Amongst our members we have a number of creative and applied theatre practitioners including:
Jen Barrkman (a founder of Red Thread Stories Australia Inc) has been assisting people to connect over many years in her work as a group facilitator and psychologist, oral historian and Playback theatre practitioner. She loves to find creative ways to gently engage diverse people in groups. She believes through sharing and listening to each others stories in safe, inclusive spaces magic happens. We can connect deeply with each other even when we are very different. More recently she has been learning to be more mindful in her own life and has been providing counselling using Acceptance Commitment Therapy. Jen is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and is a nationally registered psychologist.
Organisations Jen has been contracted by, or worked with, include Queenslanders with Disability Network, Communify, Ethnic Communities Council Queensland, Micah projects, Council of the Ageing, Acacia Ridge Community Support Inc, Wesley Mission Brisbane, Queensland Alliance for Mental Health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Disability Network, Queensland Advocacy Inc, Queensland Parents of People with Disability, Carers Queensland, ARAFMI Mental Health Carers, Multicultural Development Association, Department of Housing, New Farm Neighbourhood Centre, Workforce Council, Queensland University of Technology, Myer, Main Roads, Griffith University.
Formal Qualifications and Memberships
B.Bus Management, Grad Dip Psychology; Grad Dip Local, Applied and Family History, Nationally registered Psychologist; Workplace certificate IV (training); Member Australian Psychological Society.
Find out more about Jen via her website.
Frankie Jaiyeola was drawn to Playback in 2012 during a clowning workshop where she met current members from Red Thread Stories. With a background in dance and physical theatre, Frankie enjoys the meaningful outlet Playback provides for creative expression.
Frankie has performed with various troupes and bands as a dancer and has held dance classes and workshops at venues and festivals around Brisbane. She has trained in contemporary and West African dance, clowning, improvisation and physical theatre in Brisbane with a variety of trainers including Ira Seidenstein, Liz Skitch and Jenny Winter.
In her other life, Frankie is passionate about education and is inspired by the way children learn naturally through play and how we are born with an innate desire and ability to learn. Frankie currently works as a primary school art teacher and Baby Play facilitator at the State Library. She loves the playful nature of working with children and being involved with bringing people and communities together through, song, stories and art.
B. Creative Industries (Drama/Dance), Grad. Dip. Education (Primary)
Frances Marrington has performed with Red Thread Stories since 2015. She has worked as a performer, artistic collaborator and teaching artist since graduating from QUT in 2002.Frances’ performing credits include: Minefields and Miniskirts (Brisbane Arts Theatre); The Odyssey (Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre / Qld Arts Council), As You Like It and Shakespeare’s Shorts (Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble); Joey and Maria’s Italian Wedding (Gold Coast Arts Centre); Swan Lake (Qld Ballet); Zeitgeist (Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre); The Ship That Never Was (Round Earth Theatre, Tasmania); Sad Bird Boy (theatre of decay, Melbourne); Eight Days (Adelaide Fringe); and Picasso’s Women (Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne). Her film credits include lead roles in independently produced features Watch Me and Purge.
Frances has worked as a teaching artist with Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre since 2008, and with Red Thread Stories since 2016. In 2016 she also facilitated the Lotus Place drama group in conjunction with FAN Theatre. In 2017 she will graduate from the Graduate Diploma of Education (Drama – Senior Years).
Deanna Borland-Sentinella is a creative facilitator who has specialised in using applied theatre techniques in communities to share stories, process difficult times, problem solve and vision for the future. Starting with Playback Theatre in 2003, she has continued to add other Applied Theatre techniques to her tool kit ever since – a journey which has taken her to work and train in Australia, the UK and South America. She believes in theatre as powerful tool in development and has used it in her community development work with young people, refugees, homeless, those who are incarcerated, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, and with people with disabilities. She has been part of a variety of projects including those in prisons, in schools and in community centres. She is currently under-taking PhD studies at QUT and has taught Applied Theatre at QUT, Griffith and UQ. More of Deanna’s work can be found at www.d-create.me
We would also like to acknowledge the contribution of past members…
Kris Plowman Vale Kris – (A founder of Red Thread Stories Australia Inc) who worked as a scientist, ecologist and facilitat
or in universities, state and local government and the community sector both as an employee and a consultant. Kris had a lifelong interest in walking gently on the earth and in working cooperatively with others to act hopefully for good in our world.
As a community activist (and sometimes facilitator) Kris has worked with the Wildlife Preservation Society (Qld), the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Women in Advanced and Vocational Education and the Brisbane Playback Theatre Company. She has acted on each of these organisations management committees. More lately she has involved in work to create good humoured, generous and open learning environments in a range of organisation, both corporate &community; where people are able to heard speaking freely and from the heart.
Formal Qualifications
BSc (Hons), PhD, Dip Ed Community & Adult Education, Group Facilitator (Gestalt Institute)
We also acknowledge the past contribution of founder Deb Driscole and troupe members Olga Rubio Garcia and Daniel Sala who helped to build this website.
Associate artists – past troupe members who continue to join us as guest performers – include:
Emma Che Raethke – bio coming soon!
I
“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”
– An old Native American proverb