About Us

KATT OSBORNE – Executive Director
Katt brings a range of experience as an arts leader, creative producer and artist to her role as Executive Director. She has been a part of the WA independent arts scene since the beginning of her career in 2008. Katt’s contributions to WA have been recognised through receiving the 2016 WA Young Achiever of the Year (Arts) and an Edith Cowan University Chapter’s Golden Key Honorary Membership (Leadership). In her previous roles, Katt was a co-founding artistic member of The Last Great Hunt and its inaugural General Manager, a 2018 Resident Artist (Director) with Black Swan State Theatre Company and Artistic Director of Mandurah’s Riptide Youth Performance Company for the last five years.

Katt is passionate about advocacy for WA independent artists and fostering a rich ecology to create and share exceptional new work and diverse stories. She is particularly interested in forging collaborations between arts organisations and supporting opportunities for emerging artists. Katt continues to maintain her performing arts practice as an independent director and performance maker.

HARRIET ROBERTS – Producer
A graduate of WAAPA’s Arts Management course as well as Arts (Communication Studies) at the University of Western Australia, Harriet worked as an independent producer and publicist prior to joining The Blue Room Theatre as Associate Producer in April 2016. Just over two years later, she stepped into the role of Producer and is thrilled to continue to work with The Blue Room Theatre in championing and supporting independent artists at both a local and national level.

MELANIE JULIEN-MARTIAL – Associate Producer
Melanie Julien-Martial is a film producer/production coordinator, and an emerging theatre producer. She recently completed a Master’s of Screen Studies (Producing/Directing) at the WA Screen Academy, where she received the Channel 9 Excellence in Producing Award. Recent screen credits include feature film I Met A Girl (Production Assistant), SBS/Screenwest short film Tribunal(Production Coordinator), and WASA/Channel 9 short film When Harri Met Salma (Producer). For theatre, she is currently producing Two Canaries (Alexa Taylor); Cephalopod (Squid Vicious); production assisting at Performing Lines WA; and is the associate producer at The Blue Room Theatre.

ROGER MILLER – Venue and Operations Manager
After completing a year 12 certificate in Canberra in 1979 and attending the Victorian College of Arts in 1981, Roger worked as a stage manager for the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney for 2 years where his work included lighting and sound design and operation as well as stage management. In between operating sound for touring productions he worked as a lighting operator at the Sydney Opera House until 1985. After national tours as sound operator, he returned to the Sydney Opera House as a Sound operator and worked with companies like the Australian Opera, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Roger moved to Perth in 1994.

Since relocating to Perth he has worked as a lighting operator and designer, sound operator and designer, and stage manager at venues including His Majesty’s Theatre, Playhouse, Concert Hall, Subiaco Theatre Centre, Regal Theatre, Pica, Rechabites’ Hall and for companies such as Black Swan, Perth Theatre Company, Yirri Yaakin, Tura New Music Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Barking Gecko, Awesome Festival and Skadada. Roger has also taken tours to Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne as well as to Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Shanghai (China).

RYAN SANDILANDS – Marketing and Communications Manager
After graduating from Edith Cowan University with a Bachelor of Communications, Ryan went on to work in a number of marketing and communications roles across the arts sector. He has previously worked for Perth Concert Hall, The Bird and as Perth editor for retired publication The Thousands. Ryan joined The Blue Room Theatre in August 2017.

SALLY MARTIN – Office and Front of House Manager
Sally studied classics and languages at the University of Western Australia, became an Associate of the Trinity College of London and gained her Performer’s Shield in dance before going on to do the theatre course at WAAPA. After graduating, Sally worked extensively as an actor and wine promoter and formed the co-operative Actors Waiting and the all female, smoking, drinking and tap dancing group Veuve Click-O. Sally finally got a proper job at Boffins Bookshop in 2000 but was enticed away by Jansis O’Hanlon to join the Blue Room team in 2007 where she lives happily ever after. Sally is a wine baron and a Scrabble master. True story.

SCOTT MCARDLE – Office and Front of House Coordinator
Scott started as a volunteer at The Blue Room in 2011, graduated to casual box office staff and now holds the title of part-timer. He’s a real career path go-getter! You can also find him writing and directing shows such as Laika (2017), Josephine! (2018), and Playthings (2019). Scott has worked for Perth Theatre Trust, The Last Great Hunt, Murdoch University, WAAPA, and a variety of local theatre companies. He loves bahn mi, red wine, and Dungeons & Dragons – the simple things in life.

KAREN CONNOLLY – Accounts
Karen has been working as a freelance bookkeeper and administrative assistant since 2000. Karen is an arts graduate from UWA and a qualified secondary school teacher. As well as maintaining The Blue Room Theatre’s accounts, Karen is a freelance proofreader and also writes film reviews on The Boomtown Rap.

CONSTITUTION
The Blue Room Theatre is the trading name of The Performing Arts Centre Society, which was incorporated as an association in 1989. Here is the current version of the Constitution for the association.

Constitution – View Here

POLICIES
The Board of Management maintains a suite of policies that govern the management of The Blue Room Theatre. Here are a number of the key policies of interest to members and audience.

Bullying and Sexual Harassment Policy – View Here
Sustainability Policy – View Here
Ticketing Policy – View Here
Sponsorship and Philanthropy – View Here
Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code of Practice – View Here

PURPOSE, VISION & VALUES
Here’s a copy of the Purpose, Vision and Values that drive The Blue Room Theatre.

Purpose, Vision and Values – View Here

SHANE COLQUHOUN – Chair
Key Skills + Expertise – Arts Industry / Arts Management / Government
Board member since 2014

Following a career as a professional dancer overseas and in Australia, Shane’s arts management career has included positions within government and the arts sector including General Manager roles with Deckchair Theatre (1987-89), West Australian Ballet (1992-96) and most recently Black Swan State Theatre Company (2009-14). From 2000-09, he worked at the WA Department of Culture and the Arts in a number of senior executive roles and on secondment as the Minister for Culture and the Arts’ Policy Advisor. In 2014, Shane re-established his arts management consultancy. He is also the Secretary of the WA Chamber of Arts and Culture.

PHILIPPA MAUGHAN – Deputy Chair
Key Skills + Expertise – Arts Administration / Regional Touring
Board member since 2012, Deputy Chair since 2013

Philippa is manager of Performing Arts Touring at Country Arts WA having joined the organisation in 2007. She is responsible for national and state touring and tour funding programs, the strategic direction of the touring program, as well as for sourcing funding and reporting to funding bodies. Prior to returning to study and achieving a Bachelor of Arts (Performance Studies) at Curtin University in WA, Philippa worked extensively in corporate administration.

TANYA PAYNE – Treasurer
Key Skills + Experience – Finance / Accounting
Board member + Treasurer since 2010

Tanya has worked in finance at various firms for over 20 years while completing a Bachelor of Business (double major in Accounting and Management) at Edith Cowan University. She has held board positions with various other not-for-profit organizations including the Finance Committee of The Centre for Cerebral Palsy and Duncraig Senior High School, and sat on the Perth Theatre Company board for six years.Tanya’s insight into financial management and dealing with government comes from 12 years with Marketforce, a leading WA advertising agency, and having recently joined Volunteer Task Force, a government funded community organization assisting the frail, aged and disabled.

EMMA-JANE MORCOMBE – Board Member
Key Skills + Expertise – Arts Industry / Arts Management / Public Relations
Board member since 2018

Emma-Jane is a journalist-turned-media-and-PR-advisor, currently working for Anglicare WA. EJ specialises in working with not-for-profit organisations to grow their brand, having previously advised the Chamber of Arts & Culture WA, RSPCA and St John Ambulance amongst others. Emma-Jane started her career in radio, including a five year stint at MIX 94.5 and 92.9. During this time EJ began to tinker in PR, promoting friends’ theatre productions in Perth (including at The Blue Room Theatre) and Edinburgh Fringe.

Since being elected in 2018, Emma-Jane has brought a new perspective to the Board with her insights and knowledge of media and communications. She has generously shared her media contacts and knowledge with the 2019 cohort of theatre-makers and supporting The Blue Room’s marketing – it was EJ who organised for Nine News’ to broadcast from The Blue Room Theatre on opening night of Fringe World 2019. EJ is keen to continue on the Board for a second term, adding her PR expertise as The Blue Room Theatre enters an exciting new era of growth and development.

LIESBETH GOEDHART – Secretary
Key Skills + Expertise – Philanthropy / Arts Management / Marketing
Board member since

Liesbeth holds a degree in Fine Arts from Curtin University and has worked in the arts and cultural sector in Western Australia for 18 years. She has held a range of senior roles, including Director of Marketing and Development for the Perth International Arts Festival (2000-2005). In 2008, she established the WA office of Artsupport (now Creative Partnerships Australia) for the Australia Council for the Arts.

Since 2010, her firm goedhARTconsulting has specialised in strategic planning, community and stakeholder consultation, philanthropy and brokering corporate-arts partnerships. As a consultant, Liesbeth has worked with many organisations across all art forms throughout the State, from small to medium to major cultural institutions.

An enthusiastic collaborator who thrives on empowering people and encouraging emerging creative talent, Liesbeth enjoys using her experience and energy to add value to arts organisations and their boards. She has been a Board member at the Blue Room Theatre Board since early 2018 and previously served on the Boards of Strut Dance (2011-2017) and Tura New Music (2014-2019). She is also a founding committee member of Impact100 Fremantle, a community giving circle. Liesbeth is passionate about helping to build a truly inclusive arts sector, free from barriers, where people of all abilities and cultural backgrounds bring their own unique perspectives to the creative process and participate on an equal basis. She is excited about continuing to bring her wealth of fundraising experience in the arts, skills in strategic planning and her wide network of relationships in WA to benefit the Blue Room Theatre and its members.

MONICA KANE – Board Member
Key Skills + Expertise – Arts Industry / Arts Leadership / Social Change
Board Member since 2020

Monica’s day job is co-CEO of Community Arts Network (CAN). She is also a Board member of SCOOP Foundation, which works to break the poverty cycle of children living on the streets in Varanasi, India. Monica is in the final months of completing her Masters in Human Rights Education at Curtin, with a specific focus on Indigenous and children’s rights.

Having been in arts leadership positions for over ten years, Monica’s current role enables her to lead CAN to create positive social change through the arts, building inclusion and understanding between people. Recently, she has successfully steered the organisation through volatile times, developed an empowering culture, and established a financially viable organisation that can flourish beyond the ebbs and flows of government cycles. Most importantly, her experience at CAN has created opportunities to work with Elders on First Nations programs across Noongar country and recently extended this work alongside creatives of colour establishing intercultural dialogues through self-determined programs. It’s these achievements that Monica is most passionate about.

As an arts leader, Monica has extensive experience and strong relationships with national peers, and local, state and federal government bodies across many sectors. Previous to the arts, Monica was a sole trader, providing facilitation and training services for management and business qualifications across sectors, cultural groups and countries including Pakistan and Turkey.

With this experience Monica brings a level, focused, and strategic perspective over governance, strategy, financial analysis, funding and partnerships, and community engagement. She also holds a double degree in BA Arts (Communication and Cultural Studies), and BSocSc, (Sociology).

ZAINAB SYED – Board Member
Key Skills + Expertise – Arts Industry / Arts Management / Community Engagement
Board Member since 2020

Zainab is a poet, producer and educator. She graduated with a BA in Political Science from Brown University, USA. From 2014-2017 she toured as a performance poet across the US, UK, Middle East, South Asia and Australia and facilitated art therapy workshops for incarcerated women, trauma victims and migrants and refugees. She is co-founder of Pakistan Poetry Slam and illUMEnate, a collective of diverse artists and humanitarians in WA.

In 2017 Zainab joined Performing Lines WA as a Producer, where she has worked on/toured: Whoosh! by Sensorium Theatre, Layla Majnun by illUMEnate, Small Voices Louder and Dear Hope Street by Maybe Together, Fully Sikh by Barking Gecko and Black Swan, Minneapolis by Will O’Mahony, Black Brass by Mararo Wangai, Children of the Sea by Jay Emmanuel and 5+5 (Sydney) with the SweatShop and Playwriting Australia. Zainab is a PAWA Judge, Member of CAN Diversity Working Group & a 2020 Churchill Fellow. With PLWA she regularly attends APACA/PAX, Dance Massive/ATF and WA Showcase.

My passion is in curating and facilitating opportunities for intercultural collaboration between independent artists, and re-imagining the frameworks around inclusion. I believe theatre has the power to forge transformative experiences and connections between people and communities. I really look forward to being involved in developing the Blue Room’s access and inclusion strategies and initiatives during my term as well as bringing my experience in creating new pathways for emerging and diverse artists, championing the independent arts sector, and supporting WA artists and stories to tour regionally, nationally and internationally, to benefit the Blue Room Theatre’s membership, and community as we embark on an exciting new chapter together.

IAN WILKES – Board Member
Key Skills + Expertise – Multi-disciplinary Performer and Artist / Emerging Leader
Board Member since 2020

Ian Wilkes is a proud Noongar man of the Wadjuk and Balladong people. He graduated from WAAPA (Aboriginal theatre) in 2008. Theatre credits include Honey Spot, Kaarla Kaatijin, So Long Suckers and Hecate for Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company and The Long Forgotten Dream for Sydney Theatre Company. In 2015 Ian performed at the Opera House with the long running WA show Binjareb Pinjarra.

Ian has also developed skills in directing and writing. Productions directed by him include Kep Kaatijin, Songbird (The Blue Room Theatre collaboration). Boodjar Kaatijin (also written by Ian) and Djinda Kaatijin (2019) for Yirra Yaakin, and Hobo (2016) for The Blue Room Theatre. He was also assistant director of Yirra Yaakin’s 2014 production King Hit.

Amongst Ian’s acting and directing career he is also a talented dancer. He teaches traditional and contemporary dance to the younger generation by combining his knowledge of culture, theatre and performance.