Staff & board

As a descendant and Senior Elder of the First Peoples of Melbourne, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boonwurrung language group and the Wamba Wemba of the Murray River, N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs AM is the Chairperson and Founder of the Boon Wurrung Foundation and Board Member of the Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council.
N’arweet has been involved in developing and supporting opportunities for Indigenous communities throughout Victoria and many other communities around Australia. For over 50 years, she has been proactive in developing strategies for the promotion and maintenance of Boonwurrung culture and heritage. As a result, N’arweet was nominated and appointed as a Member of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.
In 2006, N’arweet established the Boon Wurrung Foundation, which has been responsible for significant work in cultural research, including the restoration of Boonwurrung language. The Foundation also helps connect Indigenous youth to their heritage through dance, songs, cultural events and mentoring throughout their academic and professional aspirations.
Having undertaken studies in Language and Linguistics, N’arweet has recorded the Boonwurrung language both in oral and written form and completed her Doctorate in Philosophy – Media & Communications – informing culture and knowledge to our urban youth using technology.

Uncle Larry is a local Aboriginal cultural leader and storyteller. He particularly loves working with the younger generation as he sees them as the torch-bearers of the future. Inspired by his local Aboriginal community, plus his own Kulin ancestral blood connections to his Country, Uncle is one of the only senior Elders in Melbourne who focuses specifically on storytelling, ensuring the cultural continuity of his ancient oral traditions.
Uncle Larry is a pure storyteller. He sees his focus being on the oral tradition, the story – as an important expression and make up of Aboriginal culture. He wishes to display that Aboriginal people live as much in the modern world as intimately as they are connected to their past.

Glenn Shea is an Award winning writer of "Three Magpies Perched in a Tree" and is currently producing "An Indigenous Trilogy".

Glenn is a graduate from NIDA. He is a researcher/curator; his work includes the History of Blak Theatre 1967 – 2000 with a one-year exhibition at the powerhouse museum (Sydney). Glenn is the inventor/facilitator of THE STORYTELLER Australian Board Game Educational Resource, an Indigenous Learning tool which provides knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal people, society and culture from an Indigenous standpoint perspective through active learning pathways. Glenn has also developed and delivered the culture, curriculum and performing arts program through ASPIRE Deakin University and taught at Victoria University and been a guest lecturer at Melbourne University

Glenn is a former frontline Koorie youth justice worker, Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative, he wrote the Wathaurong, full time education and development program as well as a ten-day cultural gathering camp around the boundaries of country for Aboriginal adolescent young people who came into contact with the criminal juvenile justice system. 

Glenn is currently writing "Treasuring Life" for the treasuring life suicide prevention network, Mount Gambier as well as a TV series, titled "MULLAGH" about the 1868 Aboriginal cricket team who toured England. Glenn was commissioned by Country Arts SA to write for their Aboriginal Diggers Project, his play MI:WI 3027 was presented in the Raukkan Community Hall on the 23rd April and on ANZAC Day 25th April 2018 in the Dunston Theatre South Australia. Glenn has also been the MC for the Adelaide Festival and the Dream Time @ the G President dinner between Essendon and Richmond Football Clubs at the MCG. He was invited by Playwriting Australia to participate in the 2019 Indigenous Retreat in Bundanon NSW. 2020 credits include MTC Cybec, PWA's Dear Australia and Screen Australia's Indigenous Short Works. Glenn is the Indigenous producer at La Mama Theatre Company.

Brian is a Meriam man and is passionate about Indigenous self-empowerment and socially responsible economic development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.  

He is a Co-founder, Principal and Director of Jaramer Legal. Brian is a senior commercial lawyer who has advised State and Federal Governments and large corporations such as Telstra, Oracle and Qantas, as well as Australia’s big banks. 

Brian has a broad corporate/commercial practice including advising on complex contract negotiations and agreements, litigation, risk and compliance and regulatory matters, privacy, corporate structure and governance issues, probity matters, strategic government direction, technology matters, international instruments, personal injury, and extensive experience in general procurement matters across many categories of goods and services as well as Federal Government grants. 

He is currently a director on the Boards of Ilbijerri Theatre Company and Aboriginal Community Housing Ltd, as well as previously holding directorships with several other not for profit organisations that provide services in social areas that he is passionate about. 

Kareena Gay is a Senior Legal Policy Officer for the Department of Justice in the Police and Emergency Management division. She formerly served as President of Tarwirri, the Indigenous Law Students and Lawyers Association of Victoria (ILSLAV). Kareena was Chair of the ILBIJERRI board until 2021.

Kylie Belling is a highly respected leader in the arts, having performed in theatre, film and television, while also working with community and government in the First Peoples space for over 30 years. Her work has elevated Aboriginal cultural representation across the country and has brought Aboriginal voices into the homes of everyday Australians. As a proud mother, recent grandmother, advocate, creative and change-maker, Kylie has built foundations and laid pathways for First Peoples creators and performers.

In 1985, Kylie became the first Aboriginal graduate from the VCA, marking the start of a distinguished career. Kylie is often recognised for her screen performances in landmark Australian productions, including The Fringe Dwellers, The Flying Doctors, Prisoner, Redfern Now, and The Sapphires. Kylie was nominated for an Australian Film Institute Awards Supporting Actor role for her performance of Noonah in The Fringe Dwellers. It was while filming that she met and was mentored by the late great Aunty Justine Saunders and Uncle Bob Maza. The role in Prisoner came about thanks to Aunty Justine Saunders’ long advocacy for an Aboriginal storyline, due to the over- representation of Aboriginal people in incarceration. Aunty Justine also featured in a guest role as a social worker interacting with Kylie’s prisoner role.

Kylie’s contribution to theatre and the arts extends beyond performance. In 1991, she was one of 13 Aboriginal co-founders of ILBIJERRI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-operative Limited. She was its first Artistic Director and played a key role in ILBIJERRI’s early and ongoing success.

Andrea James is a Yorta Yorta/Gunaikurnai woman and a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts. She is an experienced collaborator, playwright, producer and director and was a recipient of British Council’s Accelerate Program for Aboriginal Art Leaders.

She was Artistic Director of Melbourne Workers Theatre 2001-2008 where she is best known for her play Yanagai! Yanagai! and Director of Non Parlo Di Salo by Christos Tsialkos and Spiro Economopolous. She co-wrote Coranderrk: We Will Show The Country with Giordano Nanni for LaMama and ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, Bright World with Elise Hearst for Arthur Productions and wrote Blacktown Angels for Home Country for Urban Theatre Projects, Bukal for JUTE Theatre and Winyanboga Yurringa (inspired by Hyllus Maris and Sonia Borg’s seminal novel and television series Women of the Sun) presented by Moogahlin Performing Arts and remounted at Belvoir in May 2019.

Her works have shown throughout Australia, in the UK, Paris and New York. Most recently she wrote and directed The Black Woman of Gippsland for Melbourne Theatre Company and wrote Big Name, No Blankets in collaboration with Sammy and Anyupa Butcher, for ILBIJERRI Theatre Company. Her play, Sunshine Super Girl, based on the life of Wiradjuri tennis superstar Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, was Produced by Performing Lines and premiered in Griffith in 2020, Sydney Festival in January 2021 and a National Tour in 2022.

For Griffin Theatre she co-wrote Dogged with collaborator and friend Cath Ryan that premiered in May 2021. As Associate Artistic Director at Griffin Theatre she directed Melissa Bubnic’s Ghosting the Party, Suzie Miller’s Jailbaby, Ellen Van Neerven’s Swim and Alana Valentine’s Nucleus. In May 2021 Andrea was awarded the Mona Brand Award for women stage and screen writers and received a National Theatre Award in 2024. In 2026 Andrea's play The Black Woman of Gippsland was awarded Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting at the NSW Literary Awards, with judges praising it as an outstanding and extraordinary work that deftly reveals how colonial myths shape the way histories are recorded and believed. She is currently the Artistic Director of ILBIJERRI.

Madeleine grew up on Turrbal/Yuggera country in Meanjin and started her career on Gadigal land. Prior to joining ILBIJERRI, Madeleine served as General Manager of Darlinghurst Theatre Company and social enterprise Stage A Change, which aims to create and sustain professional opportunities for artists of colour across Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts/Laws from the University of Sydney, sits on the Green Room Independent Theatre panel, and was awarded the 2025 Paramount Scholarship to study a Masters of Arts & Cultural Management.  

As a producer, Madeleine has developed and delivered work at the Sydney Opera House, Belvoir St Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company. Her role in co-founding LGBTQIA+ non-profit Fruit Box Theatre was recognised by Out For Australia's 30 Under 30 Awards in 2023. Outside theatre, Madeleine has worked in law reform and regulation at the ACCC and Attorney-General’s Department. She is passionate about embedding workplace safety, sustainable business practices, and inclusive pathways in Australia’s cultural sector.

Amy Sole is a proud Wiradjuri/Worimi director, playwright, dramaturg and advocate. They are Head of Artist Development at ILBIJERRI Theatre Company and a graduate of NIDA’s MFA (Directing) and VCA’s Master of Theatre (Playwriting).

Recent directing credits include Whitefella Yella Tree (STC/Griffin), Robot Dog (MTC), Emu in the Sun (MTC/ILBIJERRI), Blak in the Room (MTC/ILBIJERRI), Scar Trees (ILBIJERRI), Forgetting Tim Minchin (Belvoir 25a) and Benched (Darlinghurst). Amy’s work as a writer includes Burning (NIDA) and co writer of Tracker (ILBIJERRI/ADT), which toured nationally to Sydney Festival, Rising Festival, Adelaide Festival and Brisbane Festival. They have collaborated on major works such as Gurr Era Op (ILBIJERRI/Force Majeure, national tour), Big Name No Blankets (ILBIJERRI, national tour) and The Black Woman of Gippsland (MTC).

A highly sought-after dramaturg and development director, Amy regularly works with theatre companies across the country to nurture and champion new Australian writing.

In 2024, Amy was awarded the Max Afford Playwright’s Award for their play Nan’s Place. Their practice is grounded in truth-telling and the transformative potential of theatre to connect, heal, and create space for First Peoples’ stories.

Nina Bonacci is a producer and arts manager with over 20 years of experience. Her role as Head of Producing at ILBIJERRI involves leading, training and mentoring a team of emerging First Nations producers, and working on ILBIJERRI’s large scale and touring productions. Previously, Nina was Company Manager at Malthouse Theatre for several years, where she enjoyed working with some of Australia’s finest artists. Prior to that she produced and toured contemporary Australian productions nationally and internationally while Associate Producer at Performing Lines, including Back to Back Theatre’s small metal objects and Stephen Sewell’s Three Furies. She has worked as an independent producer for many brilliant companies, including Sisters Grimm, Stuck Pigs Squealing, one step at a time like this, Angus Cerini Doubletap and Melinda Hetzel & Co, among others.

Nina has also worked as a Producer at Melbourne International Comedy Festival; Festival Director for Mudfest – Melbourne University’s student arts festival; Producer at Keep Breathing; Administration and Development Coordinator at Arena Theatre Company; Marketing Manager at St Martin’s Youth Arts Centre; and as Publicist at Miranda Brown Publicity, with clients including Big Day Out and Chunky Move.

Nina is a frequent guest speaker for university and TAFE students, has been a Fringe mentor and board member for performing arts companies, and has sat on panels for Performing Lines, Next Wave, George Paton Gallery and the Sydney Opera House. Nina is currently taking part in the Australia Council’s Arts Leader’s Program, and is on the Australia Council’s Peer Assessment Panel.

Born and raised on Kuungkari Country in Outback Queensland, Geoffrey is the descendant of Bidjara and Yuwaalaraay people. He is theatrically trained, having studied BA Drama (QUT), Creative Writing (Deakin University) & Viewpoints / Suzuki Method (SITI Company).

From 2010 – 2019 he worked as Senior Producer for Strut & Fret, touring Spiegeltents and acclaimed circus & cabaret productions throughout Australia and internationally. He has produced & toured global cabaret superstars including Jinkx Monsoon and Le Gateau Chocolat and worked independently with Circus Trick Tease.

In 2017 he was the Program Producer of the Garden of Unearthly Delights, Adelaide Fringe’s accoladed venue hub. In this role he was responsible for more than ninety-five productions running across one month including Djuki Mala, Kate Ceberano, Leo Sayer, Joel Creasey, Vika & Linda, The Black Sorrows, Hannah Gadsby, Tom Gleeson, Betty Grumble, Renee Geyer and many more.

Geoffrey has also worked within the contemporary dance sector, as the Program Manager for Dancehouse and as an independent Senior Producer for BlakDance.

He is honoured to have the privilege to continue to work and share stories with community across the Country.

Kirsty Hillhouse has comprehensive experience across the arts sector, working as an Artistic Director, CEO, Board Member, Strategic Adviser, Development & Philanthropic Consultant, Performer and Creative Producer. She has established and led independent theatre companies, held senior governance positions in independent and multi-year funded organisations, and consulted for government arts agencies. 

Her performance-making career spans over 80 productions nationally and internationally, combining stage and screen performance, with running independent companies. Her practice includes movement design, directing, dramaturgy and performing. She has worked with Legs on the Wall, Bell Shakespeare Co, Sydney Theatre Co, Black Swan State Theatre Co, Deckchair, Perth Theatre Co and others. She was nominated for Best Actress at the Equity Guild Awards for her performance in 'Love' and 'Twelfth Night' (Deckchair Theatre Company) and 'The Return' (Perth Theatre Company), and won an Outstanding Achievement Award (Ensemble) at the WA Screen Awards for her screen performance in The Circuit (SBS / Media World Pictures).

She has been a Board member of Deckchair Theatre Company and Stages Playwriting Consortium and worked with both the Australia Council for the Arts and the Department of Culture and the Arts (WA) in grants assessment and as a strategic consultant.

She is a passionate advocate for financially sustainable arts practice, most recently working with Flinders Quartet, Theatre Works, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Fringe and Red Stitch Actors Theatre. 

Meghan has over 17 years of experience in financial management and reporting. She brings a wealth of expertise across diverse industries including financial services (banking and insurance), consumer goods, and the not-for-profit sector. She is passionate about purpose led organisations and thrives on aligning financial strategies with values that create a positive impact. She is dedicated to helping organisations achieve long-term success while staying true to their mission.

Joel Te Teira is a playwright, musician and producer of European and Māori descent (Ngāti Maniapoto).

Over his career Joel has gained a wealth of experience in Indigenous Arts and Education which has seen him work internationally with communities across the Pacific and Canada. He was the production lead for We Are Warriors; a platform built to celebrate First Peoples artists and provide avenues for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander youth into the sector, through which their work was awarded an Award for Music at the Cannes Lion Awards in 2023. As a writer Joel was shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award for his first play Sedentary

Lisa brings a strong belief in Social Justice to all her work and after 10 years in business and 15 years in Community Cultural Development she has a solid conviction that people do their best work when they are culturally aligned and working together towards creating joint outcomes that they are proud of. 

Lisa’s work has always built on the importance of celebrating history, culture, identity and belonging. This foundation creates self-respect, belief at the individual level and greater understanding within the work environment. When people are respected and empowered, they can strive for the impossible and achieve excellence.

Lisa began working in production as a Stage Manager, Production Manager and Lighting Designer. Having worked in several producing roles within ILBIJERRI, Lisa first connected with ILBIJERRI in 1995 and has remained connected in various ways since then. Her primary focus has always been in working in a community engaged process, working with Elders, Community organisations and Government through the social impact program.

Phoebe Watson is a proud Gunditjmara woman from South-West Victoria. Moving to Wurundjeri Country to study at RMIT University, Phoebe completed her Bachelor's degree in Design (Games) and has been working in the digital games industry both locally and internationally since 2020. 

Recently Phoebe has joined ILBIJERRI Theatre Company as their Associate Producer, bringing across her knowledge from producing digital games to theatre. She is dedicated to bringing together the ideas of creatives, and working closely with Community and Elders to bring stories to life. Her passion and interest for the arts spans across multi-disciplines, always looking at new technology and acknowledging what came before. 

Natasha is a proud Djaara/Dja Dja Wurrung, Yorta-Yorta and Jaru woman who currently lives on Wurundjeri country.

When she is not organising the ILBIJERRI team administration, or fulfilling critical marketing needs for the organisation, Natasha is a visual artist who loves to marry together the art styles of her culture with high colour modern art mediums and elements.

Natasha is deeply connected to and has worked with the DJAARA – Balaki Wuka (Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation) on the YAPENYA 2018 event as Project Officer. She was also co-curator for an exhibition accompanying artist Peta Clancy's Undercurrent at Bendigo Art Gallery. Other works include the exterior artwork for Bendigo’s Galkangu GovHub building, Bendigo’s City of Gastronomy UNESCO logo design, vibrant murals for Daylesford Primary School and Quarry Hill Primary School, external artwork of the DJAARA talking tram no. 918, and even a metal sculpture of Bunjil for the children of Spring Gully Kinder. She continues to work on commissions of her own work for clients such as local government and councils, as well as the corporate and private sector.

Sabina McKenna is a marketing and communications manager with over a decade of experience across arts institutions, creative agencies, and commercial organisations.

Sabina holds a Master of Arts (Arts Management) with distinction from RMIT, where she was awarded the 2024 Vice Chancellor's Award for Academic Excellence. She specialises in strategic copywriting, content development, digital communications, art direction and editorial management.

Her professional experience includes Communications roles at the City of Melbourne, Photo Australia, and Vault Magazine, as well as copywriting and content strategy work across a range of creative and commercial clients. As General Manager of AusPen from 2018 to 2022, she led marketing strategy, stakeholder engagement, and business operations across the organisation. Her writing and editorial credits include i-D, Broadsheet, The Big Issue, Art Almanac, and Fashion Journal Magazine, and her work has been covered by the ABC, The Age, and The Sydney Morning Herald, among others.

Sabina's extensive background in arts programming and curation encompasses projects at the National Gallery of Victoria, MPavilion, and exhibitions at Melbourne's Immigration Museum. Affording her a nuanced understanding of communications within the cultural sector, particularly in audience engagement and institutional storytelling.

Sabina is also the creator of Where are you from? an ongoing photojournalistic project exploring cultural identity in Australia. The project has attracted significant local and international acclaim, with coverage across ABC TV, the Sydney Morning Herald, i-D, Frankie Magazine, Broadsheet, and more.

Francesca Gordon was born on Yuin Country and currently lives and works on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people. While working on all things operations and business at ILBIJERRI, she is studying her Masters in Theatre (Dramaturgy) at VCA. Prior to her Masters Francesca completed her Honours in Australian Indigenous Studies at University of Melbourne.

Francesca first met the ILBIJERRI team when she worked as an intern for the late Boon Wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Woiwurrung and Taungurung Elder Uncle Jack Charles. Over the past few years, Francesca has worked as a Project Officer at the Koori Court and as an Assistant Producer and Artists Liaison at RISING festival. With her deep passion for justice and the arts, Francesca is eager to listen and continue to learn.

Andrew Duong is an artist and arts facilitator. He is a resident artist at Garage 35 Art Studio and cofounder of Connection Arts Space, a community driven arts space in Dandenong. He was previously working as a Curator at Maroondah City Council, and in marketing roles at Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network and OzChild.

His art practice is driven by his perspective as a second-generation Cambodian. This work pays homage to the family through past stories and their connection to current political issues. Andrew is excited by opportunities where art and community can intersect in ways that are accessible and driven by the community.

Pearl Kennedy is an arts administrator from Aotearoa New Zealand, currently living and working on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people.

Before relocating to Melbourne in early 2026, Pearl worked across the arts sector in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington, New Zealand), where she also completed her Bachelor of Arts at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Her career there included five years with BATS Theatre, in various roles from Front of House Manager to Archivist, a stint in City Gallery Wellington's Visitor Services team, and a Research Assistantship at VUW investigating the links between Romantic literature and colonisation. Most recently, she held the role of International Adviser at Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa where she delivered international arts funding programs and supported initiatives including Aotearoa's participation at the Venice Biennale.

Pearl is passionate about cultural and creative equity, and the power of live art.