About

Geoff Cobham is the Artistic Director of Patch Theatre and one of Australia’s leading culture professionals, with over 40 years’ experience collaborating in all forms of theatre.

His artistic reputation both nationally and internationally comes from an outstanding multi-award-winning career working with several of Australia’s foremost arts organisations and events. He spent ten years as Associate Director of dance theatre Force Majeure, five years as resident designer at State Theatre Company South Australia and has worked in senior management roles at Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival and WOMAD.

Geoff founded Bluebottle in 1998, an award-winning lighting design company which integrates outstanding lighting design into theatres, galleries, installations, architecture, exhibitions and music.

He has a long and notable history with Patch Theatre, having worked on a variety of productions including The Fastest Boy, Emily Loves to Bounce and Me & My Shadow before taking the reins as Artistic Director in 2018. While at Patch, Geoff has created in-theatre works ZOOOM, I Wish…, and Home and installation works The Lighthouse, Sea of Light, and Mirror Mirror.

Penny joined Patch Theatre in December 2018 as Company Manager, moving into the General Manager role in mid 2020. Her skills are in logistical management of national and international performing arts touring, after six years working as Arts Programs Associate Producer for Country Arts SA. This included working with many companies and independent artists touring the regions, such as Circa, State Theatre Company SA, Vitalstatistix, Artback NT, Performing Lines, Gravity & Other Myths, Windmill Theatre and Patch Theatre.

Since graduating from Uni SA, Penny has worked at a range of arts companies, including Performance Space, Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival Centre, State Theatre Company of South Australia, MONA FOMA, Junction (Launceston) and Kumuwuki (Goolwa) Regional Arts Conferences. Taking time out to travel, she worked with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Assembly Rooms at Edinburgh Fringe. Penny has also worked as producer on a number of independent shows. Penny was selected as one of the Australia Council's 2020/21 Future Leaders cohort.

A graduate of The University of Adelaide - BA (Drama Studies), Sasha has over 25 years’ experience in the performing arts industry in Australia and internationally, with roles including - Director, Creative Producer, Programmer, Festival Producer, Theatre Maker, Facilitator & Board Member. Previous Artistic Director of D’Faces of Youth Arts (Whyalla), Kurrruru Youth Performing Arts and Associate Artistic Director of the Come Out Festival (now DreamBig), Sasha was the Creative Producer of Adelaide Fringe (2009 - 2014), the co-program director for Royal Croquet Club Adelaide (2015 - 2018), the co-director of Stirling Fringe (2017, 2018 & 2019) & producer for Briefs Factory & Hot Brown Honey (2014 & 2015). Since 2004 Sasha has worked with Vanuatu’s Wan Smolbag Theatre including producing & co-programming three international theatre festivals for the company in 2009, 2014 & 2019 and worked extensively with First Nations & multicultural artists and communities, regional & independent artists & companies in Australia & internationally.

More recently Sasha was the Executive Producer of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Pacific Mini Games (Vanuatu, Dec 2017), directed numerous shows for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival (2018-2021), directed Amphibian for Windmill Theatre (2018 & 2021), produced a women’s gathering & conference for Mura Kosker Sorority in Thursday Island (Torres Strait, Nov 2018), produced the Remote Indigenous Media Festival & Torres Strait Performing Arts Festival, Thursday Island (Sep 2019), was the Creative Producer at Tandanya National Cultural Institute (October 2019 – March 2021) and was the Associate Director for Windmill Theatre Company (April 2021 – September 2022). Sasha commenced at Patch Theatre as Creative Producer in September 2022.

In 2018 Teena was appointed General Manager/Producer, alongside Geoff Cobham as Artistic Director, to take Patch Theatre into its new direction – she has continued as the company’s Producer since August 2020.

Nearly all of Teena’s roles in the arts have involved producing and national and international touring in senior management positions of small, medium and large organisations. Highlights include Program Manager of the Sydney Olympic Arts Festivals, General Manager/Executive Producer of Windmill Theatre, Executive Producer for Arts Projects Australia and WOMADelaide, and touring Circus Oz around the world. She has toured with several major commercial musicals and held various roles at Adelaide Festival, the last being as Acting Head of Programming in 2018.

Teena has served on the Boards of Adelaide Fringe, Cirkidz and Circus Oz, and on the Executive Council of Live Performance Australia, and has guest lectured at Flinders University and NIDA.

Michelle ‘Maddog’ Delaney is a maker of things. Places, spaces, feelings and things – forests in disused buildings, themed bars and bespoke furniture, shattering plaster BMX wheels, Ediacaran based décor, rocket stands and giant cocoons, and more. She has worked as a designer, production manager, builder, scenic artist, stage manager, sourcer and sorcerer for major companies, festivals and independent artists. She likes nothing better than working in great teams to produce beautiful experiences. She is currently Maker in Residence at Patch Theatre and, with Geoff Cobham, has co-designed all of Patch’s shows since 2019. Maddog’s design credits include Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2018–2021, Dark Mofo 2018 & 2019, Adelaide Festival 2013–2016, Darwin Festival 2010– 2015, Adelaide Fringe 2007–2009, Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2012, Red Sky Morning – State Theatre Company of South Australia (2016), and co-design with Meg Wilson on Life is Short and Long – Emma Beech and Vitalstatistix (2016).

Nicole McKenzie is a writer and arts marketer based in Adelaide, Australia. She has worked at arts organisations across the country, including Melbourne Writers Festival, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Fringe and Emerging Writers' Festival. She has written for publications including Peppermint Magazine, ArtsHub, The Lifted Brow, and Punkee.

Since the 1970’s Briony has lived and loved the theatre life, predominantly in Adelaide. She has been very fortunate to tour extensively throughout Australia and overseas with such companies as The Compaigne Philippe Genty, Meryl Tankards Australian Dance Theatre, Bell Shakespeare Co and most recently with the Australian Dance Theatre. Briony is thrilled to be touring around America and Canada in 2023 with the wonderful production “ZOOOM”.

Liz Hawkins is the Executive Director of Advancement at University of Adelaide. She has over 30 years’ experience in fundraising within tertiary education, the arts & cultural sector and the not for profit across North America the UK and Australia. Liz currently leads an expanding team of 25 advancement professionals with the aim to embed the culture of philanthropy across the university, secure transformational gifts and help lead the 150th Anniversary celebrations in 2024.

After graduating from Cornell University, Liz worked for the University in the Advancement team for 5 years. After a 15-year stint as a professional actor, Liz returned to full-time fundraising and most recently worked as Director of Programming, Development and Venue Sales at Adelaide Festival Centre. Liz was an inaugural member of the CASE Asia Pacific Board and Council and is delighted to return once again as an APIEF faculty member.

Chris Drummond is Artistic Director of Brink Productions. His productions have been presented by most major theatre companies in Australia. Credits include The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Memorial, The Aspirations of Daise Morrow, When the Rain Stops Falling and Night Letters (STCSA). He was nominated for a 2009 Helpmann Best Director Award for The Flying Dutchman (SOSA) and his productions have won Ruby, Adelaide Critics Circle, Green Room (Vic) and Sydney Theatre awards. Chris was Associate Director of State Theatre Company of South Australia from 2001 to 2004. 

Ben joined the Board of Patch as Treasurer in mid-2017. Ben is a Senior Commercial Manager at Sundrop Farms.

Ben has extensive experience in business and commerce across a range of industries.  Ben is a Chartered Accountant, holds degrees in commerce and law and has a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance. Ben has two young children who are big fans of Patch’s work.

Reena Costello is a legal practitioner with a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide, and a Masters of Law from Columbia University in New York. Reena has practiced in commercial litigation in South Australia, and as an Attorney in New York with a focus on construction litigation. After returning to Adelaide, Reena joined Premier Health Care initially as Legal Counsel and later became the Head of Operations & Regulatory Compliance. During her time with Premier Health Care she oversaw the Group’s COVID-19 response, compliance with various new regulatory requirements across jurisdictions, and day-to-day operations. Reena joined Aged Care Industry Association as an Expert Advisor in 2021 and a Board Member in 2023.

Whyalla based, primary school arts specialist teacher, Deb is also a multidisciplinary artist and theatre maker. Originally from New Zealand, she has worked with Whyalla City Council, Country Arts SA, D’Faces youth arts (as Company Manger, and now continues as an active Board member) alongside teaching secondary school science. Deb has a strong commitment to the transformative power of creative engagement, the importance of creativity to young people’s lives, future and current economy and just generally because it makes the world a better and more interesting place to be.

Boram Lee is a Senior Lecturer in Arts and Cultural Management at the University of South Australia.

Prior to her academic life, she managed international tours of highly respected theatre companies, worked as a producer at arts festivals, and participated in many visual arts projects. Her professional involvement and life-long interest in theatre and the visual arts sectors led her to her current active research interests.

Hailing from the Kaurna and Narungga nations in South Australia, Dearna is an accomplished professional inspired by the intersection of art, science and innovation.  Dearna has produced and curated a suite of programs for various cultural organisations including Adelaide Fringe, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide Festival Centre, MOD. at UniSA, Australian Network for Art & Technology and Illuminate Adelaide. These range from large scale live performance, art installations, regional events to digital and online based programs. Currently Dearna works as a Producer with award winning creative design studio, Sandpit. Sandpit combines innovative technology with physical design to create new modes of storytelling.

Amanda Wheeler has been working in marketing and business development roles across Adelaide’s arts sector for over 12 years. Beginning her arts career at Adelaide Festival, Amanda then moved onto senior roles across the Adelaide Festival Centre and Adelaide Fringe before taking on the position of Sponsorship Manager - BankSA for Westpac Group – a role that provided ‘corporate perspective’ of sponsorship across many industries.

But arts is where the heart is, and Amanda returned to Adelaide Festival in 2016, where she is responsible for managing corporate partnerships, nurturing philanthropic support and developing fundraising activities.

Amanda and her husband Jay have two beautiful children who are regular, enthusiastic members of Patch’s audiences.