Meet our valued staff members who help with the everyday running of Access2Arts.
Rebecca (Bec) Young is an experienced and passionate leader, ally and advocate in the for-purpose sector. Prior to finding her passion and taking up work in disability and social services over 12 years ago, Rebecca gained a wealth of experience across a variety of roles in marketing, advertising, media and communications in a range of industries.
Rebecca completed her MBA in 2014 and the Governors Leadership Foundation program in 2016, she also has a Certificate II in Auslan, a forklift licence and suite of less useful certificates.
She contributes a strong focus on developing young leaders, increasing diversity and inclusion, accessible communications, strategy and sustainable organisational development.
In addition to her role as Chief Executive at Access2Arts Rebecca volunteers as a mentor for several leadership development programs and is the chair of inclusive social circus school Lolly Jar Circus.
DJ TR!P is an award-winning performer, musician and disabled artist. He composes for contemporary theatre, dance and film productions. He has performed at many music and art festivals, launches and major cultural events nationally and abroad. DJ TR!P also specialises in accessible DJ and music workshops in the disability sector.
Read moreMeg Riley is a disabled and autistic artist, educator and audio describer, with a strong record of facilitating disability access in the arts sector. She has worked in museums and galleries creating accessible and educational programs, as well as creative digital resources such as podcasts and videos.
Read moreJude is a spirited Arts Administrator with 20 years of Festival and large-scale music and sporting event experience.
Identifying as a disabled woman, Jude is dedicated to using her lived experience to advocate for change and better accessibility for her community.
She is a qualified Visual Artist, completing her Advanced Diploma of Applied and Visual Arts, majoring in Jewellery at North Adelaide School of Art.
She has successfully staged exhibitions around Australia.
As a founding member of Adelaide Roller Derby, she has skated her way around Australia, New Zealand and North America.
In her downtime, she is an avid gardener, maker of dumplings and baker of treats.
Georgina has a strong passion for and background in the arts, completing a Graduate Diploma in Art History from the University of Adelaide, working in Marketing at the Adelaide Fringe, volunteering at The David Roche Foundation and assisting the RSASA. She is passionate about helping the arts in South Australia, and the country, to become increasingly accessible to those living with varying disabilities, and to help artists with disability to have success in their creative careers.
Read moreAbbie Madden is a dancer, originally from Kaurna Land (Adelaide) where she was a member of the world renowned Australian Dance Theatre’s Youth Ensemble. Abbie relocated to Belfast in 2014 to fulfil her dream of working with ponydance and became a company member for two years. Abbie is a versatile performer and a founding member of the highly successful Yuck Circus. She also works as a choreographer with experience in dance performance along with creative research and developments, film, physical theatre and musical theatre. Abbie wishes to work with those with a vision impairment, coming from her own experiences being born with congenital glaucoma. In 2020 Abbie was awarded the National Leadership Award in Arts Access supported by the Australian Council for the Arts. Abbie continues to work in the arts and disability through advocacy. When she isn’t performing or making social change you can find her climbing around at heights as a qualified rigger and rope access technician. Abbie Madden is Artistic Director and founder of inclusive dance and circus company Blindful. Their work My Sight - Their Sight successfully completed an Australian and New Zealand tour in 2018.
Read moreAccess2Arts is a not-for-profit incorporated association governed by volunteer Board of Management (at least 51% of which must identify as Deaf or disabled people).
Elizabeth is an accredited mental health social worker and mediator, with over 30 years’ experience in consulting, training and counselling. She has worked with employee assistance programs, legal firms, major banks, government agencies, small-to-medium and not-for-profit organisations to resolve complex workplace conflicts and support positive relationships. As a speaker, Elizabeth motivates audiences to manage difficult conversations and difficult people. She is Trustee of Awesome Adelaide and an Alumni of the Governors Leadership Program. Elizabeth’s lived experience as a disabled person informs her advocacy for beautiful design and accessible appliances. She has performed in several community choirs, including Tutti Ensemble and The Big Sing. Elizabeth currently sings in a community gospel choir.
Tass has a wealth of commercial management expertise from a diverse range of industries including telecommunications, banking, media, food production and distribution, tourism, major cultural events, China/Australia trade, and fundraising. She is dedicated to constantly expanding her learning, pushing into the challenges of commercialisation and innovation, and contributing to the more balanced diversity ratios at leadership levels through organisations and boards.
Boo Hooi has many years of experience in the computing industry with hardware and software design, software development, manufacturing, retail and customer services. He has previously delivered embedded computing solutions in the defence, health, education and construction sectors. In his current role he is responsible for the administration, eLearning content creation, project management, and providing high level leadership for the development and delivery of corporate work health and safety programs.
Boo Hooi’s diverse international work experience and cultural background coupled with his passion in connecting with people has allowed him to collaborate with others in a professional and personal capacity.
His lived experience also provides an opportunity to be an advocate for workplace accessibility and inclusion.
Katrina Lazaroff is the executive arts director of The Mill. Her experience as a creative producer, CCD worker, artistic director, choreographer, performer, rehearsal director, educator and creative mentor, spans 27 years. Currently she is a member of the Access2Arts board.
She was the founder of dance theatre company ‘One Point 618’, founding creative producer of Expressway Arts, Carclew and Onkaparinga City Council, assistant producer at The Royal Croquet Club, director of the ACT Youth Dance Festival and project AD of Buzz Dance Theatre, WA.
Katrina has worked as a performer and choreographer nationally and internationally over the span of her 20 plus year dance career – graduating with a BA in Dance at the Uni of Adelaide 1996, Honours at WAAPA 2001 and studied at the Hooger Instituit Voor Danse, Belgium in 1997.
Laura Kroetsch is a long-time curator and producer of literary and ideas festivals. She has a passion for connecting writers/artists with audiences. She also strongly believes the arts should be available to everyone.
Benjamin is outcomes driven and focused on stakeholders and their problems. He is passionate about learning and developing people both internal and external to his organisations. He is experienced in training system analysis and evaluation, and developing Training Requirements Specifications and Learning Management Packages.
Benjamin’s career began as an Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force where he operated and instructed on multiple platforms including the E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft. Benjamin spent three years embedded in the Defence Science and Technology Group’s Aerospace Division – Human Factors Group where I focussed on Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) systems and future training systems.
Benjamin co-founded Coherics to deliver innovative training system solutions and strategies for the Defence Force, Government, and Commercial clients to train operators faster, and more efficiently.
In his current role as Executive Director of Coherics, he has built a team of industry experts that share his passion for producing staff and workers for clients that are highly capable and are developed faster and cheaper.
The people who work at Access2Arts have a lot of experience working in the arts and disability.
We think that the work Access2Arts does can make the arts more inclusive.
Gaelle Mellis is the Creative Director.
At Access2Arts it is her job to create great projects
and improve access in the arts.
Martin Sawtell is the Business Director.
At Access2Arts it is his job to support artists
and make sure Access2Arts pays bills.
Jody Holdback coordinates the Audio Description service.
Laura Smans coordinates the 30 X 30 Project.
Other awesome people work with us doing workshops and projects.