Founder + CEO
Diane Busuttil
Founder
Diane Busuttil
My background is in dance, choreography and live performance. I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance from The University of Western Sydney, and a Masters Research Degree at Maquarie University, Sydney. I have worked as an independent curator, choreographer and performer for many years throughout Australia, Europe and Asia. In 2000, I was awarded a DAAD scholarship to study BODY at The International Women's University in Germany which initiated my fifteen year stay in Berlin, Germany.
In Berlin I toured major dance and theatre festivals in Germany, Asia, USA and Europe with various leading dance and theatre companies. My experimental short films, including screendance works, have toured to over thirty international film festivals. I returned to Australia in 2015 and made my first documentary, Without Consent, about Forced Adoption in Australia circa 1960s, then in 2020 made Together We Dance produced by FORM Dance Projects.
My philosophy is that movement is a primary expressive language. Through curated community programs, I can build on a sense of belonging through socially engaged arts practices.
Strategic Advisor Vanessa Ronan-Pearce
Vanessa started dancing at the age of 3 when her Mum, ex-principal dancer Borovansky Ballet (now Australian Ballet) started The Glebe School of Performing Arts in Sydney.
She trained in ballet, tap and jazz completing her HSC at The McDonald College. Vanessa went on to run The Glebe School of Performing arts for over 15 years and also taught at other leading studios including Brent St, Dynamite, Urban Dance Centre and Sydney Dance Co.
She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Dance) followed by study in Sports Therapy, Music, Communications and Business.
Vanessa has also spent many years working as a professional singer/songwriter, pianist and producer before moving into the corporate world. Over the last 15+ years Vanessa has grown into a commercially minded brand evangelist with a passion for the human connections behind business, working with global thought leaders, influencers and entrepreneurs.
Advising to Creative Caring provides a unique opportunity for Vanessa to combine her passion for dance and creativity whilst utilising her vast corporate experience.
Actor/performer Vashti Hughes
Vashti has a BA Theatre Studies UNSW. She went on to study performance at UWS Nepean. She has made independent theatre and cabaret since then as well as comedy. Vashti writes and performs her own shows.
Vashti deeply values and respects the input that our Elders have to society. Over the last few years she has been increasingly involved in the Kings Cross community. She created a work called Piccolo Tales with 80 year-old Sydney icon, Vittorio Bianchi writing a performance piece which they performed together.
She then went on to create community gatherings at the Kings Cross library throughout the City of Sydney celebrating the lives of its elder members who have contributed to its rich history. She gathered stories with the assistance of Kings Cross community centre reaching out to senior members of the community, which she then performed, in the form of interviews, at the library.
Vashti taught drama in high schools and toured with children's theatre company Loose Canon Arts to Singapore and Indonesia. She is currently working with Milkcrate Theatre with homeless and disadvantaged people.
Dancer/performer Renata Commisso
Renata Commisso was born in Sydney, Australia. She began her education in classical ballet and contemporary dance in Sydney before moving to Munich, Germany to complete her studies. For the next 10 years she worked with professional dance companies between Europe and Canada.
Her professional dance career at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal and with The National Centre for Dance Therapy.
Renata loves exploring collaborative contemporary performance for the community; creating works for galleries, choreographic labs and charity performances, including Le Livart Galleries, A Suvire 2016, Leucan, and Parkinson’s en Mouvement.
Renata has received her Parkinson’s en Movement Certification in Montreal, her Social Arts Immersion Training- Cirque du Soleil and Centre of National Dance Therapy and most recently Dance for PD.
Since 2017, Renata has been teaching community dance classes for people with Parkinson’s in Sydney and also improvisation classes.
