The Project - Schools, Industry Arts

Stephanie Kamasz began her stage management career in 1992 and in 2008 was appointed Head of Stage Management at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) where she trains undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing careers in Theatre and Production. 

Initially working as an Assistant Stage Manager and volunteering with local theatre companies in Sydney, she pursued her goal of gaining admittance to NIDA’s Technical Production course. After graduating with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art in 1998, she began touring Australia and Asia with musicals such as Chicago, Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story, SHOUT!, Hair, The Full Monty, Saturday Night Fever and The Rocky Horror Show.  Stephanie has worked nationally for many renowned companies and events including Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, The Production Company, State Opera of South Australia, Opera Australia and Sydney Festival.

In 2006, Stephanie took the opportunity to further develop her stage management skills outside of a traditional theatre setting and began an international career in large scale and stadium events. During these events she had the opportunity to train local staff as Assistant Stage Managers, while she herself developed her skills in stage managing casts of thousands, stages the size of football fields and internationally broadcast events. These include the Opening & Closing Ceremonies of 15th Asian Games Doha 2006, Opening & Closing Ceremonies Arab Games Doha 2011, Opening & Closing Ceremonies XIX Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 and Opening Ceremony Rugby World Cup Auckland 2011.

Recently Stephanie has returned from Mexico where she was the Production Stage Manager of the internationally broadcast event Espectáculo Conmemorativo Puebla, Orgullo México commemorating the 150th  Anniversary of Cinco de Mayo, the Battle of Puebla, 2012.

Currently on leave from her position as Head of Stage Management at NIDA, Stephanie is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and experience with teachers through The Project - Schools Industry Arts.

James graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2001 with a degree in Set and Costume Design before attending the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in Art Direction. 

He has designed in all facets of the field in theatre, film and events. James designed the sets for the Love Cooking Festival in London as well as Jamie Oliver’s live stadium show in Melbourne and Rick Stein’s show in New Zealand. Event designs include the Prague Castle for the Visa Board Dinner, the Australian Jockey Club in 2007 and various floats in the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. James has worked on television shows such as Survivor, All Saints and Australian Idol.

James designed a development production of Faust for the Sydney Theatre Company and costumes for New Breed for the Sydney Dance Company. Other theatre design credits include Love Bites, Fat Swan, Side by Side, Ordinary Days, The Last 5 Years, the Singapore Theatre Practice, Iota, NIDA, the Human Nature Motown National Tour, and Just For Laughs at the Sydney Opera House starring John Cleese. James was the associate designer on Graeme Murphy’s AIDA for Opera Australia and Stuart Maunder’s SHOUT! James’ set for Reg Livermore’s TURNS (National tour) was nominated for the 2012 Greenroom Awards.

James has been the resident designer at the Australian Institute of Music for five years working with music theatre students on their major productions as well as mentoring them in their own devised works. He has also worked with students at Ascham School and Cranbrook boys on productions along with students who show interest in stagecraft.  James has taught design to theatre students at North Sydney TAFE and has been a Design Judge for Rock Eisteddfod Challenge since 2008.

James has recently designed for David Campbell’s Let’s Go National 2012 tour. Currently James is working on Glynn Nicolas’ remount of Certified Male, which will tour nationally, a development production of Faust with Performing Lines and a new ballet work with the Australian Ballet.

A portfolio of James’ design work can be viewed at his website www.jamesbrownepresents.com 

Avigail is a multi- talented performer, musical director and director, educator & voice artist known primarily for music theatre and cabaret. She has performed in countless musicals and concerts in Australia and internationally (eg. Cats, Follies and Godspell) and has had a series of highly successful one woman shows which have won her both critical and public acclaim around the nation.

Avigail was Musical Director/ Director for the prestigious Australia Day Lunch 2000 and 2002, she was lead singer and Musical Director in the production of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens for the World Gay Games and Artistic Director of the inaugural Short, Sweet and Song mini music theatre festival in 2007.

Avigail is also a passionate advocate for the training of Music Theatre performers. After many years at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) as Head of Music, in 1999 she set up, developed and headed NIDA’s very successful one-year Music Theatre course ‘Singer Dancer Actor’ which became a Diploma in Music Theatre. Such is the quality and diversity of Avigail’s teaching that she is in constant demand from institutions, both nationally and internationally.

Avigail was invited as a guest lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University in the USA, she has taken workshops and master classes for such organisations as the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Australian Theatre for Young People, Melbourne Cabaret Festival, Noosa Long Weekend Festival, NIDA Summer School, Queensland Performing Arts Trust (QPAT), Gold Coast Arts Centre, Australian Girls’ Choir, and the Talent Development Unit for the NSW Department of Education for whom she consults.

Avigail is also an award winning voice artist with many recording credits to her name (innumerable ads & TV episodes for shows such as Rush). She has been a judge of the Sydney Cabaret Convention & more recently the Cabaret Showcase, a member of the judging panel for the ‘Young Australian of the Year’ and hosted the launch of the 2003 Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

For more information about Avigail, please visit her at www.avigailherman.com

Matthew has worked in the arts, events and entertainment industries as a TV Producer and Director, Communications and Sponsorship Manager, Stage Manager and Educator –  the common thread has been working with young people and watching the energy and endless possibilities that come from empowering them to achieve extraordinary things. With two teachers as parents, Matthew knows too well the role teachers play in contributing to the lives and development of young people. They continue to be his inspiration. 

Matthew has worked with schools on arts, events and performance opportunities in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, including four years at Rock Eisteddfod Challenge working on events with more than 300 schools and 30,000 student performers across Australia. He has worked with both State and Federal Government education departments on program delivery and has managed National arts, TV and events sponsorships with a range of global brands. He has worked as a Producer for children’s and teen TV programs broadcast on the Nine Network, Foxtel and New Zealand’s TV3. In 2010/2011 Matthew worked in Business Development for one of Australia’s leading contemporary arts centres, Carriageworks.

Matthew’s passion for providing opportunities for young people to be the very best they can be led him to his current role as National Corporate Partnerships Manager for a leading children’s charity.

A world leader in large scale events, Jane has produced, directed, choreographed and designed segments for Olympic and Olympic-scale events.  In 2011, Jane was the Director of Parade and Protocol for the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, and the Charting Choreographer for the Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony in New Zealand. Before this, her roles have included those of Choreographer for the Glasgow Handover Ceremony for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Closing Ceremony,  Segment Choreographer and Associate Parade Director for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games and Associate Director of Choreography for the 2006 Doha Asian Games in Qatar. Jane directed the largest Parade of Athletes in international sports history when she directed, designed and managed 25,000 athletes for the World Masters Games in Sydney.

In the realm of theatre, Jane has worked for the past ten years at NIDA as the Head Choreographer for the Actor Singer Dancer music theatre course and as a tutor for the full time actor course. Jane has worked for Opera Australia, Griffin Theatre Company, Belvoir Street Theatre and Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP).

Jane has extensive experience working with schools, teachers and students, having directed, choreographed and designed more than 30 musicals for various youth theatre groups and schools. She has been an industry expert for the Talent Development Project, was the Director of the NSW Public Schools Senior Drama Ensemble as well as holding the position of National Performance Judge for the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. Jane has also worked on various television shows, including the role of Choralographer for Channel 7’s Battle of The Choirs.

Since graduating with a composition major from Southern Cross University, multi award winning writer/composer Sean Peter has worked as a sound designer, sound engineer, and composer/ lyricist for many of Australia’s leading arts companies including, The ABC, Seven, Lifestyle Australia, Disney Channel Australia, Nickelodeon, The Sydney Theatre Company, Company B, Junction Theatre, The Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Opera House. Most recently Sean has added Screenwriting to his skills, since graduating from AFTRS with a Grad Dip in Screenwriting.

Sean is the arranger of the current titles for the iconic Play School, as well as a composer and lyricist for ABC2's "Giggle and Hoot". His works have been performed on So You Think You Can Dance USA and Australia. He is the composer for Telemovie "The Adventures of Charlotte and Henry" which won an APRA / AGSC award for Children's Television, as well as being nominated for an AFI award. In 2011 he joined ABC Music Publishing and is currently in the process of producing a new album of Children's songs.

In Theatre, Sean was the recipient of an AWGIE for his musical Everything's F**ked. He created additional music and arrangements for the Helpmann award winning 2010 production of Fame. He was Sync Designer for the musical Hairspray and co-wrote "Miminga" which was used as the "Welcome to Country" segment in the Sydney NYE Festival, as well as being nominated for an Aria award. He also toured nationally as Musical Director for William Shatner.

Dedicated to a new and vibrant music theatre, Sean Peter combines an experienced and versatile musical ability with an understanding of the technical challenges and boundaries involved in theatre and performance on all scales. His major theatrical works have been warmly received by critics and audiences. Everything’s F**ked was performed in 2007 at the Adelaide Festival Centre, and in workshop in London in 2008. Winner of the 2008 AWGIE award for Music Theatre, as well as writing and performance awards for it’s 2002 workshop. It was also released as a soundtrack album which is selling internationally.

Find out more about Sean Peter and his work at www.seanpeter.com

Naomi has many years’ experience as an English and Drama teacher at both independent and Government schools and was the Project Manager for the 125th anniversary of Wenona School in 2011. Naomi has worked as a choreographer, designer and director for both primary and secondary school performances, musicals and plays and has led schools in the creation of Wakakirri, J Rock and Rock Eisteddfod Challenge performances.

Naomi has a comprehensive knowledge of the NSW Drama syllabus and has created a wide variety of Drama programs placing emphasis on teaching to syllabus outcomes and assessable learning. She has been involved in ongoing programming, creating rich, outcomes-based Drama programs for stages 4,5,6 and has a special interest in the evolving nature of technology within a theatrical context. Naomi has also been instrumental in organising many large-scale and intimate artistic works for a variety of school institutions and arts programs.

Prior to her career in education, Naomi built an impressive career in the performing arts. An actor, dancer, singer and performer, Naomi has starred in more than 30 productions from professional, semi-professional and community theatre, numerous television and film roles and also hosted her own children’s television show. Naomi is an established choreographer and has tutored for Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) for a number of years and was part of the choreography and stage management team for Ben Hur – The Arena Spectacular produced by ANZ stadium. Her latest endeavour is creating the voice and puppeteering 'Bessie Broccoli' for ABCs Giggle and Hoot.