The Opportunity Lab will be running workshops in January 2023 for young people to teach story telling through music, comedy and acting techniques to develop communication skills.

January 17 & 18 (Tuesday and Wednesday), January 23 & 24 (Monday and Tuesday), 2023.

Tom is a writer and producer with Working Dog, a Melbourne-based production company. Together with his colleagues he has been responsible for such films as “The Castle” and “The Dish” along with television programmes such as “Have You Been Paying Attention”, “Utopia” and “Thank God You’re Here”.

Tom shares his house with a wife, two kids, two Golden Retrievers a cat and a lot of fleas.

Tom and Heidi are facilitating the Comedy Workshops on the 17th and 18th of January.

Tom trained as an actor at NIDA, graduating in 2002 and completed a post graduate in musical theatre at Mountview in the UK.
He has performed with theatre companies such as the Sydney Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Belvoir St Theatre, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Ensemble Theatre, Bell Shakespeare and the Hayes Theatre. He has also worked with many independent theatre companies and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Siren Theatre Company’s production of the one man show, Misterman, to critical acclaim.

He has performed his standup comedy show, One Hander, in London, Sydney and Edinburgh. His screen credits include Seriously Red, Maverix, Downton Abbey, Love and Monsters, Party Tricks, All Saints, Second Best, My Place, Deck Dogz, Love My Way and the Academy Award nominated short film, The Saviour.

He has won three Sydney Theatre Awards for his work in Misterman, Three Sisters and HMS
Pinafore.

Tom is facilitating the Acting Workshops on the 17th and 18th of January.

Since graduating from NIDA in 2002, Heidi Arena has gained a reputation as one of Australia’s most loved chameleon actresses of both comedy and drama, best known for her recent portrayal as Mrs Gonsha in the Logie and ‘Prix Jeunesse International’ winning Little Lunch and lead cast member in all 4 series of the award-winning Thank God You’re Here.

More recently Heidi co-created and appeared in Part-Time Private Eyes (10) and received rave reviews as faux chef Audrey in Working Dog’s ABC book and cooking series Audrey’s Kitchen as well as Matchbox’s hugely successful franchise Nowhere Boys. Heidi has also enjoyed playing loved comic characters including awn in 3 series of ABC’s hit comedy series The Librarians as well as appearing in many other favorites including True Story with Hamish and Andy, Upper Middle Bogan, The InBESTigators, Mad As Hell, It’s A Date and Get Krackin!. Her extensive TV credits also include many loved Australian drama’s including playing Christine Nixon in Fat Tony & Co, and more recently appearing in Jack Irish, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, and many more.

Heidi has also appeared in several recent Australian films including Emo the Musical, Spirit of the Game (US release), Now Add Honey and Nowhere Boys: The Book of Shadows.

On stage, Heidi most recently appeared with Eddie Perfect in his satire The Beast in Sydney and Melbourne and has appeared with Geoffrey Rush in the sell-out season of MTC’s The Drowsy Chaperone and award-winning play August: Osage County with Robyn Nevin. She also more recently appeared in the MTC’s World Premiere American plays The Other Place, Born Yesterday and Admissions. Heidi is now enjoying growing credits as a creator/writer with Plan G (Pilot) co-created and written with Sarah Lambert (ABC & Essential Media) and Part-Time Private Eyes for Channel Ten, which won the cumulative ratings for Pilot Week. Heidi currently has several other TV writing projects in development with CJZ, ACTF, KOJO and GUESSWORK TELEVISION.

Heidi and Tom Gleisner are facilitating the Comedy Workshops on the 17th and 18th of January.

Chanda is a queer actor, writer and producer who grew up surrounded by the arts in the Melbourne CBD. Her love for theatre was born out of an excruciatingly powerful want to play Annie on the big stage, a dream that sadly, she has grown too old for. Chanda has graduated from the Ballarat Arts Academy with a BA in Music Theatre. Since graduating she has staged her first production entitled Fruitcup, and founded ‘Mover’s Call Theatre Company’ with two colleagues. Chanda strives to create healing, thought provoking works that promote inclusivity. In 2023 Chanda is excited to be studying Full Time Dance with Kelly Aykers.

Chanda is facilitating the Acting Workshops on the 17th, 18th, 23rd and 24th of January.

Zakary has involved themselves in the world of stage theatre from a young age, discovering a love for performance and storytelling. Zakary’s passion for the theatre extended when they discovered a love for music and song. Zakary has recently graduated from Federation University Arts Academy with a bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts. While studying, Zakary has been fortunate enough to be directed by Anthony Crowley in the musical productions of Made in Dagenham and The Sentimental Bloke. Since graduating, they have recently worked with Mover’s Call Theatre Company on their debut production of This is Life. They are excited to continue their journey working in the Melbourne theatre scene.

Zakary is facilitating the Acting Workshops on the 23rd and 24th of January.

Patrick Collins is a comedian, magician, poet, not a mime and the winner of Best Comedy at Melbourne Fringe 2020. She was Nominated for a Green Room Award for Best Performer last year and is the host of Melbourne’s original alternative comedy night; Shrub Comedy.
Patrick has been performing professionally since winning the Victorian Final of MICF's Class Clowns competition in 2011. Honing her skill hosting pup trivia for 9 years, she has gone on to do the Comedy Festival Roadshow, had a radio show & a podcast as well as writing, producing and performing 8 full length solo shows across her career. 
She has performed for thousands of children across Victoria in schools as an incursion facilitator, in backyards as a party host and on stage as a kids entertainer and magician. 

Patrick and William are facilitating the Comedy Workshops on the 23rd and 24th of January.

Liana Perillo is a Registered Music Therapist and Occupational Therapist, who has over a decade of experience in working with groups and individuals in the field of mental health, across diverse age groups in acute psychiatric and community settings. She is also a professional freelance vocalist, harpist and songwriter who regularly records and performs solo, with local orchestras and in her band project, Perolas. 

Liana is facilitating the Music Workshops on the 17th and 18th of January

Fabian Aravalés is a Music Practitioner that has developed expertise in different areas within the music field and has worked with adults, children, culturally diverse people and communities who have experienced social disadvantage. Fabian has been working, studying and practicing in the music industry for over 20 years, specialising in the following fields: Music Performance, Audio Production, Music Recording, Sound Mixing & Mastering, Music Teaching, Music Business and Community Music Group Facilitation.

Fabian is facilitating the Music Workshops on the 17th, 18th, 23rd and 24th of January.

William is an accomplished actor and comedian with a diverse skill range that spans across live performance, writing, podcasting and video editing. William began his formal training at Ballarat’s Federation University Arts Academy in 2018, Studying a Bachelor of Acting (Stage and Screen). His specialties are comedic sketch style performance and improvisation.

William is currently three years into his professional comedy career, which has seen him perform two self-devised shows. The Annual Chumsville South North Tavern Inn Open Mic Night, which performed its debut season in december 2021, before making its way to The Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2022 for a limited five show run, as well as William Boyd - is Nice. His debut solo sketch comedy show that took part in the Sydney Fringe, Sydney Comedy Fringe and Melbourne Fringe Festivals.

William is facilitating the Comedy Workshops on the 23rd and 24th of January.