Biography

Sama is a Creative Director, Designer & Producer with an international body of work in the performing arts industry. Working collaboratively with teams in leadership roles and behind the scenes, she comprehensively oversees productions through from conceptual stages to completion. Sama is the founding Director of IPAN International Performing Arts Network & WISE Women In Screen and Entertainment.

As Artistic Director of The Arts Platform (2012-2014), Sama activated four new arts venues across Sydney. She designed and & renovated two large warehouse spaces and worked alongside landlords and councils to convert two more existing spaces; whereby creating performing arts and exhibition spaces for dozens of performing artists and arts companies across Sydney. These included acting schools, film and televisions schools, film production shoots, music events, video clips, theatre performance as part of the Sydney Festival, art exhibitions, multiple artist in residency programs and the second screening of the Lucky Film Festival. Sama spearheaded a series forums with writers, independent theatre practitioners, artistic leaders and organisations including a panel with City of Sydney council discussing the importance of the independent arts sector. Sama was a guest panelist with Australian Theatre for Young People, tackling the issue of affordable creative spaces in Sydney.

As an events producer, Sama has produced multiple events nationally and internationally. These include: Women’s retreats and events: Nurture in Nature (2017) and The Unfurling (2018) near Byron Bay. Theatre workshop The Bouffon Clown with Eric Davis, (2014) Photography exhibitions Here and There and The Eye in Sydney (2014) IPAN International Performing Arts Exchange at Sudden Theatre in Paris,(2009) Play readings for the New Voices New Works series at the The Pavé d’Orsay in Paris (2009) in Paris she produced the performance for Miss Adventure as part of the live and online international theatre festival Around the World in 24 Hours hosted by The Internationalists based in New York (2009).

Theatre credits include: Director for the show Fragments of a Father part of the Which Direction Home Festival at Laguardia Performing Arts Centre (2010) in New York. Australian theatre works include: Director and costume designer for physical theatre show Dance of the Elements at the Subsonic Music Festival (2016) Set Designer for theatre production Great Expectations, Director, Tyran Parke- NIDA Open Program, (2016), Director and Designer of theatre show Bite Size for Sydney Fringe Festival (2011) and Director & Designer of physical theatre show Lucky at New Theatre (2011).

Film credits include her role as Creative Director of WISE Women in Screen and Entertainment, (2015 to present) Co-Festival Director Lucky Film Festival, (2011- 2013) Production Manager of Australian feature film Love of My Life (2012) work in the production department for Hilton Cordell Productions, including Production Assistant role for the SBS series The Colony and the Australian Museum documentary My City of Sydney (2004). Director for the short-film Two Hands of Prayer in Umbria Italy (2009).

Sama trained at EORA Aboriginal Centre of Visual and Performing Arts (2003) in Sydney before training in movement theatre and design at Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jaques Lecoq in Paris, (2006-2008) Sama has trained in, physical theatre, commedia del arte, mask, acrobatics, mime, costume and set design. She has qualifications in small business management,TEFL language training. Sama was the Assistant Director to Dean Carey at The Actors Centre Australia on works by Shakespeare and Checkhov (2004)

Sama is passionate about social activism, as reflected in the shows she produces and directs. Sama has directed theatre shows addressing the plight of refugees, including Fragments of a Father in New York and Lucky at New Theatre in Sydney. Whist producing Lucky, Sama worked alongside Amnesty International, Australia and ChillOut Children out of Detention to bring educational workshops to the community. In France, Sama worked alongside multiple directors across Europe and the U.S.A on The Blind project, with theatre company The Internationalists, tackling theatre accessibility for the visually impaired. She directed and produced works by six emerging female playwrights for Bite Size at the Newtown Theatre and I think The Interview Went Well Mum by Van Badham, as part of the Women Power and Culture festival at New Theatre, Sydney.

Sama brings vision and heart to all her work, she is a passionate campaigner for equality, diversity, social justice and an advocate for women's leadership to bring about social change.