MILK CRATE THEATRE EXPANDS BOARD WITH THREE NEW MEMBERS
MEDIA RELEASE
24 AUGUST 2021
Milk Crate Theatre announces the addition of three new board members:
· social impact expert Kevin Lee,
· nationally renowned director Paige Rattray, and
· social work leader Katina Velkou.
Kevin, Paige and Katina joined the board in August 2021, expanding the board's expertise in performance and social impact. The new board members will increase the total Milk Crate Theatre board to nine, and join existing board members Digby Hughes, Richard Levine, Lauren O’Shaughnessy, Lenore Robertson, Victoria Turner, and chair Michael Sirmai.
Jodie Wainwright, Milk Crate Theatre’s CEO said, “Despite the last two very challenging years, Milk Crate Theatre’s management and board have developed an extremely exciting and ambitious strategy designed to effect social change through the power of performance. I welcome our new board members and we are very excited about the skills they bring to our already strong board”
Michael Sirmai, Milk Crate Theatre’s Chair added “We have sought to build upon and deepen our skillset and connections to both the arts and social sectors with these new appointments. Milk Crate Theatre holds a unique position working in the intersection of the arts, homelessness, mental health and disability across Sydney. I am thrilled to welcome Kevin, Paige and Katina to the Board. We are fortunate to be in a strong position to scale our impact and to expand our programs as Sydney emerges from the current health restrictions.”
ABOUT MILK CRATE THEATRE NEW BOARD MEMBERS:
KEVIN LEE
Kevin is deeply passionate about supporting people and communities to thrive. He is currently a Consulting Manager at Social Ventures Australia, focused on both consulting to social purpose organisations and impact investing. In that role, he works closely with the social purpose sector to address the underlying drivers of disadvantage. He has extensive experience supporting organisations develop impactful strategies, navigate change and measure social outcomes. Most recently, he has supported organisations navigate and respond to COVID-19. Kevin has in-depth knowledge and experience of Health and Mental Health, Disability and Social Enterprise sectors.
Kevin has also worked as a management consultant delivering strategic and operations consulting projects to corporate clients from a range of sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (First Class Honours) from UNSW.
PAIGE RATTRAY
Currently the Associate Director at Sydney Theatre Company, Paige was previously the Associate Artistic Director at Queensland Theatre and was chosen as Sydney Theatre Company’s Richard Wherrett Fellow for a consecutive two years (2015, 2016). She is a co-founder of award-winning, independent theatre company ARTHUR, and a graduate of NIDA.
Most recently Paige directed Triple X for Queensland theatre and Queen Fatima for the National Theatre of Parramatta. In 2020 she directed The Deep Blue Sea for STC and was the Production Dramaturg on their critically acclaimed production of The Picture of Dorian Gray. In 2019 Paige directed The Beauty Queen of Leenane for the STC and won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Direction of a Mainstage Production. Earlier that year Paige directed the musical Fangirls for Belvoir, Brisbane Festival, Queensland Theatre, and ATYP. Fangirls went on tour in 2021and won a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Mainstage Musical. Paige has also directed How To Rule The World, the 2019 and 2018 Black is the New White Tours, Black is the New White, Australian Graffiti and Power Plays for Sydney Theatre Company, Bright World for ARTHUR/Theatre Works and Hedda, Scenes from a Marriage and Switzerland for Queensland Theatre Company. Other credits include Boys Will Be Boys for Sydney Theatre Company, and a remount of her widely toured work Cut Snake. Paige recently worked as creator and Senior Producer on The Whole Table for SBS/NITV currently available on SBS OnDemand.
Paige directed Milk Crate Theatre’s critically acclaimed This House is Mine in 2015.
KATINA VELKOU
Katina is passionate about social justice and believes it is a privilege to have spent the past 20 years working alongside Sydneysiders, empowering and supporting them to achieve their personal goals. A highly accomplished professional with expertise in program design, development and implementation, Katina has in-depth experience across a range of sectors including disability, refugees, people seeking asylum, humanitarian entrants and more recently the child protection sector.
Katina is currently the Manager Casework – Multicultural Child & Family Program at Settlement Services International, where she has held a number of senior roles. She has previously held senior social work and policy roles in The Housing Connection, the Asylum Seekers Centre, and the Australian Red Cross.
Katina has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Public Communications) from UTS and a Bachelor of Social Work (Hons Class I) from the University of Sydney where she was awarded the University Medal. She is a cricket tragic, a keen follower of politics both local and global and will be a social worker until the end of her days.
For media interviews please contact: Lauren Vassallo on 0450 577 575 or lauren@milkcratetheatre.com
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