Place Names

Elly is an experienced Program Manager with a passion for creating spaces for connections to grow and for people to be heard. She joined the CAN team in March 2020 as Lullabies Project Coordinator and in 2021 moved into a Program Manager role, overseeing both CAN’s Lullabies and Place Names projects. Currently Elly manages all CAN's programs.

Since 2012, Elly has worked in a variety of project coordination and facilitation roles in the arts and community sectors including supporting young people to develop social action projects to advocate for their rights and create positive systemic change.

In 2020, Elly coordinated CAN’s Noongar Lullabies from Home project, bringing Noongar artists and families together online to learn and celebrate Noongar language through the creation and recording of lullabies.

Gia has a strong background in delivering community projects and programs and has worked across areas such as homelessness, access and inclusion, and reconciliation at both a policy and direct service delivery level. Completing two post-graduates in arts from 20-22,’ she studied and explored the power of ‘artivism’ - art + activism. Ever since, Gia has been passionate about utilising art as a tool for social progress, inclusion and activism.

Gia produces projects within the community that aim to create space for the sharing of stories, understanding of others and potential catalysts for urgent social change.

Gia is producing the Place Names program in the Shire of Dandaragan on Yued Boodja.

Gia is an artist that loves any opportunity to work across dance, music and installation and is currently hyper fixating on neon paint.

Irma is a Bibbulmun/Yamatji yorga with a work background in the performing arts, screen, and not-for-profit sectors.

Irma is the Co-Producer for the Lullabies Belmont Project with Lidia Castro.

She is involved with the Moorditj Footprints Nyoongar Stories of East Perth Project. Irma serves on the WA Screen Industry Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Group (DLG); Screenwest, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) WA Committee & National Performers Committee; and the Australian Writers Guild, WA Committee.

Len Collard is a Whadjuk Nyungar Traditional Owner of the Perth metropolitan area and Professor at School of Indigenous Studies, University of Western Australia. Len’s ground breaking theoretical work and research around decoding Noongar Place Names of the Southwest of Australia has put Nyungar Cultural research on the local, national and international stages.

With a background in literature and communications, Len’s research has allowed the broadening of the understanding of the many unique characteristics of Australian Aboriginal people and contributes to the appreciation of Aboriginal culture and heritage of the Southwest Australia.

Sandy is a WA-based director, theatre devisor, designer, photographer and sculptor working across performance, puppetry and multimedia. Her company Sandpiper Productions works with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and artists throughout Australia and internationally. Sandy has performed in Indonesia and Italy, and been artist-in-residence in South Africa, Zambia, South Korea, East Timor, Cocos and Christmas Islands, developing and directing performances with theatre companies and in collaboration with local communities.