...it was important not to conceive MAPS as a mere 'service' to artists, but rather as the foundation for an equal creative partnership between producer and artist.
John Baylis, Former Theatre Board Director, Australia Council for the Arts
Staff
Wendy Blacklock Executive Producer
Wendy spent a large part of her life as a performer working in radio, stage and television. For the last 29 years she has devoted her energy to developing, producing and touring Australian artists and small companies. To do this she created an Australian Content Department at the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, and this then became Performing Lines. Wendy has won many awards for her services to the arts and these include an Order of Australia, a James Cassius Award and a Drovers' Touring Legend from the APACA presenters. More satisfying is the number of performances she has organised for Australian artists both nationally and internationally.
Fiona de Garis Producer
Fiona de Garis is the Perth based Producer of Performing Lines WA. Previously an itinerant project, company and stage manager, for 14 years Fiona worked for many of Australia's leading performing arts organisations from WA Opera to Playbox. Work in opera, theatre, fine music, street theatre, dance and even eventually circus took her round Australia and overseas. A major career highlight was Fiona's work on 11 tours of the site specific Urban Dream Capsule directed by Neil Thomas. As Company Manager, Fiona dealt with everything from risk management planning for Brazilian soccer riots, to plumbing disasters (frequent) and pesticide poisoning (happily infrequent!).
Fiona enjoyed many roles with the Perth International Arts Festival, including a 2006 contract as Programme Manager for the Statewide reading initiative One Book. In 2007 Fiona became Associate Producer of the 20th UNIMA Congress and World Puppetry Festival, delivering a programme including 11 invited International companies and over 20 Australian productions in just 12 months. Meeting Mr Squiggle in person was an undoubted highlight!
Sarah Rowbottam Communications Manager
Since graduating from Curtin University of Technology in 2006 with a double BA in Art and Communication and Cultural Studies, Sarah has spent the last four years jumping between various roles at Perth arts organisations; Perth Festival, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth, STRUT dance and Tura New Music. Adamant that she can juggle the hats of marketing, public relations, design and whatever her boss Fiona can throw at her, Sarah has now settled into a life at Performing Lines WA where she is content with having theatre and dance artists as her new best friends.
In addition to Performing Lines WA, Sarah is a practicing artist and emerging curator. In June 2010 she curated Rounds, a group show featuring the work of nine WA emerging artists, in the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts' Central Galleries, and produced the Rounds book, a 192-page publication compiled of artist interviews, documentation and in-depth essays written by eight WA writers.
Michelle Francis Administrator
Michelle graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama Studies & Photo Media and has worked for several years in Arts Administration and as an independent film and theatre practitioner. She was most recently employed at ScreenWest, Western Australia's screen funding and development agency, where she administered the funding process for the Development stream of ScreenWest's Funding Program, including the co-ordination of the West Coast Visions Low Budget Feature Film initiative; as well as the Courses & Training scheme and all industry Professional Association activities. Michelle's focus in this role was managing all contracting for recipients of Development funding and providing information on the essentials of Film Copyright and Intellectual Property. In 2009, Michelle was responsible for drafting and implementing the revised funding guidelines for the Development stream of the funding program during ScreenWest's Funding Program Review.
Michelle has been involved in several Perth theatre productions at The Blue Room and PICA as a performer and Assistant Director; starred in short films that have been accepted into a number of international festivals, and has had images selected for exhibition in 2008 and 2009 for Lomovember - an annual lomography photographic exhibition curated by Pigeonhole.