International Women's Day is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
In 2023, our 50th year and in recognition of International Women's Day on Wednesday 8 March, we're celebrating five women who work at Adelaide Festival Centre.
Image: Photo by Simon Rogers
Julie Jensen, Adelaide Festival Centre Graphic Designer
What is your role at Adelaide Festival Centre? What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m a Graphic Designer and a typical day can be anything from meeting with a Festival Director to discuss new imagery for an upcoming festival, to measuring one of the many spaces in and around our theatres to resolve how a new installation will work. From 80-page brochures to single page leaflets, to small signage to large scale designs that cover entire walls, windows or billboards, websites to animated videos, to marquees, umbrellas, car-wraps to pens, I can find myself working on many diverse design projects from their inception to completion.
I love the creative environment. Working with amazingly talented people creating designs about incredible shows. Every day has a new design challenge to resolve, it’s never dull, and I’m glad I have the opportunity to do what I enjoy.
What has been your proudest moment/biggest achievement in your career so far?
It’s not so much the big moments but the everyday ones that I find gratifying. Those moments when I happen upon one of my designs out in the world - a poster, billboard, or tram-wrap or when I see someone picking up my brochure to look through it.
Do you have any mentors who have supported you along the way?
We never stop learning and for me there have been many colleagues and friends who have supported and taught me.
Who’s the most memorable artist you’ve worked with/show you’ve worked on?
Working with the festival Artistic Directors is always memorable. Each person brings something unique and creative to their vision for the festival, it’s my starting point for the direction of my work.
There are also times when you’ll unexpectedly encounter artists backstage or share the lunchroom with them. Sometimes it’s hard not to be star-struck.
Image: Photo by Simon Rogers
Charissa Davies, Adelaide Festival Centre Senior Exhibitions Curator
What is your role at Adelaide Festival Centre? What does a typical day look like for you?
A: Senior Exhibitions Curator. No two days are the same. I can be at my desk one day then up a ladder installing an exhibition the next. Meeting with artists, packing artworks into crates, deciding on exhibition layouts, giving tours of exhibitions, and working with our two collections. These collections include the Works of Art Collection and the Performing Arts Collection. They contain hundreds of thousands of items and memorabilia that must be meticulously maintained and displayed.
What has been your proudest moment/biggest achievement in your career so far?
Building ongoing relationships with artists. These relationships result in providing creative spaces for artists to exhibit their work without the pressure of commercial sales. Seeing artists turn ideas into fruition and the connections formed with audiences.
Who’s the most memorable artist you’ve worked with/show you’ve worked on?
Melati Suryodarmo, an Indonesian durational performance artist. The work was called 24,901 Miles and consisted of five tons of red dirt and performed across two days. It was performed at OzAsia Festival in 2015 as a world premiere. I had never worked with a performance artist before, and it changed my opinion and opened my eyes to a whole new artform.
Image: Photo by Simon Rogers
Celia Coulthard, Adelaide Festival Centre Assistant Producer
What is your role at Adelaide Festival Centre? What does a typical day look like for you?
My role is Assistant Producer and I work across much of the First Nations programming at Adelaide Festival Centre. My days are highly variable, depending on what’s going on, in quiet times they are all emails and planning and in delivery mode I’m on my feet doing laps of Adelaide Festival Centre and thousands of steps a day.
There are, however, a few constants, regardless of the season, every day I get to engage with artists which is a treat and I usually have the opportunity to exercise a bit of creativity with my programs which really helps to fan the flame of inspiration amongst all the spreadsheets!
What has been your proudest moment/biggest achievement in your career so far?
The development of First Nations literary and storytelling events OUR WORDS and OUR STORIES which are becoming important platforms for sharing and celebrating both our ancient and contemporary narratives. Importantly, seeing the steady growth of Mob in our audiences thanks to these and other events in our program is a real source of pride for me.
Do you have any mentors who have supported you along the way?
I am eternally grateful for the saintly patience and wisdom of my colleague and dear friend, Kellie Nicol. Try as I might, I can’t seem to find a question too silly or conundrum too odd for Kell to workshop with me.
Who’s the most memorable artist you’ve worked with/show you’ve worked on?
This is a hard question. It’s like picking a favorite child, but our very first OUR WORDS is a good contender. We were right in the middle of 2020 and filming (a new skill for most of us) with the strictest of safety precautions in place. And, to boot, it was the first time I’d worked with any of the artists but at the end of a long day in the studio, we came out with a series of extraordinary clips of spoken word poetry performances by some of South Australia’s finest First Nations poets, who have continued to support the event (and me) ever since.
Where do you hope to see Adelaide Festival Centre in 50 years?
I’m very excited about our reconciliation journey and looking forward to the shells of Adelaide Festival Centre utterly bursting with First Nations voices, stories and audiences over the next 50 years and beyond.
Image: Photo by Simon Rogers
Naomi Bailey, Adelaide Festival Centre Front of House Supervisor
What is your role at Adelaide Festival Centre? What does a typical day look like for you?
I work for the Patron Services team as a Front of House Supervisor. In my role there is no typical day as my day is contingent upon the show that my team and I are working on, and each varies in its operational requirements.
Do you have any mentors who have supported you along the way?
I am lucky in that I have had the privilege to work with some inspirational and passionate women in my career at Adelaide Festival Centre. The former head of my department Penny McAuley gave me my start in leadership. She was an engaging and value-driven leader. More recently Heather Poole and Kate Hagan who lead patron services inspire me every day in their strategic direction and passion for patron engagement. They infuse energy, passion and connection into their actions and behaviours coupled with a clear vision, mission, and commitment to integrity.
What has been your proudest moment/biggest achievement in your career so far?
My proudest moment to date has probably been assisting my team to stay connected during Covid. When the team was not working, we developed a plan to keep connected and promote health and wellbeing with a sense of humour and optimism.
Who’s the most memorable artist you’ve worked with/show you’ve worked on?
Having been with the organisation for almost 20 years it is difficult to pinpoint a particular artist or show that has been the most memorable. Theatre is a magical communal experience and the most impactful moments have been seeing an audience have an epiphany experience that changes their life and opens their hearts and minds.
Where do you hope to see Adelaide Festival Centre in 50 years?
I hope in 50 years Adelaide Festival Centre is still the heart of the arts in the city of Adelaide, an iconic landmark known for vibrant arts and making arts accessible to all.
Image: Photo by Simon Rogers
Jane Rossetto, Adelaide Festival Centre Head of Sound
What is your role at Adelaide Festival Centre? What does a typical day look like for you?
My job title is Head of Sound for the Production Department. My typical day starts with answering messages from the crew, then I shuffle through my admin, timesheets and/or show charges.
The bulk of my day is taken over with meetings - meeting clients, designers, producers, artists, production teams, sorting out stage layouts, hires and backline. Eventually I make way to visiting the crew in venues, chatting to artists, and offering support when I can.
What has been your proudest moment/biggest achievement in your career so far?
I’ve been lucky to win a Churchill Fellowship and travel Europe in the pursuit of understanding the amplification of Opera and Orchestras. Seeing the trends, talking to peers and learning about iconic acoustic spaces.
The Adelaide Critics Circle Lifetime Achievement Award – you could have pushed me over with a feather winning that one.
Recently, it was sound designing Watershed – a politically important South Australian story.
Do you have any mentors who have supported you along the way?
In the early days – when it was mostly men in the industry, Bruce “Bunny” Cook from Sydney Opera House got me going mixing and touring 42nd Street the musical, and Paul Curry at Adelaide Festival Centre in 1975, one of the original sound technicians.
Very few sound women crossed my path when I was working on the floor (sending a big shout out to Jeanne Hurrell) but in the last ten years that’s been changing at a rapid rate, which is great to see.
Who’s the most memorable artist you’ve worked with/show you’ve worked on?
So difficult to answer after all this time. Often, it’s the moment you have with artists when they are most vulnerable, crossing onto stage into the light. Or it’s during the rehearsal, trying to interpret their anxiety or feelings into a mechanical fix.
For the most memorable show I have worked on, I think I’ll pick the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and sitting amongst the musicians - swarmed by sound and marveling at how they can sync and play so precisely, under the baton of the Conductor.
Where do you hope to see Adelaide Festival Centre in 50 years?
I wish for Adelaide Festival Centre to remain a central hub, a gathering place for great artists to perform, our home companies to be featured and audiences of all ages to experience live theatre and music.
What's On
Explore upcoming events at Adelaide Festival Centre, that showcase our fierce, fabulous and endlessly talented female artists.
