Congratulations to our first Wandima Fellow, Nicole Reilly

19 JUL 2022

Yesterday, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Brisbane Powerhouse associates came together to announce the successful candidate of the inaugural Wandima Fellowship. We are pleased to welcome our first Wandima Fellow to the team, proud Wiradyuri woman Nicole Reilly.

Drawn from a Yagara word meaning “rising; going upwards”, the year-long Wandima Fellowship was formed to support early-career Indigenous Australian creative practitioners and includes a supported program of mentoring, professional development, internship and work experience within the creative space of both QUT and Brisbane Powerhouse.

Deeply involved within the performing arts community, Nicole Reilly graduated from the innovative practice-based Performing Arts Master’s Program at the University of the Sunshine Coast and is currently the Artistic Director of Zen Zen Zo – a contemporary physical theatre company producing national and international self-divised compositions. Her formidable efforts towards not only producing new, innovative works but to sharing her knowledge through education and cultural experiences have given her a leading edge within her field, now being recognised with her rich potential for new, various career opportunities.

Brad Spolding, Arts Program Director of Brisbane Powerhouse states, “Nicole Reilly is an exciting artist and I’m thrilled to be able to collaborate with her as she undertakes the inaugural Wandima Fellowship. I look forward to supporting Nicole to carry out the fellowship and can’t wait to see the amazing work that arises from this opportunity.”

Brisbane Powerhouse and QUT have been partners for well over a decade and in this time, have helped foster artistic talent though various programs. In turn, the Wandima Fellowship was a natural progression to help identify emerging First Nations artists and further connect with First Nations people. 

Nicole in particular is focused on the Wiradyuri ways of knowing, being and doing, utilising her background in inherited dance and physical theatre frameworks to represent the deep cultural relevance between movement, story-telling and reclamation.

We are delighted to embrace Nicole and her depth of skill into the Brisbane Powerhouse team, further developing her personal creative practise while laying the foundation for specialised support, new professional networks and expanding opportunities.

Congratulations Nicole, we cannot wait to accompany you on this special journey.