WRITER IN RESIDENCE

Ciella is a writer, dramaturg, performer, emerging director and mother of two living on Larrakia Country.

She grew up in Darwin, beginning her theatre life at Corrugated Iron Youth Arts. Her writing is embedded in and reflective of the NT and concerned with underrepresented voices and stories.

She is a member of the IGNITE Collective, an initiative of New Ghosts Theatre, creating new work for women aged 20-30. Her full-length work Hush premiered in 2022, and was shortlisted for the Glenda Adams Award for New Writing at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, and the 2020 NT Literary Awards in the Drama category. Earlier works have been performed at Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), Brown’s Mart Theatre, Darwin Fringe Festival and Short + Sweet Sydney.

Ciella works as a freelance dramaturg, and ran the ATYP Fresh Ink program for emerging NT writer from 2018-2021.

In 2021 she directed Highway of Lost Hearts by Mary Anne Butler for Brown’s Mart Theatre.

YOUTH THEATRE MENTOR - CONFIRMED

HEAD OF PROGRAMS AT CORRUGATED IRON YOUTH ARTS

Alyson has worked around the world as a performer, theatre maker and community artist with a particular focus on cultural development and social change. As a writer, mentor and director, Alyson has collaborated with young people from a range of backgrounds to create new works. In recent years, this includes ‘New Territory’ (Corrugated Iron Youth Arts, 2023) ‘Sharing Stories, Sharing Place,’ (Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, 2021), ‘Endangered Species,’ (Flying Fruit Fly Circus, 2020) ‘Folk Song’ (Outback Theatre for Young People, 2018). Alongside this, Alyson has spent 7 years as a Teaching Artist for Sydney Theatre Company, establishing their

School Drama program in Juvenile Justice Centres, is the Community Producer for Outback Theatre for Young People and a Creative Producer at Corrugated Iron Youth Arts and is studying a MA Cultural Leadership at NIDA. An active member of the local arts community, Alyson is currently the Chair of Darwin Community Arts and sits on the Arts and Cultural Development Committee for City of Darwin. In 2015 Alyson received the Kirk Robson Award from the Australia Council for the Arts, which recognises outstanding leadership in the community arts and cultural development sector, particularly in the areas of social justice.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CORRUGATED IRON YOUTH ARTS - HOST ORGANISATION

Zoe Scrogings is an arts manager and creative producer with over two decades’ of working in cross cultural collaborations, major events, and business development. Her local knowledge of the Top End comes from her previous roles as Business Development Manager with the Yothu Yindi Foundation, Garma Festival and Development Manager at Darwin Festival stewarding a significant portfolio of corporate and philanthropic partnerships. Zoe has produced and developed social circus projects for young people with Rock n Roll Circus, Circa, Vulcana Women’s Circus and has produced a range of arts, digital activism and cultural exchange projects in Thailand, Timor Leste, Indonesia, India, and China. Zoe has held positions in leading youth arts companies as Executive Director Backbone, and Artistic Director and CEO of Contact Inc in Brisbane, Queensland as well Lecturer and sessional academic at QLD College of the Arts, Griffith University.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND CEO - ATYP

PARTNER ORGANISATION

Fraser is one of Australia’s most experienced Artistic Directors with over 20 years of experience leading theatre companies. He ran Riverland Youth Theatre (2001-2003), Backbone Youth Arts (2005-2008) was the Associate Director at La Boite Theatre (1996-2000) and has been the Artistic Director of the Australian Theatre for Young People since 2009.

He is recognised as a leader in the development and presentation of theatre with and for young people and has worked in collaboration with leading companies, festivals and venues across Australia and internationally.

Fraser is a passionate advocate for new work. His work has challenged perceptions of ‘youth theatre’ in Australia, receiving the nation’s highest awards for excellence and placing work with and for young people on the national stage. Fraser has worked with Australia’s leading performing arts companies, venues and festivals including Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Opera House, Darwin Festival, Brisbane Festival, Sydney Festival, Queensland Theatre Company, Opera Queensland, Belvoir and Ensemble Theatre amongst others. His work has been presented in every state and territory in Australia as well as the UK, Canada, South Africa, the USA and Japan.

RESIDENT DRAMATURG - ATYP

PARTNER ORGANISATION

Jane has been Resident Dramaturg at ATYP since 2017. Her work at the company includes being Dramaturg on commissioned plays, mentoring emerging writers, and looking after our national writing programs including Fresh Ink and National Studio.

She has also been a Literary Manager at Ensemble Theatre, where she’s been Dramaturg on plays including Black Cockatoo. For Sydney Theatre Company she has worked as Literary Manager, Artistic Associate and Administrator of the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award as well as Dramaturg on mainstage productions and new writers’ programs.

She has worked as a script reader for the Royal Court London, ANPC, Playworks and STC Young Playwrights’ Award, and as Dramaturg on National Script Workshops for Playwriting Australia. She worked for 15 years as a Mentor with Year 12 students on HSC creative writing projects. She’s also an amateur flamenco dancer.