Our regionally based Arts Advisors offer free, tailored support to artists and arts organisations working across a range of creative disciplines. Explore our advisors below to find the best fit for your practice and feel free to get in touch.
Cassandra Ramsay
Regional Arts Advisor,Theatre
JUTE Theatre Company
Cassandra is a creative producer, playwright, and arts marketing specialist based in Yuwi Country/Mackay. She is passionate about connecting artists and audiences while building confidence and curiosity in the creative process. Cass has worked with leading Queensland organisations including HOTA, Home of the Arts, the Judith Wright Arts Centre, Brisbane Powerhouse, Metro Arts, and Brisbane Writers Festival, and co-founded the award-winning THAT Production Company.
Alongside producing independent theatre, she has delivered workshops, poetry readings, fundraising events, program launches and film screenings, championing diverse forms of storytelling and community engagement.
With a strong focus on new Australian work and regional communities, Cass enjoys helping artists shape ideas into bold theatrical moments and shared creative experiences.
Read our Q&A with Cass and former RASN Advisor, Jess Lamb.
Connect with Cassandra: cass@jute.com.au
Book a time to meet
Sharon Hogan
Regional Arts Advisor,Theatre
JUTE Theatre Company
Dr Sharon Hogan is a Queensland-based theatre maker, educator and researcher with extensive experience in professional and regional theatre, community-led performance and community and cultural development.
As Artistic Director of Perseverance Street Theatre Company, she creates original work, develops artists and builds partnerships across regional Queensland. In 2025, Sharon was recognised as one of Queensland’s leading theatre directors through a Matilda Award nomination. Her practice spans directing, touring, mentoring, professional development, audience engagement and organisational capacity building.
Passionate about supporting artists, Sharon brings practical industry knowledge, strong networks and a commitment to sustainable careers and a thriving, connected regional theatre sector.
Connect with Sharon:
sharon@jute.com.au
Book a time to meet
Shannon Garson
Regional Arts Advisor, Craft & Design
artisan
Shannon is an artist, writer and curator with a studio practice spanning 20 years that includes commissions for festivals, exhibitions at public and private galleries, and arts advocacy. She works across a range of media primarily using drawing and thrown porcelain vessels. She also creates multimedia events with photography and performance to investigate the relationship between human activity and the infinite variety of striations, spots, and marks found in nature.
Garson’s practice works on two levels producing and manufacturing, engaging with material processes and the constraints of clay and the abstract, conceptual world of philosophy, ideas and aesthetics.
Read our Q&A with Shannon
Connect with Shannon: shannon.garson@artisan.org.au
Book a time to meet
Leilani Seeto
Regional Arts Advisor, Dance
Ausdance Qld
Leilani is a passionate arts educator, creative producer, and community arts advocate with over eighteen years’ experience working with children and young people across education, community, and the performing arts. With a proud Melanesian heritage (Finni/Anir Island and Kavieng of Papua New Guinea), Taiwanese and European ancestry, Leilani brings a culturally grounded and inclusive approach to her work.
As founder and director of Arts with Leilani Beth, she is committed to expanding access to high-quality arts opportunities for children and communities across regional and remote Queensland. Based in Toowoomba, she looks forward to supporting artists, educators and communities statewide.
Read our Q&A with Leilani
Connect with Leilani: leilani@ausdanceqld.org.au
Book a time to meet
Belinda Simonsen
Regional Arts Advisor, Local Government
Topology
Belinda Simonsen is an arts and cultural development professional with over 20 years of experience championing arts development, sector support and community engagement. She brings hands-on expertise from small businesses, artist-run initiatives, galleries and local and state government.
During 14 years in local government, Belinda supported community arts development, gallery programs, public art and heritage programming across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Gympie. She also has a strong background in grants management including assessing grants for Arts Queensland, RAF, and RADF, as well as managing Noosa Council’s RADF program for more than a decade. Most recently, she was a Senior Partnerships Officer at the State Library of Queensland, strengthening library networks across northern Queensland (based in Cairns).
As a RASN Advisor, Belinda leverages her deep regional insights to empower local creators and drive growth across Queensland’s arts sector.
Connect with Belinda: belinda@rasn.au
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Robyn Fernandez
Regional Arts Advisor, Visual Arts
Flying Arts Alliance
Robyn is an interdisciplinary arts manager with over 15 years’ experience across the arts and cultural sector. Her practice spans visual arts, craft and design, curation and touring, community engagement, program development, policy, funding, strategy, communications, research, and the delivery of complex arts and cultural projects and partnerships.
Through roles with Creative Australia, Gab Titui Cultural Centre, and the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA), Robyn has worked alongside artists, arts workers, First Nations organisations, government, philanthropy, and community organisations to shape meaningful cultural outcomes grounded in good practice, collaboration, and co-design.
Her experience has shaped a deep understanding of the relationships between artists, communities, organisations, and the systems that support them, ensuring creative practice is resourced, visible, and sustained. She brings a strong focus on equity and ethical practice, with particular attention to fair remuneration, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property protocols, and regional and community-led arts development.
Robyn is drawn to the stories carried by communities and the role of artists as storytellers, cultural custodians, and connectors.
Connect with Robyn: robyn.fernandez@flyingarts.org.au
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Alex Henriksson
Regional Arts Advisor, Music
QMusic
Alex is a music producer, creative director, and live-music curator recognised for his work across recording, artist development, and large-scale event production. Known for pairing artistic depth with refined, modern production, Alex has collaborated with a wide range of celebrated Australian artists including Matt Corby, The Dreggs, Hollow Coves, Great Gable and Tia Gostelow.
His production and creative contributions have been connected to ARIA-nominated projects, including work with Matt Corby, Brad Cox, and Tenzin Choegyal, highlighting his ability to operate at the highest level of Australian contemporary music. Alex’s approach centres on elevating an artist’s unique voice while ensuring their recordings translate powerfully in both streaming and live environments. His collaborations have also intersected with projects involving Warner Music, giving him strong experience navigating the space between independent artistry and major-label frameworks, institutions, peak bodies, local government and independent practice.
Read our Q&A with Alex
Connect with Alex: alex.henriksson@qmusic.com.au
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Charles Wiles
Regional Arts Advisor, Multi-arts, Festivals, & Community Engagement
Topology
Deeply embedded in regional arts in the North, Charles managed and programmed the Centre of Contemporary Arts in Cairns from 2009 to 2017. He successfully championed the development and presentation of local contemporary and first nations works as well as presenting a unique program of national works. As part of this role Charles was Arts Queensland’s representative in the Far North and contributed greatly to the centre moving to its current indigenous focus as Bulmba-ja Arts Centre.
Charles has worked as a producer, production manager and lighting designer across companies such as Sydney Dance Company, Force Majeure, Circa, Company 2, Dancenorth Australia and the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. His early career began in lighting in London’s West End and at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre before moving into festival management with Brisbane Festival, River Festival and Queensland Music Festival.
Connect with Charles: charles@rasn.au
Book a time to meet
Please note Charles is unavailable until 12 October.
Luke Harriman
RASN Statewide Service Manager
Topology
Luke is a creative and strategic leader in regional arts and culture based in Gympie, with nearly 30 years’ experience across international, national, state, and local contexts.
In his current role, Luke oversees the delivery of RASN services supporting artists, arts workers, communities, and local government across regional and remote Queensland. His work focuses on fostering sustainable practice, cross-sector collaboration, and vibrant arts ecosystems. He is deeply committed to the advancement of regional arts and culture through people-centred exchange, genuine engagement, and service excellence.
Alongside extensive freelance consulting, governance, and not-for-profit board work, Luke has held senior roles including General Manager at PAC Australia, Manager of Venues and Events at Gympie Regional Council, and Creative Broker with arTour, a Queensland Government initiative supporting touring opportunities for Queensland artists and audiences.
Connect with Luke: luke@rasn.au
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Beck Grace
Marketing and Communications Specialist
RASN State Service Management
Amy Grace
Marketing and Communications Specialist
RASN State Service Management