Force Majeure

Kate Champion

Kate Champion has worked as director, choreographer, dancer, teacher and rehearsal director for various companies including The Australian Dance Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre, Legs on the Wall, Dance North, English National Opera and the UK’s DV8 Physical Theatre.

She has also created, performed and toured two critically acclaimed solo shows – Face Value and About Face.

As Artistic Director of Force Majeure, Kate has directed Same, same But Different, Tenebrae – Part 1 and 2, Already Elsewhere, the film series The Sense Of It and The Age I’m In.

Kate is also the choreographer of the original stage production of Dirty Dancing.

In 2010 Kate choreographed the Australian version of Spring Awakening for Sydney Theatre Company, Bliss for Opera Australia and was judge and choreographer for My Mutation for the Opera House’s Spring Dance Festival.

Kate has been awarded Helpmann, Green Room and Australian Dance Awards along with the Robert Helpmann Scholarship for Choreographic Excellence.

Jo Dyer

Chair

Jo Dyer has extensive experience in both the Australian performing arts and film industry.

She is currently Executive Producer of Sydney Theatre Company and in that role works closely with the Artistic Directors to programme and manage the company’s diverse theatre seasons including developing and realising national and international co-productions and touring opportunities. She also runs the production house Soft Tread Enterprises which develops and produces Australian independent theatre, film and television. Jo’s most recent feature film Lucky Miles was released nationally in 2007 and enjoyed successful Festival screenings and theatrical releases around the world. It won a slew of awards including the Audience Award for Best Film at the Sydney Film Festival and the Special Jury Prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Lucky Miles was also nominated for Best Film and Best Screenplay at the 2007 AFI and IF Awards and Best Screenplay at the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

As well as her role as Chair of Force Majeure, Jo currently sits on the board of Arts on Tour NSW and was on the board of Ausdance NSW for three years from 2002-5.

Tanja Farman

Tanja is an independent Producer, presenter and arts consultant based in both Sydney Australia and Manchester UK. In 1994 she was the Founder Director of queerupnorth, commissioning and presenting international performance and visual arts from around the world. In 2002 she was appointed co-Creative Producer of the Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme in Manchester. After the success of this programme, Tanja co- founded FKuk producing culturally dynamic national and international projects across the performing arts, with a particular focus on collaborations between Australia and the UK.

In 2008 FKuk produced Coming & Going for Liverpool European Capital of Culture as part of their Cities on the Edge programme. Tanja is currently working with Australian choreographers Meryl Tankard and Shaun Parker and a range of other artists on both continents. She is also on the Board of award winning London company Moti Roti, and Sydney based Urban Theatre Projects.

Tanja has held various advisory positions at Arts Council of England, North West and the British Council (Drama & Dance) and in 2004 was awarded a prestigious NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) Fellowship.

Stephen Gottlieb

Treasurer

Stephen is a partner in the Taxation Division of KPMG in Sydney and leads the KPMG Consumer Markets Tax practice in Australia. Stephen was admitted to the partnership in 1987 and his clients include, Australian listed Public Companies, service entities and various not for profit organisations including entities in the Arts.

Stephen has a BCom and LLB from the University of New South Wales and an LLM (Hons) from the University of Sydney. He is a member of the Institute of the Chartered Accountants in Australia and has been admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

Kerry Hogan-Ross

Secretary

Kerry Hogan-Ross is a partner of the Australian law firm DLA Phillips Fox. She graduated with a BA/LLB from the University of New South Wales in 1986. She was admitted as a solicitor in 1990 and has worked as a solicitor since that time. She became a partner of DLA Phillips Fox in 1999.

Her practice has primarily been as a litigator specialising in solicitor’s negligence and medical malpractice claims and claims against a variety of other professionals. She represented numerous parties at the HIH Royal Commission and represented one party appearing before the Bundaberg Hospital Commission of Enquiry. Kerry has been the Sydney pro bono partner for some time and was involved in co-ordinating Phillips Fox’s national pro bono and community care program. Kerry has a longstanding interest in the performing arts.

Virginia Lovett

Deputy Chair

Virginia Lovett is currently the General Manager of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Prior to this she was General Manager, Corporate Communications at Zoos Victoria; Manager Marketing and Communications, Powerhouse Museum from 2004-2007 and spent seven years at the Sydney Festival as Marketing and Communications Manager. She has many years experience as Publicity Manager with Sydney Theatre Company, Art Gallery of NSW and National Gallery of Victoria. She has also worked as an advisor during the Carr government in New South Wales.

Virginia is currently Deputy Chair of Force Majeure and a board member for Arena Theatre. She has sat on the boards of Sydney’s Mardi Gras, Legs on the Wall and Craft Victoria. In 2006, Virginia was awarded a Churchill Fellowship.

Stuart Ray

Stuart currently works for the Australian Government at the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts where he oversees funding for Indigenous art centres and provides policy advice on Indigenous visual arts matters. His previous public sector experience includes managing the national performing arts training centres, including NIDA, the Australian Ballet School and the Flying Fruit Fly Circus; being the Operations Co-ordinator for the Australia Council for the Arts; administering the Government’s Taxation Incentive for the Arts scheme and having responsibility for policy, procedures and client services at the Immigration and Refugee Review Tribunals.

Prior to working for the Government he was a freelance writer and editor, including scriptwriting on Sons and Daughters for Grundy Television and collaborating with a number of theatre companies including D’Arc Swan and Studio Sydney. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Communications), majoring in professional writing, from the University of Technology Sydney.

Steve Riethoff

Steve has over twenty years experience in communications working in a variety of disciplines and industries. He is the owner of Reservoir Network, a Sydney based public relations firm.

Originally a high school teacher Steve moved into public relations and marketing in the arts working for Musica Viva and Bell Shakespeare Company.

In the corporate arena he has provided counsel to public and private organisations, including many of Australia’s leading companies. He has held senior roles across publicity, marketing, events, fundraising and marketing communications.

A consumer PR specialist, he has developed strategic and tactical campaigns across finance, FMCG, technology, automotive, telecommunications, pharmaceutical and healthcare.

Steve’s expertise covers a wide range of communications disciplines; brand strategy, consumer marcomms, publicity, sponsorship, cause related marketing, fundraising and social issues management.

Desmond Sweeney

Desmond Sweeney was a partner at Freehills, one of the leading Australian commercial law firms, for 12 years. His expertise includes risk management, corporate governance, financial disputes and litigation. Prior to working in commercial law, he was with the Aboriginal legal service in northern Queensland.

He was recognised by his peers as one of Australia’s top lawyers in the Best Lawyers survey published by the Australian Financial Review in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He has provided advice to many of Australia’s top 50 companies and numerous charities. He holds Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws degress from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Laws from the University of British Columbia.

Desmond has long been involved in the arts and is also a director of Playwriting Australia.