Theatre Network Australia appoint four new CaPT Staff

Theatre Network Australia have announced four new staff members - Lauren Swain, Christy Flaws, Christian Schooneveldt-Reid, and Charice Rust - who will begin work in December and January on several new initiatives to support the Circus and Physical Theatre sector, as well as ongoing work as a part of TNA’s CaPT Strategy.

Theatre Network Australia (TNA) is based in Melbourne and was founded as Theatre Network Victoria (TNV) in 2009 by nine Victorian companies. In 2016 they started trading as TNA, in recognition of the national scope of their work.

TNA is the leading industry development and advocacy organisation for small to medium and independent performing arts, working nationally, with a dedicated Victorian program. TNA services a wide range of performing arts including dance, circus and live art.

Lauren Swain (Program Producer – First Nations Circle)
Lauren Swain is a proud Dabee Wiradjuri person with English, Irish and Norwegian heritage, based in Naarm (Melbourne). She grew up in a rural town in the Mountains of Ngarigo Country (Cooma, NSW), an upbringing that underpins an artistic practice grounded in: community consciousness, care, inclusion and working with what you’ve got. Swain is an emerging multidisciplinary theatre maker and weaves between performer, collaborator, facilitator and producer, holding the process and interpersonal connection at the centre of her practice. Swain is a 2022 VCA graduate (BFA Theatre) and is interested in theatre that is led by physical play and movement.

Christy Flaws (Program Producer – CaPT Strategy)
Flaws has been working for over 15 years as an artist, facilitator, director and manager of community arts projects ranging from circus, physical theatre, visual arts, storytelling, community publishing, flash mob dances and film. Flaws co-founded circus and physical theatre company Asking for Trouble with Luke O’Connor in 2008 and has since created, performed and produced various award-winning works, which have toured regionally, nationally and internationally. She loves connecting people with opportunities and helping make inspiring things happen, she is passionate about the kinds of transformational processes that artists can deliver in communities and the many different ways they approach this work.

Christian Schooneveldt-Reid (Program Producer – CaPT Rigging)
Schooneveldt-Reid is a circus professional. After 20 years in the industry, he has a degree in circus arts, has run a small circus company touring across the world, and worked for many Australian circus organisations and a variety of international companies. He loves collaborating on unique and exciting projects, supporting the sector, touring to bizarre out of the way places and watching things grow in the garden.

Charice Rust (Program Producer – CIPI)
Rust is Co-Artistic Director and performer for contemporary circus company One Fell Swoop Circus through which she cultivates her passion for combining innovative physical expression with considered ideas. Rust also works as co-producer for One Fell Sweep Circus developing her creative producer practice alongside her acrobatic practice. Recent performance highlights include the Xintiandi Festival in Shanghai, Hawkes Bay Arts Festival in New Zealand, the CIRCa Festival in Auch, France, and extensive regional touring throughout Australia. She is passionate about growing her producing practice to support the careers of circus artists and companies.

Image: One Fell Swoop Circus Credit: Aaron Walker