GET TO KNOW US
GRACE ROBERTS
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/FOUNDER/PRODUCER
Multidisciplinary artist, Grace finds her passion in the world of theatre and performance.
Past graduate of the University of Tasmania theatre course and having completed her Master of Fine Arts in post-dramatic theatrical design and scenography, Grace spends her time as Co-Artistic Director and Producer of her multi-award-winning Theatre and Performance Company, IO Performance with Chris Jackson.
Previously employed as a lecturer at the University of Tasmania and Charles Sturt University, Grace’s passion comes from imparting knowledge and providing opportunities to emerging artists in the community.
Grace has been involved in many theatrical productions in different capacities, from Lighting Designing, Set Designing, Acting, Projection Design, Production Managing and Stage Managing, as well as working as the makeup artist on several productions.
Grace has worked with such theatre companies as: Three River Theatre, Relevant Theatre, Launceston Players, Mudlark Theatre, Blue Cow Theatre, as well as Stompin Dance, Tasdance and Moggie Riot.
Grace takes pride in her abilities to adapt and learn new skills to make her a better practitioner in the arts.
CHRIS JACKSON
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/FOUNDER
Chris holds a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts, Master of Contemporary Arts and his Master of Fine Arts. He has worked in various capacities across the theatre and performance sector including: Directing, Acting, Performance Art, Production, and Design – where his work has seen local, state, national and international stages.
Highlights include: Actor - Dancing Back Home (JUTE/Mudlark Theatre Inc.); Performer – Borders (Ihos Opera/JUNCTION Arts Festival); Assistant Director - Barbarians (Ihos Opera/MONA FOMA); Actor - Savages (Persona Collective/ JUNCTION Arts Festival); Performer - Artaud Defacteau (OzFrank Theatre Matrix); Vision Designer - Relax The Chimp (TasDance/JUNCTION Arts Festival); Composer/Sound Designer I Am A Lake (Mudlark Theatre); PANOPTICON (DARK MOFO); Blood Brothers (Encore Theatre); Performer/ Assistant Director - Backwards From Winter (Ihos Opera/ DARK MOFO); Lighting Designer – Killer Joe (3 River Theatre/IO Performance).
KATIE HILL
Katie graduated from UTAS with a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts in Theatre in 2005, completing her Honours in Blacklight Puppetry the following year, and producing the experimental ultraviolet puppetry piece ‘What’s under Adam?’. Since then she has worked consistently as a venue, production, event, and stage manager, freelance technician, as well as an actor, puppeteer and physical theatre performer. Katie enjoys working with a wide range of creators throughout Tasmania, and believes the state has the capability to produce outstanding new work given the right vehicle and support. IO Performance fills a void in the Tasmanian theatrical landscape for those willing to take risks and produce innovative new theatre.
SHAWNA COLLINS
SHAWNA COLLINS
Lover of art, theatrics and dogs. Shawna has been working closely with the team at IO since 2019, having prior grown up in and around the Launceston theatre community. Event manager by trade and thespian at heart, she can be found pottering at any corner of the theatre, from BOH stage managing through to FOH stage combat. She has starred in and worked on a great number of shows with IO and surrounding Launceston performance companies and is thrilled to be working with IO.
STEPH FRANCIS
WORKSHOP PROJECT MANAGER
Steph has worked with theatre companies and practitioners in both Tasmania and Victoria and is a graduate of the University of Tasmania’s School of Creative Arts and Media (SOCAM). Steph is a multifaceted emerging theatre maker, having been a performer, director, and writer for a number of years. Most notably, she was the Assistant Director to Leticia Cáceres for Kate Mulvany’s ‘The Mares’, produced by the Tasmanian Theatre Company in March of 2019, and was a 2019 Tasmanian Theatre Award winner for ‘Best Supporting Female Performance’. Steph also participated in the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2019, her original show ‘Goose!’ (which she wrote, directed, and performed in) being a part of the Fringe program. Steph is also a trained counsellor and uses her knowledge of human development, characteristics, and psychology in her work as a theatre maker.
SHAWNA COLLINS
DIRECTOR INTER/OUTER SEASON 1
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Lover of art, theatrics and dogs. Shawna has been working closely with the team at IO since 2019, having prior grown up in and around the Launceston theatre community. Event manager by trade and thespian at heart, she can be found pottering at any corner of the theatre, from BOH stage management through to FOH bar management. She has starred in and worked on a great number of shows with IO and surrounding Launceston performance companies and is thrilled to be trying her luck at directing.
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CAITLYN STIRLING
DIRECTOR INTER/OUTER SEASON 2
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Caitlyn is an Australian Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist, Theatre Practitioner, and Voice Teacher. She attained her Masters' in Speech Pathology with the University of Canberra in 2021. Caitlyn is also an alumni of The Tasmanian College of the Arts, UTAS, with a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts and an Honours Degree in Theatre, 2015 & 2016. Caitlyn has also spent some time in NYC studying at One Voice Studios, gaining her One Voice Practitioner Certification in 2017.
Caitlyn is passionate about voice, especially heavy metal screaming, and is exploring screaming types and genres as it relates to a range of theatre practices. She is also passionate about communication research for neurogenic disorders such as Parkinson's Disease and Dementia.
In her spare time, when she isn't researching or working as a speech pathologist across the state, you can find her working both on and off the stage with various theatre companies in Tasmania. Theatre credits range from directing, stage management, and technical design, to leading roles in musicals and classical theatre. Some of her favourite performances include directing 'Victoria Station' 2015 and 'How to Make Friends, Then Kill Them' 2016, UTAS. Stage managing 'Reimbodied', Junction Arts Festival 2019 and 'Radiant Vermin', IO Performance 2022. Acting in Mudlarks One Day 12 '6 New Plays' 2016, IO Performance 'Anatomy of a Suicide' 2019, 'Mr Burns, A Post Electric Play's 2021, and 'Let The Right One In' 2022, finally with her favourite acting role to date, Estelle Nettlebank in The Launceston Players 'Bums on Seats' 2022.
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TRAVIS HENNESSY
VOCAL COACH
Travis holds a Bachelor and Masters degree in Theatre (UTAS), a Post Graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching (USQ) and a Post Graduate Certificate and Diploma in Voice from the Victorian College of the Arts. Travis is a multi-award winning professional artist and for over 20 years has worked with many Tasmanian-based Theatre Companies including CentrStage, Encore Theatre, Three River Theatre, The Launceston Players, The Launceston Musical Society, Theatre North, Relevant, IO, Tasmania Performs and Mudlark Theatre on over 100 productions. He has formerly worked with national company WotOpera and is a live session musician with the internationally-recognised Baker Boys Band. Travis has been the resident Voice Coach and a member of the Performing Arts Staff at Launceston College for the past 11 years, as well as operating as a freelance Voice Coach with UTAS and other educational institutions. He also works with individual professional and aspiring actors statewide and across Australia, specialising in singing, speech, audition preparation and accent training. At present, Travis is the vocal director for Launceston College’s production of Matilda, co-musical director for Encore Theatre’s We Will Rock You and is an original member of one of Launceston’s longest running professional live cover bands Candy Feet, as well as being an in-demand soloist at many major community and corporate events throughout Tasmania and interstate. As an actor he is currently appearing in Hamlet with Launceston College and will appear in The Launceston Players’ production of 1984. Travis is thrilled to be working with IO and looking forward to enhancing and developing the skills of Tasmanian Artists with the rest of the talented team. His passion and philosophy around training lies in helping to provide artists with the diversity, versatility, ingenuity and longevity needed to thrive and create on an increasingly globalised stage.
