JULIA CHRISTENSEN
As a fourth generation actress, Julia’s fascination with the performing arts set in early and set in deep. Raised in Melbourne, Julia performed in workshops as a teenager with the Melbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre. She performed on stages such as The Melbourne Arts Centre and Hamer Hall and with companies including Broken Mirror Productions (A Midsummer Night’s Dream , 2009) and the Heidleberg Theatre Company (Alice In Wonderland 2010, A Lion In Winter, 2012). She appeared in the short films Jesus Loves You and Tropfest Jr finalist Big Bad Baz. Upon completing high school in 2011, Julia left Australia for London to complete intensives in Shakespeare and later Voice with The Central School of Speech and Drama and Contemporary Drama with RADA. 15 countries later she returned and successfully auditioned for NIDA. Julia is an ongoing collaborator with Melbourne based Body Art Theatre (B.A.T) and artist Wendy Fantasia, performing as a living canvas and model. Julia’s writing and poetry have been published in journals including The Hole Hog and Maggie Journal. Outside of acting Julia practices yoga, is an avid Tarantino enthusiast and is heavily embroiled in the search for the best long-black in Sydney.
CLAUDETTE CLARKE
Claudette Clarke is an Actor of African-Caribbean heritage. Growing up in London, she had come to largely identify as a ‘Black British’ Actor of the United Kingdom. As a Sydney-based resident, one has to glance at her portfolio to appreciate the breadth and aptitude of her work in universally-loved classic adaptations particularly “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “Doubt”, “The Crucible” and “The Clink”. Claudette’s work includes multi-ethnic ensemble development pieces, dealing with prejudice and community struggles, such as “The African Theatre Project” Play “My Name is Sud”. She has a powerful stage presence, steadfastly commanding the space and adapting comfortably to different accents – Creole, Cockney, British, and American, as required.
KIRLI SAUNDERS
Kirli Saunders is a proud Gunai woman with ties to the Yuin, Gundungurra, Gadigal and Biripi people. Kirli is the Manager of Poetic Learning and First Nations Cultural Liaison at Red Room Poetry. She was awarded ‘Worker of the Year 2017’ at the NAIDOC awards in the Illawarra/ Shoalhaven region and has been nominated for a National NAIDOC 2018 award. Kirli founded the Poetry in First Languages project.
BELLATRIX SCOTT
After graduating QUT Acting in 2016 Bellatrix joined Shake and Stir to tour Shakespeare to schools throughout Queensland. She played the role of Jessica in “This is Our Youth” in a production by Underground Broadway, and since moving to Sydney has gone to the dark side (the comedy scene); which sees her making shows up on the spot with Improv Theatre Sydney on a monthly basis, writing and performing sketch and the occasional bout of stand up. Bellatrix is also a passionate and active environmentalist.