SARAH PARSONS
Creative Producer/CEO
Sarah Parsons is the Creative Producer/CEO of Outback Theatre for Young People in Deniliquin, a role that sees her design and deliver projects with regional and remote communities across a 30,000 square km area of South West NSW. Most of her arts practice to date has been dedicated to arts in counter-urban areas, and Sarah is fiercely passionate about theatre for young people, community driven work, advocating for regional based practice and sustainable arts engagement in remote and regional Australia. In April 2018, Sarah was appointed as a Director on the Board of Regional Arts NSW. Sarah also currently sits on the ASSITEJ Advisory Group for Theatre Network Australia and is a Peer Assessor on the Theatre and Musical Theatre Board for Create NSW.
Read more/lessShe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Theatre and Media), an Honours degree (specialising in Theatre for Young People), and a Bachelor of Teaching (Drama) from Charles Sturt University in Bathurst. Sarah began her career by writing, designing, directing, performing in and touring Theatre in Education shows to most of Central West NSW with Stuck in the Mud Productions, a theatre company she co-established, and ran from 2005-08.
In the past, Sarah has been engaged as Lecturer of Theatre for Young People at Charles Sturt University, Director of the Bathurst Theatre Company’s Youth Theatre, Education Facilitator for Jigsaw Theatre Company (Canberra), and Workshop Manager for Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP). During her time in Sydney, Sarah directed three shows for ATYP: Compass (2013), Luke Lloyd: Alienoid (2014) and The Voices Project: Between Us (2015) and was the Assistant Director on Max Remy Super Spy (2012) and MROCK (2014, with Sydney Theatre Company).
ALYSON EVANS
Community Producer
Alyson has worked around the world as a performer, theatre maker and community artist, with a particular focus on cultural development and social change. In Australia Alyson has made theatre with remote Indigenous communities, young people, people with disabilities and mental illness, prisoners and former refugees, as well as in Cambodia, Nepal, the United Kingdom and New York.
Read more/lessAfter living and working in Darwin and Sydney, Alyson is currently based in Albury, where she is a freelance theatre facilitator, director and producer. She continues to travel across Australia to deliver theatre programs in remote and regional places, as well as being a Teaching Artist for Sydney Theatre Company’s School Drama program.
In 2015 Alyson received the Australia Council of the Arts Kirk Robson Award, which recognises outstanding leadership from artists working in community arts and cultural development.
CLAIRE HARRIS
Business & Creative Projects Manager
Claire has worked for over 20 years in the arts, predominantly with young people. Her main driver is ensuring that young people in regional areas, particularly the Riverina which is where she grew up, have access to stimulating creative activities, that they can find a place they feel comfortable, and free to dream and create.
Claire has spent years following her passion, freelancing for fringe theatre projects in Melbourne, working at Live Performance Australia in Melbourne and the Australian Theatre for Young People in Sydney. In 2009 she undertook a secondment in New York City working alongside staff at The Broadway League.
Read more/lessHeading back to the Riverina in 2013 from Sydney, she became the Creative Producer of Outback Theatre for Young People in Deniliquin, instigating youth arts and theatre projects across 30,000 square kms of South West NSW. She has also been General Manager for the wonderful contemporary arts company, The Cad Factory based in Narrandera, and worked with the The Wired Lab, Muttama, both in regional NSW.
Claire currently works as Creative Business Officer for Eastern Riverina Arts in Wagga Wagga, and is the Business and Creative Project Manager for Outback Theatre for Young People based in Deniliquin.
Claire also runs Create Hub Riverina, a creative space for young people in Wagga running hybrid arts programs, partnering with community groups, working creatively with young people from diverse backgrounds. In 2021 she co-created a theatre work ‘Sharing Stories, Sharing Place’ premiering at The Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre with 6 young people from a refugee experience.
JULIE CASSAR
Bookkeeper
In 2008, Julie made a ‘tree change’ from Melbourne to the Riverina to join her partner in the management of the family farm. She has a background in administration and finance, is currently bookkeeper for Outback Theatre for Young People and volunteer Treasurer for South West Arts and the Deniliquin Film Society.
Julie is inspired by the opportunities created for regional young people, through their interaction with OTYP’s projects, artistic and technical staff, to expand the pool of experiences on which they can reflect to dream and imagine their future.
