Slingsby's Flying Squad
Employed by Slingsby across 2021 to 2023, Slingsby’s Flying Squad was a team of multi-skilled artists that travelled the state, collaborating and sharing with remote, regional and metropolitan communities. Energised by our passion for creativity, story and shared time and space, Slingsby’s goal was to inspire, build and fortify connections with and between South Australian’s living across our beautiful and varied landscape.
A game changing co-investment by the federal RISE Fund and the Government of South Australia’s Arts Recovery Fund afforded Slingsby the resources to secure ongoing employment for six South Australian artists on two year contracts.
About
Alexis West
Alexis West has worked as a dancer, choreographer, performer, voice talent, writer, director, producer, researcher, dental assistant, pot pig, poet, theatre maker, filmmaker and collaborator over the past 28 years. A Birri Gubba, Wakka Wakka, South Sea Islander and Caucasian woman living on Kaurna Country. Alexis is passionate about First Nation voices, the stories of people with disability, oppression, diversity and collaboration. She has worked as an Artistic Director with Karrikarrinya Theatre Collective, co-written with Elena Carapetis for the State Theatre of South Australia, written and collaborated for Kurruru Youth Arts and No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability. She has worked with and for SA Writers Centre now Writers SA, Spirit Festival, Our Mob, Art Gallery SA, SA Film, Media Resource Centre, NITV and Adelaide Fringe. She was co-curator of the 2017 Australian Theatre Forum with Steve Mayhew. Creative in Residence with Vital Statistix. In 2018 Alexis also performed at jute theatre Cairns in BUKAL the inspiring story of Henrietta Fourmile-Marrie written by Andrea James. BUKAL toured remote Far North Queensland schools and communities as a part of jutes ‘Dare to Dream’ program. Alexis works with Act Now Theatre Company facilitating and curating the First Nations Pathway program. Worked as First Nations producer with Australia Day Council of South Australia-Smoking Ceremony:Mourning in the Morning. She is thrilled to be writer and reader in residence at State Theatre Company South Australia creating new work and writing monologues for Decameron 2.0 with Act Now Theatre.
Delia Olam
Delia Olam is an award-winning actor/dancer, director, singer-songwriter, mum of 3, theatre designer, and playwright who has collaborated locally and internationally since graduating. For over a decade, Olam has created and toured diverse cabaret works with live original music elements. Sharing stories that empower and unite are Delia’s “raison d’être”.
Edgell Junior
Edgell is a proud Ni-Vanuatu man (from Pentecost Island), now living in Adelaide. From 2011 – 2019, Edgell was a core ensemble member of internationally renowned Wan Smolbag Theatre (Port Vila, Vanuatu), who work year round, producing, devising and touring plays, films, short videos, workshops programs and educational recourses.
Elleni Karagiannidis
Elleni Karagiannidis is a local artist living and working on Kaurna land, Adelaide. As a first generation Australian from a Greek Cypriot family, Elleni has always been surrounded by music, dance, and stories of wondrous places both afar and home. It was therefore inevitable that her fascination for storytelling would lead her to a love for the theatre.
Since graduating from the Flinders University Drama Centre in 2007, Elleni has utilised her skills, knowledge and passion for the arts, as an actor, puppeteer, director, facilitator and program coordinator. Elleni has recently returned to Adelaide with her new family after living in Melbourne for 5 years. She is thrilled to be working with Slingsby as an ensemble member of The Flying Squad, bringing new, captivating and beautiful theatre to audiences around our gorgeous state.
Joshua Campton
Josh Compton is ‘ Larrakia (N.T), Wadaman/Karajarri (W.A) & Gulidjan (Vic) actor, dancer and poet. He has performed with SA First Nations Dance Collective, OSCA, No Strings Attached, Tutti, Act Now and Restless Dance, and studied with Tutti Arts. He acted with Maurice’s Symphony (2016)m Jeremy the Dud & Mutt (2017). Josh received an Australia council for the Arts Jump Mentorship in 2012
Jennifer Stefanidis
Jennifer Stefanidis (στις Έλληνες, Ευγενία Στεφανίδη) is a multidisciplinary Greek-Australian artist and performer. Bringing with her a strong background in singing, she trained as an actor within the Flinders Drama Centre under the leadership of Tom Healey and Renato Musolino. Jennifer has expressed a keen interest in devised work both onstage and onscreen, and is enthusiastic to expand upon her musicianship, as well as her capabilities as a dramaturg and theatre-maker.