Adelaide Fringe Team

Having trained as a journalist and working in public relations in Australia and the US, Paul established a national public relations company, Hamra Management, over 13 years which was sold to Young & Rubicam in 2000. Following this, in 2004, Paul established Solstice Media - a company creating Australian news products including, InDaily, InQueensland, The Lead, SALIFE, CityMag and The New Daily, through its subsidiary, Motion Publishing. Paul is also Publisher at The New Daily. The company operates out of Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane and employs over 90 people. In 2017 Paul was a finalist in The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Paul was appointed deputy chair of Australia’s film agency, The Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia) in 1999 for six years and was chair of The Fleurieu Art Prize for four years. Paul has also served as a Trustee of the Flinders Medical Centre Foundation, committee member of the SA Press Club and University of Adelaide Media Advisory Board.

Andrew has been the Treasurer of Adelaide Fringe since 2016, and Chairs the Finance & Risk Committee. He is a Chartered Accountant and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently Managing Director of 54 Point Consulting, an independent consulting business specialising in finance, risk, project assessment and economic impact. Andrew is also Chair of the Board of Restless Dance Theatre.

David Pearson is the CEO of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (AAEH) where is working to build a national campaign to support communities across Australia to end street homelessness. Previously he was the Executive Director of the Don Dunstan Foundation – a thought leadership organisation established to inspire action for a fairer world, and to build on the legacy of the late Premier of South Australia, Don Dunstan. Prior to this, David was the Senior Policy Adviser to a number of South Australian Premiers and Commonwealth Government Ministers where he advised on a range of policy areas including the arts and creative industries. 

David is Chair of the Fringe Festival Foundation, Deputy Chair of Community Bridging Services SA and Chair of the Yunus Social Business Centre at the University of South Australia. In 2019 David was recognised as one of the top 40 Under 40 leaders in South Australia and was awarded a 2020 Churchill Fellowship.

With a broad ranging career, Cathy brings a mixed skill set spanning project management, communications, media, policy, stakeholder engagement, government relations, politics, crisis management, negotiation and events. After almost 15 years in broadcast journalism at the ABC and print at AAP, Cathy worked in a women’s NGO in Jakarta before taking up Comms and Media Management in SA Government. 

She then moved into politics as an adviser to a Minister and a former Premier, which included, among others, advising on the Arts portfolio. Cathy has also worked in Stakeholder Engagement at the University of Adelaide, and she managed SA’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program during the pandemic before becoming Director of Strategy in SA Health.  

David O'Loughlin, CEO and Chair of kwp, has a rich background in creative leadership across the advertising and communications industry. Beginning with Young & Rubicam in Adelaide, he expanded his expertise internationally, working at BHO London on major brands like Walt Disney and Waitrose. He then led strategic planning at Dentsu Canada for Toyota, Lexus and Canon before moving to Ogilvy & Mather in Chicago to work on TD Ameritrade. Returning to Australia in 2002, David held senior roles at TBWA and Saatchi & Saatchi, driving strategy for high-profile clients including Sony, Lion Nathan and Toyota Australia. In 2011, he returned to South Australia to join the South Australian Tourism Commission, creating award-winning campaigns like Barossa - Be Consumed. David joined kwp in 2014 and now serves as a Director of multiple non-for-profit organisations, including the South Australian Business Chamber and the Jodi Lee Foundation.

Born and raised in Adelaide, Emily earned a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide before moving to New York, where she lived and worked for six years. She began her time in New York working at a nonprofit legal advocacy organisation promoting justice in the workplace for women and caregivers, before moving to a leading U.S. immigration law firm. There, she worked with high-profile artists, designers, entrepreneurs, and entertainers on complex U.S. visa matters.

While at university, she developed her love of theatre as a member of the Adelaide University Law Revue from 2014 to 2017, a passion she continues to nurture as a regular (and nostalgic) audience member.

Nicholas is a lawyer and senior partner at Dentons, the largest law firm in the world. Nicholas has over 27 years' experience as a litigator and employment lawyer.

Nicholas currently serves on the Boards of:

Nicholas won the Law Society’s Justice Award in 2013, the ArtsLaw Centre’s National Arts Community Pro Bono Award in 2013, 2018 and 2020 and was the 2021 Lawyer of the Year for Employment Law in SA in the Best Lawyers’ Guide.

Odette Pearson is a Kuku Yalanji and Torres Strait Islander women from Far North Queensland who has lived on Kaurna Country for the last 13 years. Odette has worked as a health researcher at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute since 2013. Through research Odette informs health system and service improvements and supports self-determination of Aboriginal communities. Odette has been on the Fringe Board since 2018 and contributes her research skills and lived experience as an Aboriginal person to supporting and developing the fringe to be a diverse and thriving festival in South Australia, Australia and across the globe. Odette, her husband Steve and Golden Retriever Pipi, live in Adelaide. Their families live interstate (QLD & WA) and abroad (England) which sometimes has it benefits but overall, it means (or meant) a lot of travel and cherishing those moments.

Van is the Executive General Manager NZ Asia Pacific for GHD Limited responsible for the strategic and transformational growth and performance of the region. She is a civil engineer (however having also graduated with an Arts degree) and over her career, Van has successfully led the delivery of high profile, complex and large projects across Australia and internationally. Having grown up in Adelaide, Van has enjoyed the vibrancy of the city, the Arts Community and firmly believes in the lasting benefits the Arts sector brings to all communities. She is a huge supporter of STEAM, and a strong advocate for delivering positive sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outcomes.

Van has held numerous positions on boards, advisory boards, subsidiary boards, and board committees across a range of sectors both private and public from education, the arts, social impact and business. 

In January 2020 Van and her family moved to Auckland, New Zealand and is able to provide an overseas perspective as she continues to be committed and passionate about being involved with the Fringe and her commitments to the Board. While not working Van enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters hiking, skiing and discovering new places to visit.

Tūtawa mai i runga, Tūtawa mai i raro, Tūtawa mai i waho, Tūtawa mai i roto, Kia tau ai te amuri tū, te mauri ora ki te katoe, hāumi e, hui e, taiki e!

I summon from above, below, within, from the outside environment, to calm and settle the vital inner essence, the wellbeing of everyone. Be joined together, united!

Heather Croall AM is an experienced CEO and Director known as a visionary in the creative sector who delivers innovative festival programs, new audiences and organisational growth. 

Under her leadership, every festival Heather has run has seen an increase in turnover, been met with high critical acclaim, delivered increased ticket sales and expanded audience demographics. Heather embraces adaptive and agile leadership methodologies and is known for implementing innovative digital platforms and systems that drive change and growth. 

Heather is a filmmaker and has produced and directed documentaries for SBS, ABC, Ch 4 and BBC. 

She first worked at the Fringe Star Club in the early 1990’s and also ran the film event, Shoot the Fringe from 1992 to 2002, then was Director at the Australian Documentary Conference before going to the UK to take up Festival Director and CEO role at the Sheffield Doc/Fest from 2005 – 2015.

Heather then returned to Adelaide to take up the role of Director and Chief Executive in 2015 at Adelaide Fringe.

Ella started her Arts career at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a BOB at the Pleasance Theatre. Over the last 14 years, she has made her way across several arts festivals to be at Adelaide Fringe as Executive Director – Audience.  The Fringe has evolved dramatically in the 9 festivals that Ella has been involved; with an impressive Digital overhaul including new ticketing and website platforms and reaching the incredible milestone of selling 1million tickets in 2023. 
Ella is a lover of data and ticketing stats, a clever campaign tag line and a seamless user journey. 

Jo likes to throw a party, it’s true, she also likes dogs. She has returned home to SA to throw the biggest party to date in her career, and joined the Adelaide Fringe team in 2017. Her first encounter with Adelaide Fringe was producing and performing on busses across Adelaide, with the cult hit Op Shop Tours. You may also know her from various management roles at festivals such as Melbourne Fringe, Melbourne International Film Festival, Short + Sweet Melbourne, and Melbourne International Comedy Festival.  If you can’t see her, listen for her laugh. 

Tara’s love of Fringe started in Edinburgh, where she spent 5 years before heading to London to live for another 5. It’s been a lifelong dream to work at the Fringe and she’s now Executive Director – Operations & Finance – and loving it! 

It’s Tara’s second role in the Arts, her first foray being at the Adelaide Film Festival heading up the areas of Development, Events and Operations. A background in events, project management and ops, Tara spent 13 years at Port Adelaide Football Club as GM Events & Game Day and then switching to GM Strategic Projects. Tara reckons the move from AFL to the Arts hasn’t been too difficult…passionate, committed and staunch supporters sit on both sides.

With a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, Daniela is a seasoned professional in her field with over 12 years of industry experience. In 2022, Daniela embarked on a new journey by joining Adelaide Fringe as the Finance Manager and she hasn’t looked back since. She embraces the arts environment with enthusiasm, relishing the opportunity to learn and contribute to the vibrant world of arts and culture. Beyond her knack for numbers, our Italiano queen is a lover of all things health and wellness, Guy Sebastian, brunching with her friends and just a great chat. 

Katherine is responsible for leading, developing and implementing partnership and fundraising strategies that supports Adelaide Fringe and the artists, venues and communities it represents. She leads the Business Development team to seek out authentic, creative partnerships that align with Fringe's values and vision of being the most inclusive festival in the world. With over 15 years of experience in strategic partnerships, Kat spent eight years in the UK, leading global partnerships and events for international advertising platform, LBBonline. A highlight included four years managing partnerships for a week-long networking event (on a beach!) at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Kat values the positive social, economic, and cultural impact of Adelaide Fringe and inspires its partners and supporters to share this pride. When not Fringe-ing, Kat is teaching her two small children Spice Girls routines.

Ali is a proud Scot who embarked on a new adventure by moving to Australia last year. Joining Adelaide Fringe in November 2022, Ali is currently our Box Office and Customer Service Manager and he has loved his first festival experience. With a diverse background in Box Office, Front of House, and running his own design and print studio for five years he brings a unique perspective (and dodgy accent) to the team. Beyond work, his passion for musical theatre takes centre stage as a writer, director, performer, and devoted audience member all fuelled by his other passion for good coffee and great wine. Among his career highlights is directing a charity production in Scotland that raised an impressive £103,000 for local charities. Ali takes pride in being part of Adelaide Fringe, sharing the vision of making art accessible to all.

 Andy is an experienced arts worker from the UK originally (now an Australian Citizen). Beginning his career in TV & Film after graduating from university in Liverpool he transitioned into Film Festivals in 2007 and began working for Sheffield Doc/Fest with Heather Croall AM (they have been working together for over 17 years now!). Andy has worked internationally across festivals in Edinburgh, Dublin, London & Adelaide before settling at Adelaide Fringe in 2016. Andy manages the Fringe’s International Arts Marketplace – Honey Pot where he connects hundreds of industry programmers and buyers with artists and shows from Adelaide. Since joining Honey Pot the industry program has doubled in size and has participation from over 30 countries. Honey Pot generates deals worth over $4 million for artists each year. Andy believes in collaboration and inclusion and has a commitment to serving artists, venues, industry and audiences and making participation in Honey Pot as valuable as possible. Outside of Fringe Andy likes nothing more than a walk on the beach or a drive into the hills with his family. Throw a Negroni in and it’s his perfect day! 

Prior to joining the team at Adelaide Fringe, Ashley honed her skills in relationship and business building by starting her own gallery and retail business. After completing a Graduate Diploma in Management, she found a place within Adelaide Fringe where she champions artistic expression in South Australia, advocating passionately for the transformative power of the arts. Ashley thrives as the Business Development Manager, forging dynamic partnerships that elevate Adelaide Fringe’s local and national profile. Her vision has secured collaborations between diverse partners and stakeholders, fostering a vibrant creative ecosystem

Lisa has dabbled in all areas of artists and venues, with experience as a theatre maker, producer and venue manager. With many years participating as a local in Adelaide Fringe, she has gradually made her way on to the other side! Lisa loves a good chinwag, sunny days, fun festivities and family time with her little humans. You won’t find a person who is more passionate about the arts, and who will do anything for the Fringe fam: artists, venues and all.

 Lara began her arts career when she graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts as an actor in 2011. Since then, she has worked for a number of different arts organisations including Bell Shakespeare and the Seymour Centre Sydney and has performed in a number of film, television and theatre roles across Australia. Lara first joined Adelaide Fringe in 2018 and has been working within the Ticketing team in various positions ever since, most recently as the Ticketing Programs Manager. Lara is always looking to improve our systems to support Fringe artists to reach their audiences. She enjoys the collaborative nature of Fringe and that we constantly strive for excellence. When not at Fringe, you will find her in the garden, working on a renovation project or spending time with her family in the Adelaide Hills.    

Lauren started with the Adelaide Fringe in 2014 after working at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe while traveling. She has worked as a superstar supervisor in the box offices, in the Ticketing department as a Coordinator, and has now made the move to Executive Assistant to the Director and CEO, Heather Croall.

Lauren has a cleaning problem, only wears black and is a single mother to her little French bulldog, Ponyo. Lauren likes to have a lol, a white wine with ice and bloody loves Fringe fun times. 

Matt has been on a whirlwind of a ride in the events and festival world after previously working at Adelaide Fringe seven years ago delivering some huge and exciting projects for Adelaide Fringe including 'The Opening Night Street Party on North Terrace', 'The Parade of Lights' and 'Borealis'. Returning to Fringe this year after various leadership roles in major events including Sydney Festival, Darwin Festival, The Tour Down Under, Tasting Australia, Adelaide Film Festival, Darwin Festival, Adelaide New Years Eve City of Lights, Gluttony Events, The FIFA Women’s World Cup '23 AUNZ, Falls Festival and many more. In the last two years Matt has worked closely with Heather Croall and Adelaide Fringe, project managing and delivering the last two flagship events 'SKY SONG' drone light show and 'Electric Skies'. Matt is extremely excited to be back on the team working towards Adelaide Fringe '24 and beyond.

Veronica is a people person who strives to help individuals become the best versions of themselves, both professionally and personally. As a HR specialist, life coach and mind body practitioner, she is driven by two core passions: the wellbeing of people and the protection of our beautiful planet. She has over 10 years’ experience as a HR specialist creating and leading the HR function in the financial services sector before deciding that she needed to align herself with an organisation that best suited her own passions and values. This is when she joined Adelaide Fringe in 2025. Her mission as the HR Officer is ensure everyone is supported and able to bring their best creative selves to Fringe. 

Aaron is an artist and producer who has been performing in Adelaide Fringe for over 10 years. His arts career has covered the music, film, youth arts and live event industries. Aaron has joined Adelaide Fringe as an Artist and Venue Coordinator in 2023, working to support and empower the people that Fringe is all about. Before Adelaide Fringe, he worked as a Digital Marketing Coordinator at Carclew Youth Arts for 3 years. His main goal in life is to make people laugh and his show Lost in Translation has been running at Rhino Room since Adelaide Fringe 2021. 

Audrey entered the arts as a Regional Program and Event Assistant for Writers SA in 2022, supporting the Ruby award-winning ‘No Limits’ for Regional Writers Program. This role saw Audrey begin facilitating writing workshops throughout SA, before she was selected to join Carclew’s Sharehouse Residency as an Emerging Creative Producer in 2023. Having first joined the Fringe team for the 2024 season as an Assistant, Audrey is thrilled to have returned as an Administrator for 2025.

With a love for all things storytelling, if she’s not diving into her next fantasy read or writing comics, Audrey spends weekends leading an inclusive online teens writers group, The Changeling Collective.

Carlos has a background in business development from his days in Colombia. When he moved to Australia, he decided to shake things up a bit and dive into IT. After earning his Master’s degree in Adelaide, he started as an intern at Adelaide Fringe in the Digital Department in 2023. Now, he’s a key player here, coordinating Digital Client Relationships and handling all things digital. 

Carlos absolutely loves Adelaide. He’s been blown away by the friendliness of the locals and can’t get enough of the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets at the beach. And here’s a fun fact: he’s a passionate barista! On Saturdays you might find him making coffee at your favourite café!

Courtney started at Adelaide Fringe on a traineeship in 2021, where she spent her time as the Administration Assistant. After her traineeship Courtney joined the Operations team as the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator and is having the best time. Her favourite things include a good book, loud music and Marlene.

As a Sales and Marketing Coordinator, Edyta brings a wealth of experience in marketing, sales, brand strategy, stakeholder engagement and event management from her experience within not only the arts communities in both Australia and NZ, but also in various sectors, providing a nuanced and diverse perspective for Adelaide Fringe. With a strategic approach and market research capabilities, Edyta has implemented strategies for various organisations to improve their stakeholder and social media engagement, including the National Council of Women of New Zealand where her proposed strategy for their podcast, 'Conservations with Wāhine' increased engagement on various platforms by 50%. Outside of work, Edyta enjoys café-hopping, op-shopping and attempting to increase her kms and kudos notifications on Strava.

Emily first joined Adelaide Fringe as a volunteer in 2016, coming back as a box office staff member, before joining the year-round staff in the Marketing team. With six seasons of being part of Fringe under her belt, she is excited to continue to promote one of her greatest passions, the arts. When not Fringe-ing, Emily is reading, baking, seeing musicals, or spending time with her family. 

Jenny joined the Marketing team ahead of the 2023 season, looking after Fringe’s social media and email communications. Hailing from Hong Kong, she embraces her passion for the arts and photography here at Adelaide Fringe, capturing and sharing the festival's spirit with audiences near and far. Jenny is also a huge Disney fan and dreams of visiting every Disneyland in the world.

After having the first taste of Fringe back in 2017 Jessie was blown away by what she saw. She planned to stay in Adelaide after studying in Hong Kong and New Zealand. Working here as one of the members in finance team, she has been loving it since! Handling numbers in the arts environment is an absolute delight. She also loves spending time outdoors, having some fresh air and playing sports!

 Latecia is a self-taught software developer who began her journey at Fringe as a junior developer four years ago. As part of the digital team she develops AVR (Artist and Venue Registration), which has undergone several major updates since her arrival and is sold to multiple other festivals. Latecia is dedicated to creating top-notch software to support our artists and venues. In her spare time, she enjoys playing board games and reading fantasy novels.

As a visual artist, Madison holds dual bachelor's degrees in Visual Arts (Glass) and Media Arts. Her insatiable love and boundless curiosity for graphic arts and animation propel her to constantly push the boundaries of design. Beyond her design endeavors, she gleefully immerses herself in a world of watercolour painting, photography, and writing, finding delight in the exploration of diverse artistic mediums. Nature serves as her muse, and her unwavering affection for animals brings an extra touch of magic and joy to her creative journey.

Margaret started her marketing journey in Singapore, where she worked within the tourism industry for key leisure attractions and was part of a major tourism launch with Changi Airport. Moving to Australia in 2021, she worked with a luxury holiday rental group, overseeing the marketing and reservations prior to joining Fringe as a Marketing Project Coordinator. 
Margaret has been learning, absorbing and celebrating the arts and can’t wait to be fully involved with Fringe family to inspire creativity in the years to come.  She is also a self-proclaimed dog whisperer who spends her free time dog-sitting, and sometimes dog-stalking around the neighbourhood.

Mathilde discovered her love for arts through theatre and circus practice as a kid. Armed with a Masters in Performing Arts Event Management, she has worked as Production Coordinator for circus festivals in several Performing Arts Centres in France and Belgium. In 2020, she traded croissants for Vegemite, landing in Australia where she stumbled upon Adelaide Fringe. Joining the ticketing team in 2021 on a seasonal contract, she fell in love with the festival vibe and never looked back. 

When she's not operating ticketing magic, Mathilde is an avid traveller, fluent in English, Spanish, and French, with a passion for outdoor adventures, from rock climbing to aerial skills!

 Matt is the lead developer on our AVR platform as well as other in-house software. He works alongside Kieran and the many stakeholders in delivering an easy and seamless artist / venue registration experience. Matt is part of the Cheryl’s vollyball team and enjoys gaming, kayaking, taking care of his tropical fish and his amazing dog Monte! 

As a proud transgender woman, Michelle has both personal and professional experience as a diversity and inclusion leader. Michelle joined the Fringe team in 2024 after many years of experience in organisational development within the South Australian Public Sector. With a passion for the local arts industry, she enjoys reviewing all types of performances at Fringe and works with artists, venues and vendors to ensure a diverse, inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. When she's not Fringe-ing it up, you'll find her thrifting throughout the suburbs, soaking up local markets, and shooting some neat photos.

Nadia has worked in various roles in the arts for 20 years - and can’t see herself anywhere else. Before Joining the incredible Fringe team in May 2021, her most recent roles were with the Helpmann Academy (Program & Events Manager) and The Adelaide Festival Centre (Business Development Coordinator). Nadia’s passion for the arts and the role it plays in communities is complimented by her experience and knowledge of the industry. She strives to explore new, creative, and value aligned ways to connect business with the arts, and guide collaborative partnerships.      

Nick studied Fine Art Sculpture in the UK and was a founding partner in the UK design company The Designers Republic. He was the Lead Artist at the Sony Leeds studio and worked on the Bafta winning Wip3out for the Play Station. Now living and working in Adelaide on everything Fringe and also performing his own show Werewolves in Adelaide and at Edinburgh Fringe. In his spare time painting murals around town and sculpting.

Sarah joined the Adelaide Fringe team in 2021 to support the work of the Honey Pot marketplace team, before taking on a role in the Artist & Venue team for the 2023 Fringe season. Sarah came to the Adelaide Fringe from a visual arts background, with experience in arts administration, exhibition coordination and the delivery of public programs across a range of festivals, galleries, museums and in the university sector. Having taken on the role of Artist & Venue Coordinator in 2023, Sarah is working to support the artists and venues that make this festival happen. Sarah loves working to support emerging artists, experiencing live performances and is passionate about making the arts industry more accessible and sustainable.