Women of the Riverina is a collaborative script written by artists, writers and performers in the Riverina, derived from mentorships, workshops and callouts.
Arvis: I Never Worry About Falling
Arvis Casanova is a non binary 18 year old writer from Wagga Wagga. Growing up in Wiradjuri county at The Rock, they were fairly isolated, and as a result spent their free time climbing trees, exploring dirt roads and the local creek, which were some of the few places that felt safe. Arvis’ love for isolated places such as the river led them to begin writing, drawing and singing about it.
Arvis attended the song makers workshop in January 2024, collaborating with other young local artists to create songs with a variety of topics and styles. They performed at Great Southern Nights, showing original songs played on their guitar.
The river is a consistent source of comfort and security for Arvis, who often finds themself returning whenever life gets too overwhelming. They feel connected to the trees, cockatoos and other animals residing there. The sense of freedom and belonging is one of Arvis’ biggest inspirations, influencing most of their writing.
Cheryl: Opening, Wollundry I and II
Aunty Cheryl Penrith OAM is a Wiradjuri Elder, mentor and performer with a passion for fashion. Her focus is community development and capacity building, business and strategic planning, cultural empowerment, community health and wellbeing, involvement in decision making and the revival and reinvigoration of cultural practices such as language, possum skin cloak making workshops and women’s cultural business. Cheryl appeared in the Voices of Women feature film Entanglement, was a writer and performer in Amplify in 2022 and writer and performer in Embellishment at KXT Broadway in 2023.
Claudia : Wollundry I and II
Claudia Haines is developing her style as a visual artist with her first exhibition Bundadjaany-galang at Curious Rabbit in 2024 . Claudia is inspired by her family and the stories told to her by her grandmother.
Eleanor: Extraordinary
Eleanor Waters-Jones is an 18-year-old writer, performer, social activist and tutor who has lived in Wagga Wagga all her life. Ever since she can remember, she has loved storytelling, learning the art from her loved ones and practicing by writing, listening, and talking… a lot. Her first book was a complete rip-off of ‘Back to the Future’, with some blue aliens and Ron Weasley thrown in for good measure.
She is inspired by the idiosyncrasies of humanity and life’s big questions. Notably, she has had a play shortlisted for SOACT’s 2024 Playfest, and has been shortlisted for the John Bell Shakespeare Scholarship. She loves writing anything and everything, from poetry, to essays, to novels. In this monologue, ‘Extraordinary’, Eleanor pays homage to the long line of women who have come before her, honouring their legacy.
Eleanor completed her HSC last year with Distinguished Achievement in English. She looks forward to travelling in Europe in November, studying a Bachelor of Arts in 2025, and continuing to write!
Gabrielle: I Am A River
Gabrielle Tozer is an award-winning author, freelance writer and editor based in Wagga Wagga in regional New South Wales. She is the author of eight books, including The Unexpected Mess of it All, Before We Met, Can’t Say It Went to Plan, Remind Me How This Ends and The Intern, which won the 2015 State Library of Victoria’s Gold Inky Award. Her work has been featured in anthologies including Teacher, Teacher (edited by Megan Daley) and Begin, End, Begin (edited by Danielle Binks), and centres on themes including identity, belonging, love, the complexities of friendship, mental health, grief and embracing the messiness of life.
She loves sharing her passion for storytelling and creativity with readers and aspiring writers, and has worked as a mentor for the Regional Arts Network’s Horizon program, Regional Arts Australia’s Regional Scribes program and ABC’s Heywire initiative. She has also appeared at numerous literary events, including the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Somerset Festival of Literature, StoryFest Out West, Riverina Readers Festival and the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s national conference. Gabrielle is currently writing another novel for HarperCollins and collaborating on two more picture books with the award-winning illustrator Sophie Beer.
Haya: Dearest Ma
Haya Arzidin is a writer and performer, appearing in TOME, a fully improvised show with four actors which toured to Brisbane in 2021. Working closely with the refugee community in Wagga Wagga, she co-developed Sharing Stories Sharing Place at the Wagga Civic Theatre in 2021. Haya was a writer and performer in Voices of Women’s Embellishment on tour to Wagga Wagga and Dubbo in 2023.
Imogen: The Ghosts of Tarcutta Hall
Imogen Rubi is a performer and writer who was born and raised in Wagga Wagga, making stories all throughout her life, even when the English teacher had no more homework to give her. Currently residing in Wagga Wagga, she has repeatedly fallen in love with this city through its many changes over the last two decades, regularly gushing over it.
Having a love for writing, poetry and literature, as well as a passion for important topics like mental health, youth culture and women’s issues, Imogen jumped at the chance to participate in the Voices of Women workshops in 2023 and was invigorated by the experience. She has since written for the stage, touching on gender and the fluidity of identity, with her debut short play ‘The Study of Rueben March’ in the 2024 Tenx10 Play Festival. After working alongside the talented folks at Voices of Women, Imogen is beyond excited to present her new work to you, ‘The Ghosts of Tarcutta Hall’.
Jody: Wollundry I and II
Jody Roberts is a Widjabul woman of the Bundjalung nation who draws inspiration from her Ancestors, Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the vast realms of the natural and cosmic worlds. She approaches her creative practices with deep reverence and curiosity. Having grown up in various places around Sydney, she felt a profound calling from her soul and Ancestors to relocate to Wagga Wagga, Wiradjuri country. There, the river, stones, land, animals, and magnetic energy have become sources of healing and wisdom, deeply influencing her writing journey.
Her new spiritual home provides a reflective space where she explores the interconnectedness of all things, striving to understand her place within this grand tapestry. This introspective approach allows her to craft narratives that resonate deeply, blending personal experiences with universal truths. Her work delves into themes of identity, connection, and belonging, inviting readers to engage with the larger forces shaping their own lives. Through her writing, Jody aims to foster a deeper understanding of humanity’s relationship with the natural and cosmic realms, celebrating the profound beauty and complexity of existence.
Joy: Carrying Rocks
Joy Lubawy is well known in the Riverina, as a former teacher, published academic author and singer/songwriter. She came to Wagga with her soldier husband during the Vietnam war in 1968 and took the opportunities to further her education at RCAE/RMIHE and ultimately CSU. Now she is trying her hand at writing for the stage, and this is her first (of what she hopes will be many) new works. She says she has become a miner, digging deeply into her own life for materials that might shine brightly in the footlights.
Lliane: Selina, Bottling Fruit and Queen Bees
Lliane Clarke is the Artistic Director of Voices of Women and is a published author, poet and journalist. She created and has directed Voices of Women’s storytelling workshops and events since 2018. She directed the feature film CLEARWAY (CORONA) in 2020, the award-winning feature film Entanglement in 2021 and the short films Our Mob, Invisibility, The Dress and Sun in My Bones in 2021. In 2022 she was awarded the Carla Zampatti Arts and Culture Medal from Multicultural NSW for the Entanglement program. In 2022-23 Entanglement was shown around the world in film festivals, including at The United Nations Womens Conference in Rwanda. Lliane has also directed live shows Amplify in Wagga, Dubbo and Goulburn in 2022 and Embellishment at Wagga Gallery, Studio 138 Dubbo and at KXT Broadway in Sydney in 2023. She was Publisher for New Holland Publishers, is a senior communications and marketing manager, and continues to mentor writers and authors through Content and Cultural Projects.
Marie: Walking the Tightrope
Marie Clear is a Wiradjuri woman who lives, loves and writes poetry, prose and short stories in Wagga Wagga. She is a mother, grandmother and foster mum. Marie hopes that her readers can relate and find some hope in her writings, some of which are written about domestic violence and abuse. Marie has been commended in the Sutherland Shire Literary Competition (2020), published in, The Fabian journal (2022) and the Mona magazine (2022) Booranga Anthology Four W 29,(2019) Booranga Anthology Four W 30, (2020) Booranga Anthology Four W 31, (2021) Booranga Anthology Four W 32, (2022) and Finding My Feet (Melbourne Poets Union’s Anthology 2024).
Mel: Wollundry I and II
Melanie Reeves is a proud Wiradjuri woman who is a catalyst for positive change in the Murrumbidgee health landscape with over ten years’ experience in strategic planning and management. She is passionate about advancing patient centred care in regional and remote communities. She is excited to be exploring her development as a writer, guest speaker, MC and performer.
Roz: Best and Less
Having come to Wagga Wagga in November 2016 as a refugee, Roz Hasan has embraced the opportunities available in this welcoming community. Currently in Year 12 at Wagga Wagga High School, she is inspired by the transformative power of education and the supportive environment of the community. This journey from a refugee to a citizen in a vibrant town like Wagga Wagga has been one of resilience and hope.
Writing serves as a powerful outlet for Roz to express her unique experiences and aspirations. The challenges faced as a refugee, coupled with the support from the community, fuel a passion for storytelling and sharing personal narratives..
Although still a high school student, the Roz’s primary qualification is their lived experience and the determination to use words to bridge gaps and foster understanding. The writer’s connection to Wagga Wagga and the diverse community within it continues to inspire a loyal commitment to personal and academic growth.
Saasha: script consultant
Saasha McMillan created Oddball Theatre in 2018 running classes every day after school in Wagga Wagga and whenever she can all around the region. Saasha loves everything theatrical from the acting and directing all the way through to the final stitch on the costumes. Saasha has performed and written plays in the region since 2018, and was a writer and performer in Voices of Women’s Embellishment on tour to Wagga Wagga and Dubbo in 2023.