BIOGRAPHY

I believe the arts can change lives. It can support people in having a greater understanding of humanity, deepening their capacity for empathy, compassion, kindness and generosity.

As a theatre maker and creative producer I make work that deals with social and political issues. I aim to make commentary about the world we live in, I hope to transform ways of thinking and living in a wider capacity, I want to challenge the status quo and create opportunities for people to participate in the arts.   

I work with time to create intimate and visceral experiences between storyteller and audience. My process is led by connecting, collaborating and creating with participants and artists. I draw inspiration from my cultural background and themes such as gender, migration, identity and place are common subjects in my work.

I have a keen interest in creating performance in non-traditional sites, this has led me to present works in cafes, wedding reception venues, rooftops, laneways, warehouses, parks, and trains.

Theatre creates shifts of various sizes; it makes people think and act differently, it activates a voice within us, that whispers to us to listen…to look up…to move…to act.

Claudia is a dedicated arts worker, creative producer, and mentor with over 20 years of experience collaborating with diverse communities across Greater Sydney. With a passion for creating meaningful and inclusive artistic experiences, her work spans both intimate projects and large-scale events. Claudia is particularly focused on creating spaces where children, families, and intergenerational audiences can engage with the arts. Most recently, she co-created and co-curated the Hive Festival, a festival for children and families presented by the Art Gallery of NSW and Blacktown Arts.

Claudia is the creator of the Way Out West (WOW) Festival for Children at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (2011–2013, 2017–2020) and the creator behind The Village by The Kids, a unique series of geo-located audio tours of neighbourhoods co-created by children. This project has brought communities together in Erskineville, North Bondi (Bondi Festival), and Lalor Park (Blacktown Arts), offering new ways to experience place and perspective through the eyes of young people.

In collaboration with the Hive Festival and Sydney Festival 2024, Claudia produced Trains by The Kids, a geo-located audio adventure on Sydney trains, co-created with students from Granville East Public School and St Mary’s Primary, Erskineville. She has also worked on educational projects like Creation Station (2020), an art resource developed with children from Liverpool’s Children’s Parliament.

Mentorship has been a key part of her practice, where she has supported emerging artists and young creatives throughout her career. She previously held leadership roles as Theatre Producer at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (2010–2014) and Artistic Director and EO of Powerhouse Youth Theatre (2005–2010), where she was instrumental in developing training opportunities for the next generation of artists in Western Sydney.

Claudia has also assessed art funding grants for local, state, and federal agencies. Some of her theatre work includes assistant directing Where the Streets Had a Name (Monkey Baa Theatre, 2017) and The Cartographer’s Curse (Riverside Theatres, 2016). In 2013, Claudia directed and produced Tough Beauty by Finegan Kruckemeyer at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. Claudia is also proud to have participated in the inaugural Next Generation Symposium at the 16th ASSITEJ World Congress (2008) and is a recipient of the Australia Council for the Arts Community Cultural Development Young Leaders Award (2006) and the Arts NSW Western Sydney Arts Fellowship (2004).She was one of ten young Australians selected to attend an international summer school for young change makers in Wales (2002).

Currently, she serves on the board of Monkey Baa Theatre Company, continuing her dedication to nurturing creativity, opportunity, and leadership in children, young people, and emerging artists.