Philip Watkins was born and raised in Mparntwe – Alice Springs, Northern Territory, and is part of large extended Arrernte and Larrakia families. 

In August 2011, Philip was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Desart. Prior to his appointment at Desart, Philip was employed as the Artistic and Cultural Director of the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute–Tandanya (2006-2011). 

Philip is a Board Member of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation and is a member of the Northern Territory Ministerial Creative Industries Advisory Council. 

Rachael Maza is a Yidinji and Meriam woman and the current Artistic Director for ILBIJERRI Theatre Company (2008 – present). Both born into a movement and carving her own legacy, Rachael stands strong for First Nations theatre making as a powerful tool for social justice and brings a wealth of acting, directing, dramaturgical experience and profile to black theatre in Australia. During her time as Artistic Director she has furthered lbijerri’s vision of creating Indigenous theatre that is both universal and uniquely Indigenous in its themes, resonating with local, national and international audiences. 

As a performer, Rachael has contributed to several milestone productions, including Radiance for Belvoir St Theatre, The Aboriginal Protesters (directed by Noel Tovey), The Dreamers (written by Jack Davis and directed by Wesley Enoch), The Sapphires for MTC, Playbox Theatre & Belvoir St Theatre, and Beautiful One Day with Ilbijerri Theatre & Version 1.0 as a co-devisor and performer. 

Rachael’s directing credits are equally impressive, including Stolen (Ilbijerri Theatre): Chopped Liver (Ilbijerri); YANDY (Black Swan Theatre Co); SHOW US YOUR TIDDA’s (Melbourne Workers Theatre); Jack Charles V the Crown (Ilbijerri); FOLEY (Ilbijerri); Which Way Home (Ilbijerri) and My URRWAI (Performing Lines/Belvoir/Ilbijerri). 

Rachael contributes to arts leadership in her many advisory roles, and currently sits on the Board of ACMI, as well as the Circus OZ Indigenous Advisory Panel and Australian Opera’s Indigenous Advisory panel. She has previously been a panellist for the Balnaves Indigenous Playwrights Award and is currently on the Greenroom Award ‘Theatre Company’ Panel.

Clint Bracknell is a Noongar song-maker from the south coast of Western Australia and Professor of Music at the University of Western Australia. He is the current chair of AIATSIS (the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies) and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. 

Clint’s work explores connections between song, language and landscapes. This includes co-developing Noongar language resources including both the first fully adapted Shakespearean stage work and dubbed international feature film in a language of Australia. 

Clint has composed for mainstage theatre productions and the globally acclaimed Kronos quartet (USA). He performs and releases music under the name Maatakitj. 

Pauline Clague is Associate Professor, Manager of Cultural Resilience Hub, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research at UTS. She has been a driving force in the creation and sustainability of the Indigenous voice in Australian screen and television. A Yaegl woman from the North Coast of NSW she has worked as a storyteller and producer in film and TV for 30 years. 

She is founder and Artistic Director of Winda Film Festival in Sydney, a programmer for imagineNATIVE media +arts festival in Toronto and is co-creator of NativeSLAM a 72-hour Indigenous film challenge held at Maoriland Film Festival in Otaki and nativeSLAM the feature. As Associate Professor, Pauline has been an innovator and engaged to lead communities to strengthen their voice through the medium of screen and story. 

Pauline also shares her wisdom, industry experience and integrity with emerging creative entrepreneurs through Creative Plus Business. As a NSW Treasury endorsed Creative Specialist, Pauline helps independent filmmakers and other creative people to strengthen their financial sustainability so they can continue to make extraordinary art and stories with empowered, and viable, creative models. 

Pauline worked at the South Australian Film Corporation as the Executive Strategist for First Nations until August this year. 

She was awarded the Stanley Hawes Award in 2015 for her contribution to Australian documentaries and was the 2020 Natalie Miller Fellow. 

Jeanette is a Palawa woman from Lutruwita/Tasmania. A retired public servant, Jeanette worked in Aboriginal Health for over 20 years. A traditional shell stringer, Jeanette manages her own business, Rina Art, creating both traditional and contemporary shell jewellery. Her work incorporates the knowledge and skills passed down by her mother, aunts and grandfather – a cultural practice always undertaken as a family. Jeanette’s necklaces have been acquired by many museums and private collections throughout Australia and internationally. 

Along with other community members, Jeanette lobbied several European countries, on two occasions, for the return of their ancestors’ and secret/sacred objects. In 2005, they gave evidence to a Parliamentary Select Committee, with the aim of changing the British Museum’s Act to allow the return of remains held in public institutions. Evidence given was instrumental in the Select Committee recommending changes to the Museums Act. 

Over the past 30 years Jeanette has worked on several advisory groups and committees, including the Australia Council, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and was Chair of the Aboriginal Arts Advisory Committee for Tasmanian Arts Board. 

Jeanette still spends considerable time collecting and preparing shells for her jewellery. She loves travelling, her two cavoodles, and is a keen gardener and avid reader. Jeanette enjoys spending time with her three sons, two grandchildren, other family and friends. 

The multi award-winning Deborah Mailman AM is one of Australia’s most highly respected actors on stage and screen. Deborah is Bidjara/Ngati Porou/Te Arawa. 

Her feature credits include The New Boy, Radiance, Rabbit Proof Fence, Three Summers, Bran Nue Dae, Oddball and the internationally acclaimed The Sapphires. On television Deborah has created some of Australia’s most enduring characters including the award-winning portrayals in Mystery Road, Redfern Now, Mabo and The Secret Life of Us as well as voicing ‘Big Cuz’ in the successful animation Little J and Big Cuz. Deborah has also been seen in the much-loved series Offspring, Cleverman and Jack Irish. Deborah plays the lead ‘Alex Irving’ in Total Control and received generous critical appraisal for her performance over three seasons. She was most recently seen in the series Boy Swallows Universe, an adaption of the best-selling novel. 

One of Australia’s most celebrated theatre actors, and previously a company member of the Sydney Theatre Company (STC), Deborah’s stage performances include the Matilda Award-winning performances in Radiance and The Seven Stages of Grieving, the Helpmann Award Best Supporting Actress role in the STC production of The Lost Echo and the Helpmann Award nominated role for Best Actress in the theatre production of The Sapphires. 

In 2017 Deborah received the Order of Australia medal for Services to the Arts and as a role model for Indigenous performers. Until recently she was a Trustee of the Sydney Opera House and was appointed to the board of Screen Australia in 2019. 

Daniel, a Wiradjuri artist and arts leader, is the current Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) and the first Blak artist to lead the organisation. He currently sits on the Board of Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, is an Honorary Fellow through the Faculty of Fine Arts (Dance) at University of Melbourne and previously sat on the Board as an Associate of A New Approach (ANA), Australia’s leading cultural think tank. 

He has had an extensive, and critically acclaimed performance career as a dancer (Australian Dance Theatre, Chunky Move, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Fabulous Beast and Leigh Warren & Dancers). Daniel’s choreographic credits include Australian Dance Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Victorian College of the Arts, Dancenorth, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, Louisville Ballet and QL2 Dance. 

Other arts organisations he has worked for are: ILBIJERRI Theatre Company as Associate Producer (2019-2020), and Creative Associate (2020-2021), Moogahlin Performing Arts as a mentor (2021), Board Director for Chunky Move (2019-2022) and Lecturer in Contemporary Dance at the University of Melbourne Victorian College of the Arts (2019-2021), where he launched and led Kummarge, a self-determined mentoring program for First Nations dance students. 

A Widjabul Wiyabal woman from the Bundjalung territories, Rhoda Roberts AO, is the Creative Director for Parrtjima Festival (NT) Boomerang Dreaming (NSW) and Shine on Gimuy (Cairns) and the first Nations Advisor for Vivid Sydney. 

An experienced motivated and versatile arts executive, with a diverse range of international and national industry practice within commercial, community and non-profit organisations. She is currently the Elder in Residence for SBS, Creative Director First Nations NORPA, and is a consultant with the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). 

The former Head of First Nations Programming, Sydney Opera House Rhoda was the founder of Badu Gili and Dancerites. The founder & Festival Director of the Dreaming Festivals (1995-2009) and Co-Founder of the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust. 

A practicing weaver, actor, independent producer and director, she continues to work as a consultant across diverse disciplines and is a sought-after speaker and performer in theatre, film, television and radio. The First Aboriginal person to host a Prime-Time Current Affairs with Vox Populi (SBS) Her regular podcasts Deadly Voices, continue her broadcast history with the radio show Deadly Sounds (1992-2012). She is also a playwright with the recent production Native Go Wild, and is currently touring as writer and performer with My Cousin Frank. 

Born and raised in Darwin, Dennis is descended from the Luritja and Warramunga people of Central Australia on his father’s side and the Wardaman of the Katherine region, Ngarrindjeri people of South Australia and Wagadagam people of Mabiug/Badu Islands in the Torres Strait on his mother’s side. 

Currently the CEO of Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) and with over 25 years’ experience in the Arts Sector in roles as CEO of Mimi Ngurrdalingi Aboriginal Corporation, which includes Mimi Aboriginal Art & Craft in Katherine NT, CEO of Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute in Adelaide and CEO of First Nations Media Australia (FNMA) in Alice Springs. He is also chair of Regional Arts Australia’s First Nations Knowledge Circle, advising on Policy for the Arts in regional and remote Australia. 

Dennis is passionate about First Nations Art and is working to empower and strengthen First Nations artists, arts practitioners and arts centres for the future. 

Dr Jared Thomas is a Nukunu person of the Southern Flinders Ranges and Curator, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Material Culture and Art at the South Australian Museum. 

Jared has produced numerous works of theatre and fiction including Calypso Summer, which won an International White Raven Award (given to books that deserve worldwide attention), and more recently the Game Day series co-written with Olympian and NBA basketball champion Patty Mills, and Children’s Book Council of Australia 2024 notable Uncle XBox. Jared has also been involved in the development of many leading Australian film and television works and has written, directed and produced nationally broadcast documentary. 

Jared worked in the role of Manager, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts at Art South Australia for fourteen years and as a lecturer and researcher at the University of South Australia for over a decade. 

Jared is a Churchill Fellow, having investigated First Nations and marginalised people’s interpretative strategies in museums and galleries in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Canada, Finland, Norway and the United States. This work also included assessment of best practice development of global iconic cultural centres.