Sharon Jacobson
Sharon Jacobson has been working in the arts for the past 11 years. She worked for Darlinghurst Theatre in Sydney as a dramaturg on a number of plays between 1997 and 2002. From 1998 to 1999, Sharon facilitated drama workshops, conducted cultural excursions, and produced community theatre events at Windana, a long term therapeutic community for people with substance abuse issues in Melbourne. Between 2000 and 2002 Sharon facilitated nine theatre and drama programs in a number of Victorian men’s prisons. Two of these programs resulted in theatre performances with inmates in HM Prison Barwon. The first was a contemporary adaptation of The Emperor’s New Clothes performed in the prison visits centre for audiences of prisoners and their visitors in December 2001. The second performance was an original work written by one of the group members called The Layoff and performed in December 2002 to three separate audiences: friends and families of the group members, inmates of the prison, and prison volunteer workers.

Sharon has undertaken numerous workshops and courses of study in theatre, the humanities, psychodrama, group dynamics, therapy, improvisation and directing. She has also developed and facilitated professional development workshops for social workers and therapists in using creative group work techniques, as well as training days in communications for organisational staff.

Sharon is currently collaborating with Monash University’s law department in the development and facilitation of an intreractive component of a Court Readiness Program co-delivered with students of Monash University’s law degree to prisoners on remand at Port Phillip Prison, and funded by the Victoria Law Foundation. During 2003, she co-facilitated a performance project with participants experiencing mental health issues in the inner east of Melbourne, funded by VicHealth. In September and October 2004, Sharon wrote and directed a contemporary adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes in Bendigo Prison. The piece was performed to staff, inmates and Bendigo Theatre workers on October 15.

Sharon was a 2003 recipient of Arts and Recreation Training Victoria’s Arts Business Mentorship Program. She also held positions of Secretary and Acting Chair on the Board of Management of the NEPS Centre, a national employment placement service for people with mental health issues, between 2000 and 2004.

LIbby Owen
Libby Owen has over seventeen years experience in project co-ordination, implementation and research. For the last 4 years in Australia, Libby has enjoyed a role that includes:

1. Management Team Membership: defining and implementing the strategic and operational planning process: translating the vision into reality.
2. Project managing the development of computer systems: ensuring risks, budgets and timelines are identified and managed appropriately.
   3. Understanding and documenting customer requirements for computer systems through facilitation and discussion: fostering external relationships.
3. Managing a team: fostering internal relationships.
   Her particular strengths are analysis, process identification and project management.