Weave Movement Theatre is a bold, diverse dance/theatre company made up of disabled and non-disabled performing artists. Since its formation in 1997 the company has helped pave the way for inclusive practices to become the norm – making the stage an area for dynamic and exploratory performance. A space to challenge power and celebrate movement.

Greg Muir (07/10/1953 – 14/06/2024) was a Yorta Yorta man, visual artist and performer. Greg joined Weave in 2011 and was involved in all Weave performances to date including the most recent performance of Forbidden Laughter in the ButohOUT 2019 Showcase at the Abbotsford Convent. Greg was an accomplished artist who was awarded the Creative Victoria Award for Excellence at the Koorie Art Show in 2016. In 2017 Greg won Best Achievements in Arts (Visual) at the Funds in Court Inspire Awards, by the Supreme Court of Victoria. Greg was involved in the promotion of the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum and the Aboriginal Heritage Trust at Federation Square. In his spare time he enjoyed playing Balloon Football League.

Emma Norton is a dancer and emerging choreographer. She joined BoilOver Inc in 2008, with performances including The Boy Who Could Fly and All kinds of Fairytales. Emma starred in the short film, Skin Touching Sky, which toured The Other Film Festival and International Festival of Short Films, Oska Bright, UK. In 2013, she was a street performer at Sunfest and created an improvised performance. Emma completed theatre studies at Melbourne Polytechnic’s Ignition Theatre in 2014 and co-devised/performed in Strange Stories, operated the sound for Westside Circus’ show Homebodies and performed in Rawcus’ Flashmob at Federation Square. Emma was a key speaker at the Have a Say Conference and is a committee member of BoilOver Inc. Emma joined Weave in 2015.

Trevor Dunn graduated with a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts from the Victorian College of the Arts/Melbourne University in 1995. Trevor was a co-founder of Weave Movement Theatre, and has performed in all Weave productions since 1997. Trevor has taught drama and dance to young adults with disability at the Art Life program at Footscray Community Arts Centre and has worked alongside many well-known improvisation teachers such as Al Wunder and Nick Papas. Most recently Trevor performed in ‘A Normal Child’, directed by David Woods, performed at the Northcote Town Hall.

David Baker completed Ignition theatre Training (2005, NMIT), VCAL Arts and Multimedia (2007, Swinburne TAFE) followed by a Diploma of Theatre Arts (2009, Swinburne TAFE). David performs as a stilt walker and balloon artist at various events across Melbourne. In 2011 David completed a two year Internship at Red Stitch Actors Theatre, The Laramie Project ASM when this production was remounted at the Fairfax Studio, Melbourne Arts Centre in 2012. David is a founding member of Rollercoaster Theatre. In 2013 he was a member of the cast of “Casa Del Crip,” a pilot sit com about people with disabilities. He was selected for a Professional Development opportunity at the Unlimited UK Arts Festival in London in 2012 where David learned techniques for body mapping, which he shared in masterclasses in Melbourne in 2012/13.in 2016 David had performed with Wielding Theatre Inside 2016, Curveball 2020 this show was later remounted in 2022 when it was Performed at the La Mama Courthouse both shows were Directed by Milly Cooper. David is employed as an Usher at The Melbourne Arts Centre. David joined Weave in 2015 has been involved in many of there projects and showings.

Janice Florence is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Weave Movement Theatre. She trained in dance in Australia and the USA. For 10 years, she was a performer, teacher and researcher with State of Flux, one of the first Australian companies to include a dancer with a disability. With Weave she has produced 20 seasons and sometimes directed shows for the company. She often performs with the company. She has curated respected guest artists to collaborate with Weave. Janice has had residencies with Karen Nelson, exponent of ‘diverse dance’ and Joan Skinner in the USA and with Blue-Eyed Soul, Touchdown and CanDoCo in the UK. Janice is the recipient of the inaugural 2019 Disability Arts Award for an Established Artist from the Australia Council for the Arts. Janice is a committed advocate for access in the Arts.

Anthony Riddell is a performer, poet, novelist and visual artist. Antony has performed with Weave Movement Theatre since 2000. He was involved in the punk and fringe music industry in Sydney and Melbourne playing with bands such as Nada and Volvox and performs regularly at spoken word nights across Melbourne. Antony is a trained visual artist from the Sydney College of the Arts. He exhibited a solo exhibition at Blindside Gallery in 2015 called Fingerprints on the Surface of the Brain, collaborating with Christopher LG Hill and Liquid Architecture to present a performance program for the exhibition. Antony is a prolific writer and has self-published over 15 books. In 2018 he was awarded the Writeability Fellowship through Writers Victoria to develop his manuscript The Sun Is Not Fun. In 2019 he was highly commended for Writers Victoria’s Publishability Fellowship. Antony’s absurdist characters from his writing are often used as the basis for scripts or dialogue for Weave’s performances.

Passionate about the transformative power of theatre, Zya Kane is a seasoned Theatre Maker, Director, and Inclusive Arts Practitioner with over 25 years of international experience. Thriving on the intersection of contemporary performance, community engagement, and the transformative essence of play, her work focuses on crafting immersive, participatory experiences that transcend conventional boundaries. She is deeply committed to fostering collaboration, creating intimate moments, and exploring the complexities of the human experience through themes of absurdity, satire, playfulness, sensitivity, reflection, and intimacy. Zya’s works reflect a journey marked by dedication to artistic inclusivity, collaboration, and the profound impact of multi-sensory engagement.

Leesa Nash works across the arts, disability, education and outdoor health sectors. She advocates for inclusion by people of all learning styles and lived experience, and has presented processes for inclusive practice and vocation at industry events. In 2002, she initiated the inclusive youth theatre company, Family Dog Theatre FDT, directing performances 2002-2010 and Bow WOW! Festival 2007-2009. Leesa coordinated Melbourne Polytechnic’s Ignition Theatre 2005-2018, directing shows 2005-2010. In 2015 she completed MIECAT’s Postgraduate Diploma in Experiential and Creative Arts Practice and Forest Therapy in 2020. She currently facilitates sensory, somatic and creative nature-based, practices for connecting with ourselves and the wild world. Leesa performed with Weave 2001-2003.

David Woods is a director, actor, playwright and the Co-Artistic Director of Ridiculusmus theatre company. David trained at The Poor School and has a PhD in drama from the University of Kent. As an independent artist and with Ridiculusmus, Circus Oz, Rising Festival and Back to Back theatre he has made over 20 main stage works that have toured globally and been awarded the Ibsen Prize for theatre and the Golden Lion from Venice Biennale.

Milly Cooper is a Melbourne-based theatre director, practitioner and workshop facilitator with a background in physical and text-based theatre, music, dance and clowning. They regularly work alongside people with disabilities, young people, and the elderly as both an independent artist and under ‘Wielding Theatre’ company. She is a graduate of the Masters of Directing for Performance at the Victorian College of the Arts. She completed an Honours degree at Monash University that investigated inclusive theatre-making methodologies and devising processes with disabled and non-disabled artists. In 2023 Wielding Theatre’s Curveball was nominated for the Green Room Award for ‘Best Set and Costume Design’. Since 2023 Milly has been Artistic Director of the City of Voices, a community theatre group that has been running in South Melbourne for over 30 years.

Michelle Heaven is a choreographer, performer, and collaborator. Creating and dancing alongside others enriches her life. Her performance career spans working nationally and internationally with artists and companies such as Gideon Obarzanek (Chunky Move), Lucy Guerin, Helen Herbertson, Leigh Warren, Michael Kantor, Phillip Adams (Balletlab), Sandra Parker, Sue Healey, Polyglot Theatre, Black Hole Theatre, Victorian Opera, Ben Cobham (Bluebottle) and Walter Dunderville (N.Y.a). Her independent work has been presented at Melbourne Festival, Beijing Dance Festival, Dance Massive, The Substation and Castlemaine State Festival. Michelle is a Helpmann Award nominee, multiple Australian Dance Award nominee and recipient of several Victorian Green Room Awards. Michelle is also a qualified Child Play Therapist.

Peter Fraser has 30 years experience in site-specific performance, dance, improvisation and collaborations with music and installation. He is particularly interested in sensing and responding to the intermingling and co-dependencies of ‘body’ and ‘environment’. Influenced by Body Weather training, and his collaborations include Rosalind Crisp, Tess DeQuincey, Shaun McLeod, Environmental Performance Authority, BORDERS (a 3-year project with Murray River arts communities) and Sounds Like Movement, with Dale Gorfinkel. He is a long-standing friend of Antony.

Dale Gorfinkel is a musician, artist and facilitator. He has been a fan of Antony’s music for decades. Dale is the founder of Out Hear, providing inclusive sound-making and recording services, especially to those who experience disability and other barriers to access. He works with individuals as well as in partnership with other organisations including Arts Access Victoria, Yooralla, Arts Project Australia, Merri-bek Council, and Austin Hospital. (outhear.com)