“together...we can find ways to engage in a cultural revolution, to change the dominant political values that currently inform limited and oppressive choices.  Locking us into an us and them mentality”

Xris Reardon, based in Melbourne, a queer activist - theatre maker, has a long history of involvement in using creative methodologies to access embodied knowings as a means of personal, sociopolitical transformation. Her work has been influenced by other individuals who seek to create spaces for the excavation of collective knowings denied in the alienated structures. This desire is fueled by a belief that conflict and struggle is not interminable; even if reproduced and sustained through cultural frames that reinforce and maintain it as absolute. ACTion requires that we publicly push our thinking to the edges, our beliefs, that dis-enable change. Change that can only be brought about when we are willing to stay open to the nuances, to the edges and margins - go beyond what we imagine is possible.

Xris has trained with Cardboard Citizens (UK), Augusto Boal and his son Julian in Legislative Theatre, Cops in our Heads, Rainbow of Desire, and The Future we are afraid off. She also trained with David Diamond, whom she co-joked CONSUME, CONSUME, CONSUME with. These tools have been gratefully received, fine tuned by the artistic focus of Brunswick Women’s Theatre, Suzuki Training methods, SITI Theatre Co (Viewpoints training), and nurtured by the approach of River Chandler of TheatreWorks, the heart of Angela de Castro’s vision, as well as the critique of Lisa Ward and others. Xris continues to apply her practice and the work, both Nationally and Internationally.........

Pru Gell (Associate Artistic Director) lives on Arrente people's country in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in the desert in central Australia. Pru is the director of Stories for Change and is a facilitator, activist educator and mediator who works alongside diverse communities in urban environments, remote Indigenous communities and South East Asia. For over 10 years Pru has been an activist whose community organising work has been focused on Aboriginal rights solidarity. Pru is an associate of the Change Agency which is an independent activist education initiative who works with community organisers and activists in the Australia Pacific region to help people win social and environmental change.

Pru is committed to facilitating spaces for anti-oppression work to take place and very passionate about facilitating Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) processes for social change. In particular Pru is very interested in finding ways to appropriately use TO tools alongside Aboriginal people in remote communities.

Pru began her own self-guided study and practice of TO tools in 2005. In 2006 Pru trained with Brent Blair from the Center for Theatre of the Oppressed and Applied Theatre Arts in the USA.