Meet the Team
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Gigi Pinwill is founder and directer of DunnART Productions, which she named after Australia's tiny yet feisty endangered marsupials called dunnarts.
Gigi is a multi-disciplinary artist with decades of professional experience in arts entertainment, business, and education. Highlights include:
Through DunnART Productions, she develops original creations like writing and producing 'Bettongs & Buddies.' Her scripts have been produced by Notre Dame University and international think-tanks. |
Gigi is a long-time children’s actor and entertainer touring nationally and full-time with Theatre in Education.
Her insight into music, and professional experience in theatre and conservation education for children, come to the fore in developing ground-breaking and innovative DunnART programs. Growing up on an Australian farm, she’d fall asleep listening to dingoes and wake to find diseased native animals during morning chores like local 'greenies' or Scaly-created Lorikeets, which she’d love back to health and freedom. Gigi says: 'I’ve felt connected to animals my entire life and always wanted to learn about and promote lesser-known Aussie fauna. My cockatiel, Gandalf the Grey, sits on my shoulder wherever I go and is my best mate.' |
As a Maori women, her passion for protecting endangered cultures and species is only enhanced. And on a personal note, her experiences of chronic illness in youth magnified her resourcefulness, resilience, and hope-despite-the-odds to all she does.
They say never work with children or animals, but Gigi is doing just that daily by creating and performing 'pawsome' kids’ artwork! As a travelling performer and violinist who enjoyed nature by living in her trusty van for 5 years, Gigi has always embraced the wild side of life. With many new projects in the wings, she 'flutters' busily between her many skill-sets to ensure her ‘babies’ come to life via the driving life-force only a maverick leader can harness! Gigi is thrilled to be actively creating many more innovative artworks supporting rare indigenous animals: coming soon! |
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Mark Knight is DunnART's film/TV veteran, Bookings Manager, and dramaturg (editor with origianal ideas). His diverse career includes:
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Jenna Hoffman is a passionate animal scientist and manager of the Nature Education Centre (NEC). DunnART is fortunate to benefit from Jenna's broad experience in animal care and science communication.
With DunnART's founder and director Gigi Pinwill, Jenna joined ABC Radio Adelaide’s Sonya Feldhoff and introduced Jeremy, a Fat-tailed Dunnart - after whom DunnART Productions is named. (If you didn’t know, dunnarts are carnivous mouse-sized marsupials found across Australia.) |
Adrian Sherriff:
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Melanie Munt is an original cast member of DunnART's 'Bettongs & Buddies!' playing roles of Quoll, Numbat, and Dunnart with exceptional innovation and realism. After training at prestigious Western Australian Academy of Arts, she became an international award winning performer:
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Curtis Shipley plays the lead in DunnART's 'Bettongs & Buddies!' as Rufous the Bettong with superb realism, dedication, and comedic interaction. His extensive experience in interactive and improvised children’s shows includes:
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Alexandra Schulze toured Kangaroo Island with 'Bettongs & Buddies!' playing roles of Acacia the Bettong (a bogan bettong mum) and a Murray Darling Python with so much humour and caring-love. After training and working as an actor in London, Alex followed love back to homeland Australia and has since performed in many fun-loving shows like 'Fabulous? Absolutely' and 'Kath and Kim.' She is mother to two adorable children, does gorgeous face-painting, and enjoys giving to her community through art supporting disabilities and indigenous animals!
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Sam Lau is an actor, musician, and original art creator with recent credits of:
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Ellen Graham is a multi-award wining artist receiving:
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Mikayla Rudd performed a host of varied rare animal characters in DunnART's 'Bettongs & Buddies!' library shows with rave audience reviews.
After completing studies with Adelaide College of the Arts, Mikayla is now completing a Bachelor of Business majoring in Digital Marketing and Communications and Management at the University of Adelaide. |
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Susannah Birch: After 10 years in digital marketing and completing Masters of Marketing, Susannah offers services and training through:
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George G. Aldridge is an international freelance illustrator and cartoonist with 35 years of experience. Highlights include:
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Kerry Marsh (of Call This Guy) has produced and marketed many successful Adelaide Fringe shows with talent such as:
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Dr. Mark Seaton, Honorary Research Associate: Department of Theatre and Performance, University of Sydney. He is an Educator and Consultant for Sense Connexion — supporting artists developing new work. Mark was awarded the Churchill Fellowship in 2009 during which he conducted a study tour of actor training healthcare practices in the UK. From this arose a collaboration with the University of Sydney called the Equity Foundation which initiated an international ground-breaking Actors’ Wellbeing Study (AWS) in 2013. Mark has provided creative performance guidance and support within government-funded projects. He is a founding member of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare.
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