Natasha Tomlinson
Ambassador / Social Media Officer
Natasha is a performer, dancer and workshop co-facilitator. She also enjoys writing a weekly workshop wrap-up for Crossroad Arts socials.
Natasha has played significant roles in Crossroad Arts performances, Street of Teapots (2010), Stranded (2011), Whiff (2012), Cherish (2012) and first touring project as part of UNCOVERED, An Unlikely Tour (2018), An Unconventional Tour (2019) and An Unexpected Tour (2021).
In 2012, Natasha was employed as a part-time admin assistant at Crossroad Arts and has also undertaken numerous mentorships within the organisation in performance. Natasha has co-facilitated multi-arts workshops with Crossroad Arts in Mackay and as part of our outreach programs in Rockhampton, Proserpine and her co-facilitation of 15 workshops in Winton in 2018/ 19 across two schools led to a wider recognition of the capabilities of people with disability in leadership roles. Natasha is also a seasoned performer with the Choir of Unheard Voices.
Charlee Presland
Ambassador / Assistant Facilitator
Charlee is a performer, dancer, choreographer and workshop facilitator. Charlee has played significant roles in Crossroad Arts performances including Unexpected Tour (2020), LOOSE ENDS (2021-2023) and is an assistant facilitator in the Stretchy Pants afternoon workshop.
Charlee also enjoys working on workshop plans for C.R.U.S.H and is keen to continue her professional development by teaching workshops to more people, writing and developing shows and also connecting with other arts organisations around the country.
Charlee has danced since she was 3 years old and enjoys all styles including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and her favourite is musical theatre. Charlee has also performed with Mackay Comedy Players, Choir of Unheard Voices and loves entering Eisteddfod in the Mature and Motivated section alongside Company Administrator Lesa Walker!
Charlee believes that people with disability should be able to perform and lead creatively the performances themselves. Charlee wants to make performances that are world class and are inclusive of all people with disability and to advocate to the wider sector that access and inclusion is important. Charlee says people with disability should be included in professional performances and opportunities and wants to work towards that during her time at Crossroad Arts.
Brenden Borellini
Ambassador and Artist in Residence
Brenden Borellini is the Ambassador and Artist in Residence at Crossroad Arts where he has been performing for close to a decade. He has collaborated on various projects as an actor, workshop facilitator, photographer and researcher. As Crossroad Arts’ Ambassador and Artist in Residence, he has also travelled to Japan and the United States where he exhibited his 2D and 3D photographic works
Brenden was born profoundly deaf and lost his sight at the age of 9. He successfully pursued his education at the Special Education Unit for the visually impaired students at Cavendish Road High School in Brisbane and he became the first deafblind student to integrate into the community.
He then went on to study Sociology at the University of Queensland. He received the prestigious Young Australian of the Year Award for his achievements. Most recently Brenden received Mackay Regional Council’s 2020 Australia Day Award for Arts and Culture.
Brenden receiving his Young Australian of the Year award, 1989
Most recently Brenden performed in the first stage of development of Breathe In as part of An Unconventional Tour. He also accepted the David Bow Memorial Award from the Port of Mackay Rotary Club for Outstanding Community Service and held a solo exhibition Dancing with Ansel at a local cafe based on his photographic research trip to the United States. Additionally, his short film When Brenden met Hiroe has screened in international festivals.
Brenden also co-facilitated workshops for Crossroad Arts’ C.R.U.S.H theatre making intensive alongside La Boite Theatre Company, Dancenorth and choreographer Dean Walsh. He delivered a Masterclass in 3D photography at Arts Ablaze conference/festival and participated in the Artsynergy event in regional Queensland. Brenden believes that it is very important for artists with disability to have access to opportunities that develop their artistic works to showcase their stories to the whole world.
You can read more about Brenden’s art practice here.
Autumn Skuthorpe
Artistic Director / CEO
Autumn is a Maori wahine (Te Arawa, Tuhoe, Ngati Kahangungu and Ngati Porou) and is an experienced inclusive arts practitioner driven by inclusive arts practice, contemporary performance making, advocacy and is proud to celebrate the voices and stories of our region.
Since 2006 Autumn has worked with Crossroad Arts periodically as a performer, artist, arts worker, administrator and as a member of the Board. During this time, Autumn has closely worked on creative developments, co-producing new performance work, facilitating workshops and collaborating with artists from the community to tell their own stories. Autumn enjoys working across many mediums including music, film, visual arts and performance. Autumn has also founded several artist collectives, coordinated festivals, exhibited works and performed as a musician outside of her work with Crossroad Arts.
Autumn assists with the delivery of Crossroad Arts strategic goals and has extensive experience in both the operational and artistic requirements of the organisation. Growing up alongside our key artists Autumn also has strong knowledge of the cultural memory and value of Crossroad Arts and the wider challenges facing our region.
Autumn was awarded a scholarship through the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and completed a Diploma of Business (Governance), is an alumni of the Australia Council for the Arts’ Future Leaders Program that assists with the development of emerging and high potential arts leaders and is a recipient of the Australia Council for the Arts Kirk Robson Award for Community Arts and Cultural Development.
Lesa Walker
Company Administrator
Lesa was born and bred in Mackay and only has ventured out of the region for a short stint of 10 months to live in Sydney where she experienced her young son’s premiere professional stage performances in Matilda the Musical. Her experience in the arts started when her daughter started to learn dance at the age of three some 21 years ago, with her two brothers following in her footsteps and branching into all genres of dance, drama and music theatre. Currently, all three children are performers, creators or educators of the Arts and obviously, she is their biggest fan! She has been and continues to be involved in theatre and dance using her hobbies to provide costuming and props and of course, audience support. There is also the sneaky stage appearance once a year with my other dance mum friends in the Mature & Motivated Section at Mackay’s Eisteddfod and fellow Crossroad Arts mate, Charlee Presland. I can claim this achievement as one of my greatest, as this section sells 1,000 tickets in approximately 10 minutes!!
Lesa’s administrative and finance experience spans over some 40 years in Mackay with many different industries and cultures. During this time, she has gained a very broad range of skills and expertise which she brings to Crossroad Arts, however, she has enhanced those areas further since joining the company. She has loved growing and expanding her knowledge in inclusive arts practice, in particular marketing, promotions and funding and grant applications. Lesa looks forward to furthering another field of expertise with perhaps a course in graphic design in the near future.
Annalise Mawer
Arts Worker
Annalise packed up her life and moved from Sydney to Mackay back in 2012. She sees Crossroad Arts as the perfect combination of her passion for inclusive education and performance art. When she is not at Crossroad Arts Annalise is a Special Education teacher for Queensland Education with over 10 years experience in teaching.
Annalise started her journey with us back in 2019 as a roller skating tour guide on our An Unconventional Tour and has since come on board initially as a weekly Workshop Facilitator and Marketing Officer, now combining her roles as an Arts Worker. Her marketing skills have been honed in over the years, promoting and coordinating a mix of pin up, rockabilly, and roller derby events she has brought to the region. Annalise continues to seek out opportunities to be an advocate for inclusive education and access to the Arts for all.
Melissa Broadhurst
Sponsorship/ Development Officer
Melbourne born Melissa, is a known arts professional, with dual roles in Mackay’s art and business sectors. Melissa has periodically lived in the region for over 30 years and has been a major contributor to regional arts and culture.
As the Sponsorship and Development Officer for Crossroad Arts Melissa brings 17 years experience in Mackay’s art sector. A big supporter of local artists Melissa has a large collection of works by emerging and professional practitioners.
Melissa was the Executive officer for the Artspace Mackay Foundation. As the fundraising arm of our Regional Gallery Artspace Mackay, Melissa utilised her extensive background in print media, communications, design, fundraising and events management, to raise funds to assist our Regional Gallery with the further development of the Council Collection, programmes, and events.
Outside of Melissa’s work with Crossroad Arts she also is the Arts coordinator of the Art on Show Awards, Mackay’s prestigious national art competition and exhibition, presented by the Mackay Show Association, now in its 17th year. This competition and exhibition promotes artists locally, and interstate, attracting high profile judges to our region, including internationally acclaimed Australian artists, and curators from National galleries Australia wide. This National competition provides an educational role, raising awareness and promoting the arts to patrons who attend the Mackay Regional Show annually and is celebrated by the community and artists from afar.
As the co-owner of Life Design Homes, Melissa studied interior design whilst living and working in Sydney and practiced in the field of print media management. Melissa brought her passion and experience in this field as a interior design consultant on many of Mackay’s large commercial projects.
Melissa is passionate about the arts and strongly believes in the importance of a thriving and vibrant cultural life for our community and the opportunity of arts for all. Melissa aims to continue to play her part in the promotion of art and culture in our region and the development of our region’s emerging creative talent.
With great admiration for the Crossroad Arts team, Melissa looks forward to learning much more about inclusive arts practice, and aims to make a contribution raising funds and developing partnerships for this nationally recognised team.