Snuff Puppets Board

Kane Forbes (Chair)

Kane is a producer, arts leader, curator, theatre-maker, musician, facilitator, and writer with over two decades of expertise in performing arts, production, programming, and festival and arts management. Kane’s passion lies in connecting art, projects, and events with communities and audiences.

Kane has created award-winning performances and programs, led Regional Arts Victoria’s Performing Arts Program for a decade, and managed arts projects across Australia, China, Germany, Scotland, Egypt, Korea, Norway, Aotearoa/New Zealand, the Philippines, and Japan. Kane is an alumnus of the Australia Council Emerging Leaders Development Program and has been awarded an Asialink Residency.

Rose Bruhn (Deputy Chair)

Rose works across management, strategy, business improvement, evaluation, public affairs and other fields to improve the creativity, vibrancy and prosperity of cities for all who live in them. With a particular focus on issues and crisis management, Rose has worked mainly in local government, with a State Government side-step responding to Covid and other emergencies, an early career in journalism and a life-long love affair with the arts.

Richard Dinnen (Acting Treasurer)

Richard Dinnen is Director of Option 2 Design & Management. A technical theatre and events design and management company based in Melbourne Australia. Richard Dinnen’s work in technical design and production management spans 30 years for companies based in Australia and the UK. He works regularly with Andrew Kay and Associates, most recently as Technical Director Bluey’s World in Brisbane as well as for two large scale touring video immersive experiences – Monet in Paris and the Van Gogh Alive Experience. Richard is also Technical Director and Lighting Designer for Bluey’s Big Play, Choir of Man (national and international tours), Noise Boys (international premiere), The Songkeepers, Trainspotting (Australian Tour 2017), Operation Ouch – Live on Stage and Nigel Kennedy Australian tour 2017. Richard has also worked as production manager for Arena Theatre Company, Playbox Theatre Company, Kay and Maclean Productions, ICA, Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc, Chambermade Opera and Malthouse Theatre. He has worked extensively in large scale outdoor events including the M2006 Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies – River, Australian Technical Director for Stade De France’s Ben Hur Stadium Spectacular, AAMI Park Stadium Opening and the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea. 

Alongside his production work, Richard regularly undertakes lighting designs for theatre and spectacle. Designs include Spook (Malthouse Theatre), Game Girl (Arena), Outlookers (Arena), Charitable Intent (Melbourne Festival), Lust (Colour Clinic UK), Salt Creek Murders (Mainstreet Theatre Company), Awave and Waves (Speak Percussion), Multimodal (Lee Serle), and ANICCA (Mathias Schack-Arnott). 

His technical design and direction work spans festivals, theatre and interactive installations including Screen Worlds (ACMI), Queensland Biennial Festival of Music 2001-03, Mona Foma Festival 2011-13, and Dark Mofo 2013. He has worked with major festivals including Sydney Festival, Melbourne Festival, Out of the Box, Hong Kong and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. Richard has toured nationally and internationally with Andrew Kay & Associates, Playbox Theatre Company, Kay and Maclean Productions, Queensland Theatre Company, ICA, Chunky Move and Lucy Guerin Inc. 

 Ava Pham (Secretary)

Ava Pham is a fundraising and philanthropy specialist with over a decade of experience across the medical research, arts, and for-purpose sectors. She has held key roles at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, contributing to major donor programs and leading strategic fundraising initiatives. Ava began her career in the arts, including roles at BalletLab and Melbourne Museum, and brings a strong foundation in marketing, stakeholder engagement, and relationship management. She is passionate about fostering enduring relationships and generating meaningful support for organisations that champion creativity, community, and social change.

Dr Peta Clancy | Member 

Dr Peta Clancy is a descendant of the Yorta Yorta people. She is a visual artist who completed a practice-based PhD at Monash University. She is Associate Dean – Indigenous at Monash University’s Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (MADA) and an Indigenous practice based researcher at Wominjeka Djeembana at MADA. She works predominantly with photography to create large scale installations that explore multiple time frames, histories and perspectives of Country. Peta’s art practice is premised on in-depth depictions of Country created at sites of trauma and erasure through working for sustained periods of time and is developed in collaboration with community. She creates images of Country by working performatively and collaboratively with Country. She revisits Country depicted in historic photographs through standing in the footsteps of 19th century photographers to reflect on the impacts of colonisation on Country and revisit the historic photographic depictions of Country from an Indigenous perspective. She has recently exhibited her artwork at the Art Gallery of NSW, National Gallery of Victoria, and the Van Abbemuseum in the Netherlands. Her artwork is held in significant public collections in Australia including TarraWarra Museum of Art; Monash University Museum of Art; National Gallery of Victoria; Artbank; Parliament House Australia; Centre for Creative Photography, The University of Arizona, US. Clancy is represented by Dominik Mersch Gallery in Australia. 

Ben Anderson | Member

Ben Anderson has over 15 years’ experience across a broad range of performing arts roles. Currently Head of Venue Planning at Arts Centre Melbourne, he is responsible for the strategic curation of its theatres, concert hall, and outdoor spaces, ensuring optimal venue utilisation while fostering dynamic artistic programming.

As a producer and artist, Ben has a proven track record in delivering innovative cultural experiences with meaningful social impact. With a background spanning theatre, cabaret, and outdoor performance, he brings both a creative eye and a pragmatic approach to realising complex projects.

He is particularly passionate about puppetry and visual theatre, and offers deep insight into both the creative and operational dimensions of the industry. As an emerging arts leader, he blends a commitment to artistic excellence with a focus on long-term sustainability and audience development, championing work that sparks imagination and builds community.

Olivia Blair | Member 

Olivia Blair is a Victorian lawyer with broad experience across the commercial, corporate and community legal sectors, with the diverse capabilities learned from previous experience in public relations and hospitality. She is an energetic, opportunistic and self-motivated individual with a well-established ‘can-do’ attitude, and enjoys working with colleagues, clients and stakeholders to problem solve and find practical and commercially focussed solutions to achieve common goals.

Snuff Puppets pay our respects to the late Kate Callingham, much loved & sorely missed on our Board. We also thank all of our past Board Members x