Technical Toolbox Day

Join us for one, or all three workshops presented as part of the Technical Toolbox Day.

• Session 1 – Time Management (10:00am – 12:00pm)
• Session 2 – Navigating Identity and Re-defining Resilience in the Arts (1:00 – 3:00pm)
• Session 3 – Great (Production) Expectations (3:30 – 5:00pm)

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Session 1 – Time Management (10:00am – 12:00pm)
Facilitated by Lisa Osborn & Lisa Mibus.

Time is always at a premium in the theatre and juggling time is the continuous challenge of freelancers. This workshop gives you the opportunity to learn from two people who have spent their careers juggling time and people in both theatrical and student environments. It is suitable for anyone who has ever wondered how they will possibly get everything done in the time available.

Lisa Osborn has worked as a freelance stage manager and production manager in the performing arts industry since 2002. Within Australia she has stage managed productions for leading theatre companies including Malthouse Theatre, Stephanie Lake Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Victorian Opera, Chunky Move, BalletLab, Belvoir St Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Australian Dance Theatre, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Brink Productions and Windmill Theatre Company.

Her extensive touring experience has included international tours to over fifty cities across Europe, Asia, and North America, and presentations at major arts festivals including Edinburgh International Festival, BAM’s Next Wave Festival, Festival Madrid en Danza, Rising, Sydney Festival, Perth Festival, Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Festival, and MONA FOMA. Lisa is the Lecturer in Production (Stage Management) and coordinator of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) course at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), University of Melbourne.

Lisa Mibus is a Naarm (Melbourne) based Lighting Designer with a strong interest in the creation of new work. She has received multiple awards for her lighting design, including the 2024 Green Room Association opera panel award for Outstanding Design on Melbourne Cheremushki (Victorian Opera). Lisa has designed for many varied independent, as well as mainstage productions, with credits including Poesis, Castillo, Bridge, and Colour Correction (Dancehouse), June (Theatreworks), Caught, Control, Pomona, and Sweet Phoebe (Red Stitch), Archimedes War, Oil Babies, Whale (Darebin Speakeasy), Polite Mammals (The Wholesome Hour), Grand Gesture (The People/LaMama), The Curtain (45 Downstairs), My Lovers Bones (Brown Cabs Productions/Melbourne Festival), Virgins & Cowboys (Griffin Independent), Heart is a Wasteland, Normal Suburban Planetary Meltdown, The Orchid and the Crow (Malthouse Theatre), Straight White Men, The Distance, Boy at the Edge of Everything, and Music (Melbourne Theatre Company). Lisa Mibus is also a Lecturer in Production at the Victorian College of the Arts.

This session will be recorded and released as a podcast.

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Session 2 – Navigating Identity and Re-defining Resilience in the Arts (1:00 – 3:00pm)
Facilitated by Chris Cheers.

The arts and entertainment industry demands passion, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of your wellbeing. This workshop is designed to help crew members separate their identity from their work, build resilience by embracing uncertainty, and stay connected to what makes their work meaningful. Through guided discussions and peer support, you’ll gain tools to navigate mental health challenges, share experiences, and strengthen your support network. Take time to reconnect, reflect, and equip yourself with strategies to sustain a fulfilling career in the industry.

Dr. Chris Cheers is a psychologist, educator, and former arts worker dedicated to supporting the mental health of artists and creative professionals. With a background in arts organisations across Australia, he brings a deep understanding of the industry’s unique challenges to his specialised therapy, workshops, and consultations.

Chris has worked with actors, musicians, dancers, and arts workers, addressing issues like performance anxiety, creative blocks, and career instability. He has partnered with major arts organisations, including Creative Australia, Rising Festival, NGV, NIDA, and the Arts Centre Melbourne, to foster healthier work environments. Committed to making psychology accessible, Chris shares insights through media appearances and arts-focused platforms. He is also a university lecturer and a specialist in LGBTQI+ mental health. Dr. Cheers holds a PhD from La Trobe University and is a member of AusPATH and AAPi. His work continues to bridge the gap between psychology and the arts, ensuring creatives have the support they need to thrive.

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Session 3 – Great (Production) Expectations (3:30 – 5:00pm)
Moderator by Bronwyn Pringle.
Panellists include Lisa Mibus, Chris Cheers and Anna Schoo.

The changing nature of the entertainment industry and the wide range of theatrical projects can make it difficult to know what your job description really is. Informal employment arrangements can make this harder. So how do you know what your job really is on each gig? This panel discussion focuses on how to navigate the murky waters of expectation. How to politely work out if your expectations are the same as the people around you and how to address discrepancies when they come up. This can be a delicate balance of protecting yourself while maintaining good working relationships. This session is suitable for anyone who has ever found themselves employed for one job and then suddenly finds themselves with 5 jobs.

Anna Schoo is a producer and arts professional with broad ranging practice, including programming and producing for experimental and mainstream contexts, as well as extensive business and production management experience. Varying widely in scale and sector, her work has included being the program manager for the inaugural White Night Melbourne, programming the inaugural festival for The School of Life Australia, programming NYE celebrations for the City of Melbourne, being part of many delivery teams for The Melbourne Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Dark Mofo, and Garden of Unearthly Delights (Adelaide Fringe Festival), and has been on the road for many years as part of several large-scale touring productions. She holds a postgraduate degree in performance creation from the VCA, was the Creative Producer for rural NSW based experimental arts company The Wired Lab from 2017-2024, has been a member of Field Theory since 2011, and is on the Board of A is for Atlas. Current roles include being the Executive Producer for companies Born in a Taxi and Strange Engine. Anna focuses on supporting Australian contemporary creative practice, and chooses work that extends her, emphasising the local and creating positive change.

Dr. Chris Cheers is a psychologist, educator, and former arts worker dedicated to supporting the mental health of artists and creative professionals. With a background in arts organisations across Australia, he brings a deep understanding of the industry’s unique challenges to his specialised therapy, workshops, and consultations. Chris has worked with actors, musicians, dancers, and arts workers, addressing issues like performance anxiety, creative blocks, and career instability. He has partnered with major arts organisations, including Creative Australia, Rising Festival, NGV, NIDA, and the Arts Centre Melbourne, to foster healthier work environments. Committed to making psychology accessible, Chris shares insights through media appearances and arts-focused platforms. He is also a university lecturer and a specialist in LGBTQI+ mental health. Dr. Cheers holds a PhD from La Trobe University and is a member of AusPATH and AAPi. His work continues to bridge the gap between psychology and the arts, ensuring creatives have the support they need to thrive.

Bronwyn Pringle is a lighting designer and theatre maker who has spent the past 25+ years lighting everything from large festivals to strange theatrical experiments in venues that include The Princess Theatre, a London West End Nightclub, a warehouse in Buenos Aires, the Federation Square air-conditioning ducts and a wool-shed in Glencoe. Bronwyn is also a teacher and academic, with research focused on sustainable lighting and inclusive teaching practice. She has taught students from 5 year olds up to university level. In 2021, Bronwyn received the Green Room Award for technical achievement, and has also received Green Room Awards for alias Grace (Malthouse Theatre), Letters from Animals (Here Theatre/SRWT) and Prophet (Theatreworks) and two Melbourne Fringe Festival Design Collaboration awards.

Lisa Mibus is a Naarm (Melbourne) based Lighting Designer with a strong interest in the creation of new work. She has received multiple awards for her lighting design, including the 2024 Green Room Association opera panel award for Outstanding Design on Melbourne Cheremushki (Victorian Opera). Lisa has designed for many varied independent, as well as mainstage productions, with credits including Poesis, Castillo, Bridge, and Colour Correction (Dancehouse), June (Theatreworks), Caught, Control, Pomona, and Sweet Phoebe (Red Stitch), Archimedes War, Oil Babies, Whale (Darebin Speakeasy), Polite Mammals (The Wholesome Hour), Grand Gesture (The People/LaMama), The Curtain (45 Downstairs), My Lovers Bones (Brown Cabs Productions/Melbourne Festival), Virgins & Cowboys (Griffin Independent), Heart is a Wasteland, Normal Suburban Planetary Meltdown, The Orchid and the Crow (Malthouse Theatre), Straight White Men, The Distance, Boy at the Edge of Everything, and Music (Melbourne Theatre Company). Lisa Mibus is also a Lecturer in Production at the Victorian College of the Arts.

This session will be recorded and released as a podcast.

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Date: Saturday, 17 May 2025.
Please book a ticket for each workshop you will be attending. Sessions can be attended individually or in any combination.

• Session 1 (10:00am – 12:00pm) – Time Management
• Session 2 (1:00 – 3:00pm) - Navigating Identity and Re-defining Resilience in the Arts
• Session 3 (3:30 – 5:00pm) - Great (Production) Expectations

Location: Chunky Move, 111 Sturt St, Southbank.
Additional access details (including parking and public transport options) can be found on the Chunky Move Website.

WHAT TO BRING:

This is a non-catered event so please bring your own water bottle and any snacks you may require. There will be a short break between each workshop.