We are thrilled to announce Hanna Instrell-Walker as the recipient of the OzAsia Festival Residency for 2026.
Hanna will be collaborating with Alix Kuijpers, Caroline De Wan and Jazzy Williamson-Gray for this residency.
This is a creative development and presentation platform available to South Australian performing artists working with contemporary culture. The aim of the residency is to offer place and space as part of a vibrant arts community for artists to develop and show new or existing work.
About the artists:
Hanna Instrell-Walker is a Japanese-Australian dance artist and creator working on Kaurna Land. Shortly after graduating from Adelaide College of the Arts, she co-founded Alchemy Dance Collective alongside colleagues
Kate Burgess and Caroline De Wan. Alchemy has given Hanna a platform to produce her own work, SOUL (Adelaide Fringe 2023), plus co-produce and co-curate events and works including Trilogy Film Fest (2023) and J.A.C.D (2023-2024). Independently, Hanna has also choreographed as part of Mimi Yoshii’s Les Japonaises (2023), worked as tour manager for Alix Kuijpers’ Grim Grinning Ghosts for Melbourne Fringe 2024, as well as co-produced Kate Burgess’ Full Time Ex-Lover (Adelaide Fringe 2025).
In Hanna’s current choreographic research, she is deeply influenced by the idea of quantum entanglement, intrinsic connection, manifestation, and the human subconscious. Movement styles such as Nihon Buyo, Butoh, plus Japanese horror aesthetics mixed with these philosophies make up Hanna’s interests when building work.
Alix Kuijpers is a multidisciplinary performing artist working across contemporary dance, choreography and sound design, with an independent queer practice.
A graduate of Adelaide College of the Arts, Kuijpers creates dance theatre while generating original sound scores for their work. They were the first person to complete a dance honours at a South Australian institution, earning First-Class distinction for the solo IMMATERIAL. Their work has received major recognition, including the 2023 Adelaide Fringe Emerging Artist Award for the duo i know the end, and the 2024 Centre Stage and Dancehouse Residency awards at The Mill for the solo Grim Grinning Ghosts.
In 2025 they joined the inaugural B12:Mavericks program in Berlin, supported by the Ian Potter Cultural Trust. Between 2023 and 2025 they contributed sound work to collaborations with Johannes Wieland (BER), Motus Collective (SA), Sarah Wilson (SA), Circus SA (SA) and Silverfish (NYC).
Caroline De Wan started ballet at the age of 5. She realised her true interest lay in contemporary dance and began training at QL2 Dance. Here she worked with choreographers such as Kristina Chan, Daniel Riley, Sara Black, and James Batchelor. In 2018, Caroline choreographed and produced her first full length work for Sydney Fringe, To Fall in Love With An Artist.
Following her return from Sydney she was commissioned for two further works, Comfort Ending II, performed at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, and You're Not Special (because you went to a party) performed at a rave.
Caroline moved to Adelaide in 2019 to complete a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Dance). After graduating, Caroline founded Alchemy Dance Collective with Kate Burgess and Hanna Instrell-Walker, providing performance and training opportunities to the Adelaide dance community. She has also developed a keen interest in dance videography and teaches accessible videography skills to other artists.
Jazzy is a movement artist and performer based on Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide, South Australia). She graduated with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Dance) from Adelaide College of the Arts and has since worked internationally with ilDance’s ilYoung program in their production of Skin Issues.
She has also worked with Australian Dance Theatre, Restless Dance Theatre, Sound of Circus Australia, and a variety of independent projects, allowing her to gain experience in diverse contexts and refine her artistic identity.
Jazzy’s choreographic interests include explorations of the complexities of the human condition and embracing the unusual and uncomfortable, including exploring social, political and philosophical matters and darker themes, often using improvisation as a tool to uncover potent world-building and rich imagery.
Her evolving movement language is grounded in elements of tension, release, and interrupted momentum to invite unexpected pathways and possibilities within the body.
When: Thursday, October 23, 5pm and Friday, October 24, 4pm and 6pm
Where: The Breakout at The Mill, 154 Angas St, Kaurna Yarta
Cost: $10 (+ booking fee)
Note: Please arrive 15 minutes early to grab a drink. This event will be 1 hour (including a Q&A).
This showing and Q&A will be held in The Breakout. Please come to The Mill at 154 Angas Street, the bar will be open to grab a drink before we take you through to The Breakout.
Please arrive 15 minutes early to get a drink.
This event will be 1 hour (including the Q&A).
Accessibility
The Mill’s entrance has a small step into the building. We have a ramp available, please ring the doorbell and our friendly team will assist you.
The entrance into The Breakout is wheelchair accessible, with no internal steps.
The Mill has concrete flooring throughout with no internal steps and a disability toilet on site.
If you have questions or would like to talk to one of The Mill team contact info@themilladelaide.com
Bold and thought-provoking, Free-doom Down Under takes a cheeky look at the experience of skilled migrants who come to Australia in search of a better life.
Blending theatre, photography, multimedia and interactive installations, artists Sulochana Dissanyake and Dinuka Liyanawatte explore identity, culture, and the struggle of integration.
This work-in-progress showing is a first glimpse of a personal perspective on what it takes to fit-in.
About the artist:
Sulochana Dissanayake, founder and artistic director of Power of Play (PVT) LTD, is dedicated to creating works that reflect identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion while advocating for social change.
With a cum laude degree in Economics and Theater from Bates College (2009), she combines her expertise in theater, directing, puppetry and writing to craft experiences that engage and challenge audiences on critical societal issues.
Dissanayake’s experience with leading theatres in the U.S. (Guthrie Theater and Williamstown Theater Festival) has shaped her approach to performance as a powerful tool for social advocacy. She uses creative and interactive methods to spark conversations around cultural and social divides. A Watson Fellowship recipient (2009/10), she traveled to South Africa and Indonesia to explore how performance can foster community engagement and cross-cultural understanding. Her work in Sri Lanka focuses on empowering marginalized voices and promoting social justice through the arts.
In 2024, Dissanayake migrated to Adelaide with the hope of expanding Power of Play to Australia for intercontinental collaborations. Dissanayake remains active in both countries & capitalises her experience in USA, Europe, Africa and Asia to customise unique communication solutions for communities of South Australia & Sri Lanka. For more information visit www.linkedin.com/in/sulochana-d
We are thrilled to announce Sulochana Dissanayake as the recipient of the OzAsia Festival Residency for 2025.
Sulochana will be collaborating with Dinuka Liyanawatte for this residency.
This is a creative development and presentation platform available to South Australian performing artists working with contemporary culture. The aim of the residency is to offer place and space as part of a vibrant arts community for artists to develop and show new or existing work.
About the artist:
Sulochana Dissanayake, founder and artistic director of Power of Play (PVT) LTD, is dedicated to creating works that reflect identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion while advocating for social change.
With a cum laude degree in Economics and Theater from Bates College (2009), she combines her expertise in theater, directing, puppetry and writing to craft experiences that engage and challenge audiences on critical societal issues.
Dissanayake’s experience with leading theatres in the U.S. (Guthrie Theater and Williamstown Theater Festival) has shaped her approach to performance as a powerful tool for social advocacy. She uses creative and interactive methods to spark conversations around cultural and social divides. A Watson Fellowship recipient (2009/10), she traveled to South Africa and Indonesia to explore how performance can foster community engagement and cross-cultural understanding. Her work in Sri Lanka focuses on empowering marginalized voices and promoting social justice through the arts.
In 2024, Dissanayake migrated to Adelaide with the hope of expanding Power of Play to Australia for intercontinental collaborations. Dissanayake remains active in both countries & capitalises her experience in USA, Europe, Africa and Asia to customise unique communication solutions for communities of South Australia & Sri Lanka. For more information visit www.linkedin.com/in/sulochana-d
