THE LUMINAS

Naomi Wenitong is a multi-award winning, Songwriter, Singer, Rapper, Producer, Ambassador,

Television Host and Youth Mentor. Her career in the music industry stems over 25 years, which has enabled her to design her greatest legacy, a youth mentorship project called Naytive Mentorship.

Born in Cairns to a large family belonging to the Kabi Kabi people of South East Queensland, the soundtrack to Nay’s childhood was ever-present and eclectic. At the age of 16, Shakaya was formed. The group was signed to a major multinational record label and had their own original songs: ‘Stop Calling Me’, ‘Sublime’ and ‘Cinderella’ quickly climbing the ARIA charts and selling platinum numbers. Shakaya’s success saw the group release two albums and tour with Destiny’s Child, Usher, Ja Rule, Ashanti and Shaggy as well as perform all backup vocals and raps for Peter Andre on his 2004 UK tour.

After returning from the US, Nay co-founded the trio The Last Kinection (TLK) – the outfit that would allow Nay to focus more heavily on her ability as an MC and her lyrical prowess. TLK won legions of new fans as the main support for The Herd’s sold-out national tour. The last show of that tour changed Nay’s life forever. Driving from Sydney to Newcastle, TLK were involved in a horrific car accident, resulting in injuries so drastic that Nay was presumed dead at the scene. However, with spirit and determination Nay learned how to walk again, recovered and returned to the stage to support Public Enemy, host 2 seasons of the Logie nominated interactive TV show Move it Mobstyle and deliver a TEDx talk ‘It’s More than Just Music’.

Luke Carroll is one of Australia’s most prominent and accomplished Indigenous actors, known for his outstanding contributions across television, film, theatre, and media. With a career spanning over three decades, Luke has built a reputation for his versatility and passion for storytelling, playing key roles in both mainstream and Indigenous-led productions.

Luke first rose to fame as a child star on the iconic children’s television show Lift Off in 1989, and since then, he has become a familiar face in Australian homes. He has appeared in a wide range of films and TV shows, including prominent roles in Play School (ABC), where he is a long-time host, and as a regular presenter on Channel 7’s Sydney Weekender. Luke also plays an important role on National Indigenous Television (NITV), including his hosting duties for Big Mob Brekky during NAIDOC Week, where he showcases and celebrates the achievements and stories of the Indigenous community.

A gifted and sought-after MC, Luke’s credits include hosting prestigious events such as the Australia Day Celebrations at the Sydney Opera House, broadcast nationally on Channel 10, and on-field MC duties for the NRL All Stars Games and State of Origin. He has also hosted major awards ceremonies, including the National NAIDOC Awards and numerous corporate and community events over the years.

Outside of his media work, Luke is a proud father of two boys and a passionate supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Swans. His commitment to his family, community, and heritage remains central to his work and life.

Whether on screen, behind the mic, or in the theatre, Luke continues to break barriers and inspire audiences, while using his platform to elevate Indigenous voices and stories.

Mikala Tai is an independent writer, curator, researcher and academic based in Sydney, frequently bouncing between her hometowns of Melbourne and Hong Kong. A specialist in contemporary Australian and Asian art, she has collaborated with local, national and international organisations to strengthen cultural connections between Australia and Asia. Starting her career at the National Gallery of Victoria, Mikala has most recently served as Head of Visual Arts at Creative Australia, where she was Project Director for Archie Moore’s Gold Lion–winning kith and kin. Prior to that, she was Director of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney. In 2015, she received her PhD, examining the influence of the global city on China’s local art infrastructure, and continues to maintain an active role in academia. Recent work can be found in writing for ArtReview, Artist Profile, and Art and Australia; and as exhibition projects across Australia.

Amrit Gill brings over twenty years of experience as an arts facilitator, curator, and strategist to her current role as CEO of Theatre Network Australia. Since early 2023, she has served as Creative Programming Lead at the City of Melbourne, overseeing Arts House, ArtPlay, and SIGNAL. Prior leadership roles include Artistic Director and CEO of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art in Sydney’s Haymarket, and Director – International Development at the Australia Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia), where she implemented the agency’s first international arts strategy, securing expanded investment and engagement in Asia and Global First Nations exchange. Earlier in her career, Amrit held roles at Milk Crate Theatre, British Council Australia, and Information and Cultural Exchange (now Arts and Cultural Exchange).

Katrina is a screenwriter and playwright. She works in many genres including feminist horror, crime, drama and children’s stories.

Her Indonesian ghost story, White Song, is written from the ghost’s perspective. It is part of Australia’s first all-female directed horror anthology, Dark Whispers, (SBS On Demand). Raesita Grey, the feature film of that story, was developed through Screen Queensland’s IncuBAIT horror initiative.

Her supernatural play, Siti Rubiyah, is set in the jungles of Sumatra. It has been developed through the Playwriting Australia/Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP) LOTUS program, has included support from Sydney Festival, STC’s First Draft and La Boite’s Highway program. Katrina has recently adapted Siti Rubiyah as a feature film script with funding from Screen Queensland. Katrina’s second play, Bi Empat, is a semi-autobiographical, magical realist play born during Playlab’s Incubator program and developed during LaBoite’s Highway festival.

She has written two online award-winning crime series: SCOUT (Best Mystery/Crime NY WebFest; Best Foreign Series Vancouver WebFest, screened ABC iView) and Crime and Justice which was embedded in University of Queensland’s MOOC The Psychology of Criminal Justice (Harvard/MIT’s EdX Award).

Mother Tongue is an antiracist midwifery drama online series developed through AFTRS Talent Camp and SBS Digital Originals.

Katrina has worked as a dramaturg for projects with Queensland Theatre and Playwriting Australia. She ran the writers’ room for Namaste Yoga as part of ABC/Screen Australia Kaleidoscope Project. She was also part of the writers’ room for SBS Digital Originals’ Chinese Malaysian horror webseries, Confinement.

Katrina taught screenwriting at QUT for fifteen years. She has been a selector on multiple film festival competitions including Betty Roland’s NSW Premiere’s Award prize for screenwriting.

Katrina is a co-founder and previous chair of Women in Film and Television (WIFT) Australia. She also serves on the WIFT International board representing six continents. She is Chair of Screen Queensland’s inaugural Equity and Diversity Taskforce. She celebrates her Indonesian-Australian heritage and champions diversity.

Yasmin Gurreeboo (pronounced Guh-reee-boo) has worked in the cultural sector, both nationally and internationally for the last two decades and is a theatre director, facilitator and creative producer. Yasmin is driven by her unwavering belief in the power of the arts to transform peoples’ lives and is passionate about supporting emerging artists and providing pathway opportunities. Yasmin has a first-class honours drama degree from the University of Exeter (UK) and is an alumnus of the Jacques Lecoq International Theatre School, Paris.

Yasmin is committed to championing underrepresented voices and diversity (in its widest sense of the term) on our stages.

Edmond Roy began his journalism career in the southern Indian state of Kerala in the early 1980’s with the government broadcaster, All India Radio. From there, he made his way up to the eastern city of Hyderabad to work as a reporter for the now-defunct newspaper Newstime. Hired as a local reporter by the ABC’s New Delhi office in 1988, he moved to Australia to work with Radio Australia in Melbourne. He returned to New Delhi as the ABC’s South Asia correspondent in 1996. Some of the networks he has worked for include the BBC, CBC, NPR, CBS and Radio Austria.

He was a presenter of the Asia-Focus program on ABC TV, a reporter for Lateline and ABC Radio before taking on the role of Executive Producer of the PM program. He retired from the ABC in 2017. A Woodrow Wilson scholar, Edmond is the author of Australian Uranium and India: Ideology, Pragmatism & Politics. He is a former member of the Board of the Taree University Campus, and is currently employed as a cross-platform journalist with SBSTV World News. An avid South Asia watcher, Edmond can most days be spotted surfing somewhere on the New South Wales North Coast.

Paula Kruger is an accomplished media leader and communicator with more than 30 years of experience. She has worked in various roles, including broadcast journalist, radio presenter, manager, trainer, recruiter, and talent development.

Most recently, Paula served as the Managing Director of Sydney radio station 2SER, where her leadership grew the audience, revitalised volunteers, and provided career pathways for young people entering the industry. Before that, she enjoyed a long career with the ABC, working in management, editorial, and on-air roles in Sydney, Canberra, and Perth. Paula is passionate about journalism and ensuring that the people who have the privilege of telling our stories reflect Australia’s rich and diverse cultural landscape. Her life has celebrated this diversity; she grew up in both Australia and Fiji and takes immense pride in her Australian, Indigenous Fijian, and Indian Fijian heritage.

In the early 1990s, fuelled by a desire to embrace the call for Australia to “engage with Asia,” she ventured to the vibrant city of Bangkok, where she began her media career. There, she spent four transformative years working with journalists and media professionals from Thailand and around the world, enriching her understanding of industry disruption and diverse perspectives.

Kean Wong is a Sydney-based journalist and editor who’s worked for the past thirty years in Australia, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States for the BBC, The Economist, the ABC, the Australian Financial Review, The Straits Times of Singapore, The Sun of Malaysia and BFM Radio. He’s also written about Southeast Asia’s politics and culture for various books, magazines and festivals, including ‘The Faber Book of Pop’, ‘Losing Control: Freedom of the Press in Asia’, ‘Images of Asia’, and is the editor of ‘Rebirth: Reformasi, resistance, and hope in new Malaysia’. He is an executive committee member of MASSA (the Malaysia and Singapore Society of Australia), AMSA (Australian Malaysian Singaporean Association), and the Australia Asia-Pacific Media Initiative. He’s also a co-founder of Malaysia’s Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ).

Rhianna Patrick is a freelance Torres Strait Islander journalist, broadcaster and writer with almost three decades of experience. More here.