoe Garciano (she/they) is an award-winning Filipino theatre-artist based in Boorloo with a passion for performance and directing. Zoe is trained under several institutions such WAYTCo under the direction of Amelia Burke, and Curtin University for the BCA in Theatre Arts. Currently, Zoe is proudly an associate artist with BlueJoy Theatre Co. Notably, Zoe has won PAWA’s Outstanding Newcomer Award in 2024 for their performance in Democracy Repair Services directed by Andrew Sutherland (Blue Room Theatre, 2023). Other noteworthy works Zoe has been involved in include IMELDA directed by Donita Cruz (Blue Room Theatre, 2024) which has also received several PAWA nominations for 2025 (Outstanding New Work, Best Independent Production).

Carole Katz (she/her) is a Reunion Island-born singer-songwriter and dancer. Growing up on a multicultural French island with parents from Madagascar, Carole was immersed from an early age in a rich tapestry of cultures, music and stories. Living in Perth|Boorloo deepened Carole's appreciation for her island heritage including the tropical rhythms of sega and maloya which she embraced and honoured over a decade of colourful musical performances in WA and Victoria. With her award-winning band Tchéga, Carole brings to life the sunny, sassy and soulful spirit of the Indian Ocean islands, featuring traditional island beats with a contemporary flair.

As a multidisciplinary artist with a creative focus on dance, Kiara (she/her) has been teaching, choreographing and performing for the past 10 years. A founding member of Vybe Nation and co-creator of Open Floor, Kiara has produced local events to nurture dance education, artistic development and community. She has most recently enjoyed expanding her practice into theatre and live performance, working in movement direction, stage management and costuming on recent works: An Evening of African Poetry and Storytelling, Our Motherland Our Stories and is now proud to be involved with Blue Joy Theatre presenting New Beginnings.

Shelby McKenzie (They/She) Shelby McKenzie is a performer, theatre maker, and movement artist. They graduated with first-class honours from WAAPA, where they focused on embodiment in live theatrical performance. Shelby has been studying Auslan since 2023, their goal is to bring Auslan into their process to increase access to and opportunities in theatre through language-inclusive practices. Most recently, Shelby acted in the Western Australia Opera’s Il Trovatore at His Majesty’s Theatre and The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer. In 2026, Shelby will be developing work interstate and internationally as she travels to Sydney and Toronto to further her career in theatre and film as an actor, deviser and director.

Xin Ong's (she/her) practice is one of co-creative conversation. She has created works in a director-choreographer and producer capacity that range from short dance pieces and films to independently presenting full-length works through i² (IG/FB: @i2installation), a collaborative practice with a focus on deepening audience engagement, a space where we create to connect, and the missing element (i²=-1) is you. She has collaborated as a performer in various dance works, include X (2023), winner of 'Adelaide Fringe Best Dance Award'.

Oliver Hughes is a proud, award-winning, Noongar actor and writer from Perth. He began training at John Curtin College of the Arts and continued onto WAAPA in the Aboriginal Performance course (graduating 2021), followed by the Bachelor in Performance Making (graduating 2024). His credits include work with Yirra Yaakin in Ngalaka Daa (2018-2021) and Panawathi Girl (2022). Spare Parts Puppet Theatre in Wundabaa Gaay-Guwaali (2022), Hare Brain (2024), The Murmuration of Lost Birds (2024) and Reach For The Sky (2025). Other credits include Out For The Count (2025), ASK (2024), Salted Pretzels (2023)(PAWAA Nomination), BESIDE (2021).

Harper Nguyen (She/her) is a WAAPA-trained performing artist with a background in writing for stage and screen. Since 2017, Harper has written for independent theatre shows (The Book of Salt, The Hole, All the words I cannot find), which have been successfully mounted to positive critical reception. Writing for the screen, Harper has written short films that have made it into international short film festivals such as the Los Angeles, Austin and Portland Comedy Film Festival, where her films were nominated for Best Dark Comedy and Best international short. Tight Five, a short film co-written by Harper was a finalist in the sydney short film festival. In 2025, Harper directed O.D.E, a text score opera retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and was a shortlisted candidate for Black Swan’s Piggyback Draft Commission.

With a background in community development, art therapy, and youth work, Cheryl brings over 12 years of experience to her art therapy company, The Social Hermit. Holding two degrees in Community Development and Art therapy and a Certificate IV in Visual Arts and Contemporary Crafts, she is deeply committed to making creative wellness accessible to those who need it most. Cheryl is passionate about building a supportive and inclusive community where art serves as both a form of self-expression and a tool for social connection. Recognizing the barriers many Australians face in accessing mental health care, especially in Perth, she has created a space where people can come together, create, and heal—without the pressure of traditional therapy models.

Harrison Lorenz-Daniel (he/him) is a Boorloo-based theatre maker whose work spans performance, direction, and production. A graduate of WAAPA with a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Performance Making), Harrison specialises in collaborative processes to devise theatre with and for young audiences. His current research explores how emerging digital technologies can transform creative learning experiences. He’s deeply passionate about theatre’s ability to shape vibrant cultural futures for the next generation.Harrison debuted as Benji in Bad Feminist for The Blue Room Theatre, earning a PAWA nomination for his performance. He has since collaborated with leading companies across Australia, including Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, Company Bad, Fremantle Australia, and Sailing with Styx, contributing as a performer, deviser, and theatre maker.

Patrick Gunasekera (he/him) is a performer, creator, producer and teaching artist of Sri Lankan migrant heritage, based on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. His theatre, dance, music and award-winning written works offer tender and courageous narratives that celebrate the hidden agency and resilience of everyday people.

As an actor, singer, pianist and dancer, his performance practices range from naturalistic to experimental with a focus on underrepresented masculinities, and a passion for reinterpreting classical forms through contemporary voices.

His teaching practice is drawn from his background in peer education, with responsive class structures that centre bodily autonomy. Since 2019, he has worked in arts journalism at Seesaw Magazine, primarily covering work by disabled, migrant, queer and young artists. He is also a cultural safety trainer, and since 2018 has worked with artist-run, small-to-medium, major and national arts organisations to develop healthier relationships with underrepresented artists and audiences.

Maya-Rose Chauhan is an emerging playwright and performer based on Noongar Boodja, having been born in Northern Ireland and brought up on Wardandi boodja (Bunbury). After presenting Saga Sisterhood, produced by Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, at Mapping Melbourne, the Centre for Stories and The Blue Room Theatre's Winter Nights Season (2018-19), she wrote and developed a show under the mentorship of Laura Maitland for 600 Seconds in 2020 with 'Its All Relative - a Family Saga'. Maya-Rose has received mentoring from Finn O'Branagain, Barb Hostalek (To the Front, 2020) and, in memoir writing, with Rosemary Sayer though a Centre for Stories Fellowship. As a reviewer Maya-Rose is an active promoter of Western Australia's arts scene and since 2019 has written features and reviews for Arts Hub, Seesaw Magazine, South Asian Today, Portside review and Perth Arts Live. She is interested in stories that analyse and liberate human beings from forces of dehumanisation and disintegration that often fester in society, and she loves to write stories that celebrate resilience.