Lynden Bassett
Musician/ACT
My name is Lynden Bassett and I am an eighteen-year-old Indonesian-Australian. I finished Year 12 this year and I have applied to study composition at ANU in 2019.
In 2017 I completed a workshop with Canberra Experimental Music Studio (EMS) which served as my introduction to experimental music, and I have been attending EMS performances and participating in workshops and gigs whenever I’m able to since then. A set of workshops I had the opportunity to participate in recently were the first Sounding Canberra field recording and sound art workshops. Over the course of these workshops I learned how to create field recordings and incorporate them into compositions, and I have since completed a short piece comprised of recordings made during the workshops and at the National Library. Associating with EMS has developed my interest in experimental music, improvisation and composition and I hope to pursue these interests further at university.
Since 2016 I have been playing and writing music in a noise rock band called HYMMNN. The band has been playing shows around Canberra since April 2017. My goal with this band for the near future is to grow our audience by playing interstate shows and to record an album of original songs.
I’m very excited at the prospect of learning and creating with new people and under the guidance of the incredible mentors as part of the Stellar project.
Alana Stenning
Dancer/ACT
Alana Stenning is a recent graduate of the Adelaide College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Creative Arts in Dance. While studying she worked with artists such as Lee Brummer (ILDance), Jo Stone (Stone/Castro), Kialea Nadine-Williams (Australian Dance Theatre) and Niv Marinburg (L-E-V Dance Company). In her third year of study she created her first full length work incorporating dance, theatre and multimedia How ‘Bout Them Apples for the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Before commencing university, Alana trained in contemporary dance at QL2 Youth Dance Company under Ruth Osborne where she worked with many well-known choreographers and developed her own interest in choreography and dance film making. During her time at QL2 Alana toured and performed in Bangkok, London and Glasgow with a work created by James Batchelor.
Since graduating, Alana has moved back to Canberra to continue working for the Australian Dance Party. Since joining them she has been involved in Autonomous, In a Flash, Moving to ZERO and ENERGEIA. Alana has also continued to develop her own choreographic work here in Canberra and presented a new solo work Vat the Belconnen Arts Centres Dance on the Edge season in 2018.
Nicholas Jachno
Dancer/ACT
Nicholas Jachno is a Canberra based Contemporary Dancer. He studied a range of dance techniques at Canberra Dance Development Centre before attending The New Zealand School of Dance, Graduating with a Diploma in Dance Performance majoring in Contemporary.
During Nicholas’ time at the school, he was involved in a remount of Hofesh Shechter's Political Mother for the 2016 graduation season. In his third year he also worked alongside Footnote New Zealand Dance, was an understudy of the 2017 rendition of Tiki Tane Mahuta and worked with Craig Bary to create a solo for the schools 50th Anniversary season Once. The solo was then taken to Sydney as part of the Parachute Festival held by Legs on the Wall.
In 2018, Nicholas has been a part of Malia Johnston’s, Rushes, for the 2018 New Zealand Arts Festival, which received four Wellington Theatre Awards. He was also a dancer and collaborator in a design film project, Kinesis, that was displayed as part of the Lux Light Festival in Wellington and received a Bronze award at the Best Design Awards 2018. Nicholas also worked for Cadi McCarthy as a dancer in Catapult Dance Hubs premiere Season of That Place in Between.
Natsuko Yonezawa
Musician/FilmMaker/ACT
Natsuko started contemporary dance with QL2 in 2014, taking part in many of its numerous projects, working with many well-known and respected choreographers and also touring to Melbourne in 2017. Natsuko is currently studying a double degree at the ANU, majoring in Graphic Design and Music Technology. Earlier this year, she started her own design organization called Mushō Laundry, which focuses on creating work which help raise awareness for social issues. She aims to expand Mushō Laundry, collaborating with artists from different creative fields to create interesting and unique work. In 2019, she will be creating a work for Art Not Apart focusing on the topic of Hikikomori (social withdrawals).
Sophie Edwards
Musician/ACT
"THE GIRL WHO KNOWS HOW TO USE A LOOPER BETTER THAN ED SHEERAN HAS ONE OF THE BEST VOICES I'VE EVER HEARD" GABBY MARSHALL, BMA MAGAZINE.
Sophie is a nineteen-year-old singer-songwriter from Canberra, Australia, who prides herself in her experiences and explorations of multiple music genres throughout her life. These genres include jazz, contemporary, musical theatre and classical music. She has been singing since age four, with her first stage-appearances occurring from as young as six years old.
Sophie released her first single “Bated Breath” in 2016 at 17 years old. The song received airplay on various radio stations nationally and internationally, and became a song that audiences loved to connect and relate to.
Sophie has been gigging regularly around Canberra since 2015, using her looping pedal and a hybrid acoustic-electronic setup, using mainly her voice and her ukulele but bringing electronic elements into her live shows. She has performed at music festivals like Groovin The Moo, Googfest and The National Folk Festival and also regular gigs at local venues all over Canberra.
Currently in her third year at the ANU School of Music, she prides herself on exploring various genres of music. Playing in jazz bands, singing with hip hop artists, writing for pop artists and performing in musicals is all in a week’s work.
Landscape Diaries
Joshua Campton
Joshua Campton is a Larrakia, saltwater- crocodile man from Darwin. I’m an artist; dancer and poet.
'I like to make my poems come alive in my dance'
Hollie Knowles
Dancer/NSW
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been connected to expressing my feelings and emotions through movement. At the age of 9 (2009) I joined fLiNG Physical Theatre under the direction of Lee Pemberton. As well as dance, I have been involved with gymnastics for over 14 years.
Dance gives me a safe and encouraging environment for me to explore my body and learn more about an art form that brings me so much joy. Dance allows me to connect with a range of people, from all over the world, that share the same concepts and interest as me.
After 8 years with fLiNG I disconnected with the company due to studying my senior years. Although through the past two years Lee has been a large part of me successfully completing my HSC Dance course.
I am trained mainly in Contemporary and Ballet, although I have also experienced styles such as hip hop and parkour.
Rory regularly dances with QL2 Dance.
Rory Warne
Dancer/NSW
For as long as I can remember I have always participated in gymnastics, which is where I gained a passion for using my body. It became the foundation for my movement. Most of my dance training has been in contemporary with ballet training with Lee for the past 2 years. At the age of 12 (2013), I joined the younger fLiNG group under the direction of Lee Pemberton. This was the beginning of my dance training and exploration in movement. In 2014, I joined the senior fLiNG company and performed ‘X the floor’ which was a fusion of dance and parkour aimed at encouraging more boys to move. This project inspired my passion for dance as a male and the possibility of a future in dance. In 2015 and 2016, we toured a show to the local schools and another to the ‘Regional Artlands festival’ in Dubbo, as well as performing in the ‘Four Winds Festival’ alongside an orchestra. These experiences allowed me to develop my own artistic self within dance and create a connection with other dance artists that otherwise wouldn’t be possible in the Bega valley, overcoming the social isolation within a small town.
In 2017 I participated in the ‘Australian Youth Dance Festival’, performing in ‘Emergence’ and I attended a week of work experience with Adam Wheeler. AYDF in accordance with Meet-up (essentially a meet up of youth dance companies I attended in 2016) were instrumental in crafting my passion for dance as it created an opportunity for connection with other dancers my age. This had a major impact for me as being a male dancer in a small town can be challenging; these connections inspired me to continue dancing despite any stigma, alleviated the small-town isolation and produced a new-found confidence within myself.
My years of training are a culmination of these dance experiences which has created the foundation for my passion in dance and the understanding of dance as a universal form of communication and individuality.
Rory regularly dances with QL2 Dance.
Sasha Chadwick
Dancer/NSW
I have always from a young age watched performances by the Fling Physical Theatre run by Lee Pamberton. Those performances helped me find my own passion for dance! At the age of 11 I joined the younger Fling group and began my training in dance which helped me explore new pathways for expression! Through dance I am able to come closer to who I really am. And through performance I am able to express this new kind of self to others and hopefully inspire others just as I was inspired from the first performance I watched! I am really interested in performance arts especially the type which is open for interpretation! I have been passionate about dance and was apart of the Fling Physical Theatre for about 5 years! My training is mostly in contemporary dance however I have done ballet and a little bit of hip hop!
Natasha Rogers
Dancer/NSW
Natasha Rogers is an Independent artist that graduated from NAISDA Dance College in 2016 with a Diploma in Professional Dance Performance. She is a Noongar Women from the South West of Western Australia but has proudly grown up on Wonnarua Country in the Hunter Valley. During her time at NAISDA Natasha performed in four major productions at Carriage Works in Redfern, Sydney, whilst also having two of her own choreographed works performed. In Natasha’s last year at NAISDA she travelled to South Korea to perform in the Seoul Friendship Fair. Over the four years of training Natasha worked with many guest artists and choreographers including Francis Rings, Elma Kris, Craig Bary, Iquail Shaheed and Vicki Van Hout.
Since graduating from NAISDA Natasha has been involved in two residencies through Catapult Choreographic Hub alongside two other artists and also created a solo work for a showing in Newcastle and has also been involved many other performances throughout her first 2 years out of study. Natasha has developed an Aboriginal Dance Ensemble for High school aged students to create and perform, this is a side of dance that she is very passionate about and enjoys. Natasha strives to continue her work in the community, whilst continuing her passion for dance.
Shana O'Brien
Dancer/NSW
Shana is proud member of the Darkinjung Community just north of the Hawkesbury River NSW who recently graduated From NAISDA Dance college with her Diploma in Professional Careers in Dance.
During her studies she was given the opportunity to work with Choreographers Frances Rings, Raymond Blanco, Vicki Van Hout, Ian R.T. Colles, Elma Kris, Sani Thomson and Taiaroa Royal. Shana also participated in cultural residencies in Moa Island of the Torres Straits in 2014 and 2015, and in Nyinyikay North East Arnhem land in 2016.
She had many performance opportunities including Soul Friendship Fair (South Korea), Homeground and NAIDOC week (2016), Yarbun, Sydney Festival and Girrakool Blues Festival (2017). In 2017 Shana Participated in a secondment with Bangarra Dance Theatre, she was also awarded the Joanne Harris Scholarship for Gifted and Talented students to partake in a summer Intensive program with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (Israel).
After Graduating in 2018 she performed with Wagana Aboriginal Dancers at Honolulu festival (Hawaii), and Festival 2018 - Commonwealth Games, as well many other performances and school workshops. She also worked on shows with Jannawi Dance clan, Erth Physical & Visual Inc. and Our Corka Bubs. As well as developments with Patricia Wood, Elle Evangalista and Kassidy Waters. She Performed with Atamira Dance Company on a Remount of Frances Rings’ Work ShapeShift in (Auckland, New Zealand).
Chloe Wade
Musician/VIC
Chloe is an artistic and entrepreneurial musician, she is ambitious and dedicated to being the best she can be. Chloe is from Wodonga VIC and studies with Damien Jones (Albury) and Michael Loftus-Hills (Melbourne). Chloe also has her own face painting business which she established in 2018. Art is a big influence and passion in her life.
Chloe is involved in many programs at the Murray Conservatorium, including the MC Orchestra, Mezzo Strings and various ensembles. Chloe has recently been accepted into the Melbourne Youth Orchestra, and is excited to be starting this year! She will be traveling down to Melbourne every Saturday for rehearsals.
Back home, she is the founder of CLAM String Quartet. It’s made up from local music students and friends. CLAM has recently been involved in a project called Music In Motion with Projection Dance School. A collaboration of live music and interpretative dance. It was a great experience for both CLAM and the Junior Artists. Chloe has also been to many music camps around Australia. To name a few – Border Music Camp, State Music Camp, MYO Summer Camp and PlayerLink.
Chloe is super excited to be involved in the Stella project as it’s an area she is very interested in.
Ruth Little
Musician/VIC
My name is Ruth. I am an 18 year homeschool graduate from Albury. I am from a musical family of five kids. My musical education began when I was about five years old and I now regularly play piano, clarinet, and percussion in local ensembles.
Over the last few years I have been a member of many ensembles at the Murray Conservatorium, my local music school. These include an orchestra that exlusively plays music by living composers, the main Murray Conservatorium orchestra, a beginners' and advanced concert band as well as Albury City Band. In the last year I have had experience accompanying both individuals for exams and recitals as well as both children and adult choirs. One of my most exciting performances was as a pianist for the local string quartet CLAM and a dance school.
This year I have started teaching piano to several students between the ages of 5 and 15. This is a step towards my long term goal of becoming a qualified music teacher. In 2019 I will be studying a Diploma of Music as I work towards that.
Alyssa Lowry
Dancer/WA
Alyssa is an emerging dance artist from Albany in Western Australia. She has trained with Albany Dance Academy in jazz, contemporary and more recently tap for 11 years but has been performing for many years before since the age of 4. Alyssa has performed and co-created two contemporary dance works with award winning choreographer, Annette Carmichael. My War? in 2015 was a dance theatre work that explored the influence of war on youth culture, created for the centenary of Anzac Day.
A Light Shade of Red was a contemporary dance work that explored the emotional states associated with a world on the brink of change. It premiered in 2018 for the centenary of Armistice Day. Beside dancing, Alyssa is a massive fan of science fiction and fantasy in all it’s forms. Travelling and reading are also passions hers
Sam Reeves
Musician/WA
Sam is a singer songwriter, musician and performer from Albany in Western Australia. He is currently studying a Diploma of Music at Great Southern Tafe and performs in three bands - The Travis T Party (hip hop band), Reeves Street (rock trio) and Leaky Johnson and the Depends (blues band). For the past nine years Sam has performed as an actor with Southern Edge Arts and currently sits on the board of this youth arts company. He performed with WA Youth Theatre Company in The Dreaming Hill, directed by Renato Fabretti. Sam has also worked with directors, Simon Woodward, Simon Clarke and Rachel Colmer. Most recently Sam performed and co-created the contemporary dance work, A Light Shade of Red, directed by Annette Carmichael for the centenary of Armistice Day. Sam’s interests include music, especially classic rock and is currently State Runner Up Air Rifle champion.