Belvoir is delighted to announce two additions to the Artistic and Programming team, with the appointment of Carissa Licciardello and Hannah Goodwin as Resident Directors. Over the next 24 months, Carissa and Hannah will work with Belvoir on season programming, casting, and creative developments.
Carissa and Hannah join Artistic Director Eamon Flack; Artistic Associates Dom Mercer, and Tom Wright; Associate Artists Kodie Bedford and S. Shakthidharan; Producer Zainab Syed; and Artistic Coordinator Emily David in the Artistic and Programming team. The team is completed by Andrew Cameron Fellows Justice Jones and Abbie-lee Lewis, and Balnaves Fellows Jorjia Gillis and Thomas Weatherall.
Carissa is currently directing her adaptation of the cult 1970s film Opening Night by John Cassevetes, at Belvoir from 26 February, and previously directed and co-adapted A Room of One’s Own. She was Associate Director for FANGIRLS, and Assistant Director for Counting and Cracking.
Carissa also directed the 25A shows Extinction of the Learned Response and The Maids in the Downstairs Theatre. Carissa graduated from NIDA’s Directing course in 2017 and was the inaugural 2019 Andrew Cameron Fellow at Belvoir, a position within the company for an emerging theatre-maker with a demonstrated portfolio of high-quality work
Hannah will make her mainstage debut with the Repertory Season at Belvoir this year, co directing Wayside Bride by Alana Valentine and Light Shining in Buckinghamshire by Caryl Churchill alongside Eamon Flack. Hannah’s work as an Assistant Director at Belvoir includes Black Brass, Stop Girl, My Brilliant Career, and Packer and Sons.
In addition, Hannah directed The Sorry Mum Project with National Theatre of Parramatta, and also A Girl in School Uniform (Walks into a Bar) at KXT. Hannah was the 2020 Andrew Cameron Fellow and the 2019 recipient of the ATYP Rose Byrne Scholarship.
Carissa Licciardello said, “Belvoir is the company where I’ve had my most formative experiences as a director. The shows I watched at Belvoir as a young artist helped show me what’s possible in theatre, and the Fellowship gave me a chance to develop my professional skillset from inside a company. Adapting and directing my own work with A Room of One’s Own and Opening Night has allowed me to bring that artistic vision and skillset together, and I’m stoked that Belvoir has supported me to make the kind of work I’ve always aspired to make – theatrically ambitious, surprising, and driven by an excellent cast.
“I’m very much looking forward to continuing to develop and direct work for the Belvoir stage, and to working alongside Eamon, Sue and the Belvoir team as it works to develop the next generation of artists and theatre makers.”
Hannah Goodwin said, “Belvoir has always been a leading light for me artistically and the time that I’ve worked here as the Andrew Cameron Fellow has been deeply formative. The Fellowship changed the trajectory of my career and in a way, I think I have been particularly fortunate to be at the company during these volatile years. I’ve seen firsthand the determination, resilience, and defiant optimism required to make theatre especially during these pandemic years. I’m ready to exercise those qualities and the skills I’ve learnt here as we finally get the Rep Season onto our corner stage. It’s a phenomenal project to debut on – ambitious, theatrical, and beautifully human.
“I’m looking forward to doing more of it – developing and directing new work for Belvoir. I’m thrilled that I get to continue to be a part of the brilliant Artistic and Programming team here who work to develop and champion new stories, new voices, new forms, and excellent theatre.”
Eamon Flack, Artistic Director at Belvoir says “We’ve made it our mission in the last few years to give as many artists as possible a creative home. Artists at Work created over 300 gigs during the two lockdowns, but our great ambition is to bring more artists into the company on an ongoing basis. Recently we announced our new Associates Program as well as the new Balnaves and Andrew Cameron Fellows.
“These new Resident Director positions were created specially to continue the excellent work Hannah and Carissa have been doing as Andrew Cameron Fellows. Carissa’s exquisite production of A Room of One’s Own re-opened Belvoir after the first lockdown, and Hannah and I have been co-directing our repertory season, which you’ll be able to see in April. They are two great emerging talents and I’m glad they’ve agreed to stick around for another two years.
“We have worked hard to grow and open up the Artistic and Programming team at Belvoir. Hannah and Carissa join Zainab, Tom Wright, Dom, Em, Shakthi, Kodie, Abbie-lee, Justice and Tom Weatherall.”
Featured image : Carissa Licciardello and Hannah Goodwin. Pic Brett Boardman