MONICA KANE – Chair
Arts Industry / Arts Leadership / Social Change
Board Member since 2020
As the Chair of The Blue Room Theatre, Monica is devoted to The Blue Room’s significance in the evolution and legacy of Western Australian arts and culture. The convergence of human rights, culture, and the arts is where her passion for telling stories comes to life.
Monica’s experience in management spans more than 30 years. She has worked in various sectors, industries, continents, and cultures. She is dedicated to providing transparent, real, and empathetic leadership. She supports robust governance that is responsible for creating non-profit, artistic, and cultural institutions that are sustainable.
She now owns and operates a consultancy, Creative Impact. This gives her the opportunity to work at Moodjar with Whadjuk Elder and Professor Dr. Len Collard and his wife Lisa, providing business development and stakeholder management support to their innovative cultural model on Noongar placenames. They work with the community, state, local, and federal government agencies, as well as the private sector.
Additionally, she co-developed a publicly available, free framework for ethical partnerships to assist executives and arts boards in navigating the often-paralysing landscape that faces decision makers. This piece was tested and inspired by The Blue Room Theatre.
Staying true to her artistic roots, she looks for chances to share her knowledge and expertise in strategy development, like the recent restructure of the Margaret River Heart and the ongoing review of the Atwell House & Gallery with respected colleagues.
Monica recently earned a master’s degree in human rights, so she has a natural commitment to seeing First People’s first principles ingrained in businesses and everyday life as a genuine commitment to reconciliation. All of these reasons continue to be central to her support of a robust, sustainable arts sector in our country.
TANYA PAYNE – Treasurer
Finance / Accounting
Board member + Treasurer since 2008
Tanya is a qualified CPA with experience across a vast array of commercial and charitable industries including advertising, community funded services, volunteering, hospitality, children’s services, therapy services, builder and trade services.
She joined The Blue Room Theatre Board in 2008 in the position of Treasurer. Previous Board experience includes school boards, community service organisation committees and various not for profit organisations, including Perth Theatre Company. With a broad range of experience across all parts of business, Tanya supports the Board with financial acumen, business insights and governance.
Tanya enjoys helping others see the story that is being told by the numbers and bringing financial clarity to those tasked with decision making. She believes in providing opportunities to young and upcoming artists as a start to their journey of expression. Her belief is that equity is about providing opportunities to people appropriate to enable them to shine.
SAM NERIDA – Secretary
Artist (Performance Maker / Writer / Producer)
Board member since 2020
Sam Nerida is a theatre maker, producer and award-winning playwright, working and living in Boorloo on Whadjuk Noongar boodja. They are also the Producer and co-founder of Static Drive Co, a Digital Puppeteer for Murdoch University, and an arts-educator for young people. In 2020 Sam was commissioned to contribute to Playwriting Australia’s ‘Dear Australia’ project, was a KISS Club and Perth Festival Lab artist, developed several Winter Nights projects and is currently directing The Jellyman. Their play ‘See You Next Tuesday’ was awarded Best New Writing (The Blue Room Theatre), Best New Work and Best Independent Production (PAWA Awards) for 2019. They have worked for The Blue Room Theatre as their Associate Producer (2018 – 2019), and their recent performance credits include The Wolves (Red Ryder, 2019).
Sam’s love for The Blue Room Theatre has grown with each new way they have engaged – as an artist, an audience member, a staff member – and will bring a fierce passion for both the organisation itself and the WA arts sector at large. Recently their practice has moved away from performance projects and towards the facilitation of professional and sector development, specifically in areas of youth engagement, disability and cultural diversity, always with values of self-determination and inclusivity at the forefront. Sam believes that The Blue Room Theatre always is and will continue to be an industry leader in both performance and process, and would honour the chance to be a part of that journey for the coming years.
EMILY MCLEAN
Artist (Director / Dramaturg)
Board member since 2020
Emily McLean is a WAAPA Directing graduate, and a founding member of Red Ryder Productions. She has worked for Black Swan, Perth Theatre Company, Deckchair, Red Ryder, WAAPA, Curtin, and many of Perth’s thrilling independent companies. For Black Swan, she directed Toast by Liz Newell, the world premieres of Animal Farm by Van Badham, Water by Jane Bodie, Dust by Suzie Miller and Unsung Heroes, which was filmed during Perth’s lockdown. Some of the Red Ryder productions she directed are The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe and Grounded by George Brandt. In 2023 she directed Takeaway by Liz Newell for Hayman Theatre, Curtin and Salted Pretzels by Cezera Critti-Schnaars, both at the Blue Room Theatre and was dramaturg on Democracy Repair Services by Noemie Huttner-Koros. She sits on the board of The Blue Room Theatre. Emily has won awards from Equity, PAWA and The Blue Room Theatre for her work.
ALI MARTIN (she/her)
Marketing & Communications
Board member since 2022
Ali Martin is an accomplished purpose-led marketing and communications professional with a strong history of success delivering effective campaigns, motivating high performing teams and engaging partner support.
She has worked across diverse industries delivering strategic marketing and communications for nearly 20 years. Her experience includes leading marketing and communications teams at WA Museum, Water Corporation, The University of Western Australia, and the Department of Sport, Local Government and Cultural Industries. Her current role as Senior Marketing Officer at the State Government’s Small Business Development Corporation sees her helping WA small businesses to start well, survive and thrive.
Ali is passionate about the capacity of arts organisations to support cohesion, advocacy and improved health and wellbeing, both at a community and individual level. She is proud to have supported the WA arts and media communities through her volunteer leadership roles at Propel Youth Arts, The Last Great Hunt theatre company, The Blue Room Theatre, and Women In Media WA. In these volunteer roles, she has collaborated with her peers to support rigorous conversations, drive corporate strategy, assess financial sustainability, and engage key stakeholders such as donors, funders, sponsors, members and partners.
Outside of work, you will find Ali walking her greyhound Amy Grace, dabbling in pottery and treating her nieces and nephews to ‘Aunty Ali Arts Outings’.
CLARA MILLET (she/her)
Philanthropy & Fundraising
Board member since 2022
Clara is a driven individual who aims to help organisations achieve philanthropic and sponsorship growth for positive social change. She holds a degree in law from Barcelona, her hometown, and has completed postgraduate studies in executive business development, marketing, and fundraising. Since 2001, Clara has had a varied international fundraising career working across multiple sectors, including the arts, disability, child protection, and education, in Barcelona, London, Birmingham, and Perth.
In 2012, Clara moved to Australia, where she built a large philanthropic and industry network. She gained experience at World Vision Australia, Murdoch University, and Parkerville Children and Youth Care. Currently, Clara serves as the Bequest Manager at The University of Notre Dame. In this role, she is responsible for the development, growth, and quality of Notre Dame’s bequest program.
Clara completed the Certified Fund Raising Executive Certification in 2023, the only accredited, globally recognised credential for fundraising professionals. She also serves on the Fundraising Institute Australia WA Committee, the state peak body representing professional fundraising in Australia.
You will find Clara horse riding at South Beach in Fremantle in her free time at 5 a.m. She is passionate about horses!
ANA FERREIRA MANHOSO
Artist / Behavioural Science / Business Leadership
Board member since 2023
Ana Ferreira Manhoso is a creative and an organiser based in Wayalup (Fremantle). She has been managing artists and producing theatre for over ten years, founding Crash Theatre Company and working largely in festival landscapes and artistic touring. After completing her undergraduate studies in behavioural science and a master’s in business leadership, her current working role in tertiary management involves developing strategies aimed to widen participation and diversify the student body by increasing support and educational access for underrepresented cohorts.
Ana is pragmatically passionate about turning ideas and concepts into reality. Through an academic lens of social science and leadership theory, she is focussed on impactful storytelling and promoting transformative benefit and growth for communities and organisations.
As an engaged Blue Room member and practicing artist, Ana champions the pursuit for equitable practice, furthering opportunities, and creating new pathways for independent artists. She believes that The Blue Room Theatre is a sacred gem in the ecology of West Australian arts; the flagship of independent theatre-making, providing fundamental development opportunities to emerging artists that is simply unmatched.
RACHEL DAWSON
