JOANNE KEE – host, Executive Producer , National Theatre of Parramatta
Joanne Kee is responsible for the artistic and strategic pathway of the Company. She was co-Artistic Director and founder of the Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival, Artistic Director at Sydney Improvised Music Association, General Manager of The Song Company, Business Manager of Programming Sydney Opera House, ran a national contemporary music touring project, Sound Travellers, set up creative development and performances residencies for artists and has also worked at the Arts Council of England and Carnivale, multicultural arts festival. As a producer she tours internationally award winning work. She is on the Create NSW Theatre board and was on the board of Music Australia, Sydney Fringe Festival, Glebe Chamber of Commerce and was Chair of Ausdance NSW and chair of the working group that set up Critical Path.
MAYU IWASAKI (She/Her)
Mayu is a bilingual Japanese born actress and puppeteer. Graduated from David Mamet’s Atlantic Theatre Conservatory and trained extensively with the SITI Company in New York. Mayu has appeared in a number of theatrical productions, short and feature films on international stages in Tokyo, New York, Chicago and Sydney. In 2019 Mayu made her Sydney Theatre Company debut in the Sydney Theatre award-winning play White Pearl. In 2017 Mayu first appeared on Australian television as the lead character in the Top Knot Detective on SBS. Theatre credits include: Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice directed by Priscilla Jackman, The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other directed by Jennifer Hagan (NIDA), Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Japan and Doha Tour (ERTH Visual & Physical Inc.), Fallen (Mozawa) in Chicago, Love and Information (Atlantic Theatre Company) in NYC, and One woman show Morgan O-Yuki: Geisha of Gilded Age (Shakespeare&Co)
Mayu is also a creative associate of Monkeybaa theatre company. She has a great passion to create a show for young audiences that is able to bridge those cultural differences and bypass language barriers.
ALANNA KAMP
Dr Alanna Kamp is Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University. She is a researcher in the Challenging Racism Project, the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies and the Young and Resilient Research Centre. Dr Kamp’s research contributions lie in the areas of Australian multiculturalism, racism and anti-racism, identity and intersectionality. She has published pioneering and award-winning work on Chinese Australian women’s experiences of national and cultural identity, racism and belonging. She has also published in the areas of Indigenous Studies, Asian Australian Studies, and Islamophobia. Dr Kamp has recently led a national study on Asian Australians’ experiences of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also conducting a national project on ‘mixed race’ young Australians’ experiences of identity and belonging. Her book: ‘Intersectional Lives: Chinese Australian women in White Australia’ has just been published by Routledge (April 2022).
COURTNEY STEWART
Courtney Stewart is a Director, Dramaturg, Actor and Teaching Artist. She has worked on a number of productions and developments of new Australian work such as Eat Me for NIDA and STC, Julius Caesar, Playing Beatie Bow and Hamlet – Prince of Skidmark, Australian Graffiti for STC, Double Delicious for Contemporary Asian Australian Performance, Neon Tiger by Julia-Rose Lewis and Single Asian Female by Michelle Law for La Boite and Belvoir St Theatre, A Ghost in My Suitcase by Vanessa Bates, Siti Rubiyah by Katrina Irawati Graham, Barbaric Truth by Jordan Shea, Orange Thrower by Kirsty Marillier and White Pearl by Anchuli Felicia King. Courtney is the current Directing Associate at STC and the current Artistic Associate at Contemporary Asian Australian Performance.
Courtney was the Assistant Performance Director for the City of Sydney 2016 Chinese New Year Lunar Lantern Festival. She was also a participant in the Directors Initiative in partnership with Contemporary Asian Australian Performance and STC. She was also engaged as the 2021 Richard Wherrett Fellow at STC.
As a dedicated Teaching Artist, Courtney has worked with Sydney Theatre Company, NIDA, ATYP and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.
Courtney was previously Chair of the Equity Diversity Committee and a delegate to the National Performer’s Committee. She is also a former a board member for Contemporary Asian Australian Performance.
