Our Team
Meet our dedicated team
Our dedicated team strive to foster excellence in contemporary arts by supporting the artistic practice of culturally diverse and First Nations artists with development programs and presentation opportunities.
Our Board
Dominic Stefanson
Chair
Christopher Chen
Treasurer
Natali Rojas Palacia
Board Member
Jennette Plooij
Board Member
Brenda Klose
Board Member
Bethany Ashley-Ward
Board Member
Terri Dichiera
Board Member
Victoria Falconer
Board Member
Kate Donelly
Board Member
Dominic Stefanson
Chair
Dominic runs his own consultancy company, Strategic Solutions Co, which provides services to clients across all levels of government as well as industry associations, NGOs and the private sector.
Dominic is also the Australian national representative for the French media company Groupe Les Echos-Le Parisien.
Dominic formerly worked at Director level at Ernst and Young and was Head of Public and Corporate Affairs at the Adelaide Festival Centre where he oversaw the Centre’s strategic projects including the development of successful budget bids for the redevelopment of the Adelaide Festival Centre and the renewal of Her Majesty’s Theatre. He has also worked as a senior advisor to the South Australian Government including as Chief of Staff to John Hill, the former Minister for Health and for the Arts. Dominic has PhD in political philosophy.
Dominic was born in Australia to a French mother and is a strong believe in the power of the arts as a vehicle to communicate across cultural (and other) differences. Culturally diverse performances and exhibitions create an interesting and variable artistic program for audiences to enjoy and also promote understanding and mutual respect which ultimately fosters social harmony.
Christopher Chen
Treasurer
Chris is an experienced Chartered Accountant and finance leader who has experience across a number of industries and is currently at an Energy Infrastructure and Asset Management organisation. Prior to his current role, Chris worked at the Adelaide Festival Centre for a number of years where he developed a connection to the Arts and the impact it has in our culturally and linguistically diverse society. Here he developed knowledge and expertise in financial arts administration of festivals, facility management, musicals, and the foundation.
There is a strong focus from Chris to ensure we create opportunities in the arts for all individuals which celebrate, reflect, and showcase our community’s diverse heritage and backgrounds.
Chris strongly supports Nexus Arts and is committed to ensuring the long-term financial stability to continue engaging and developing with both artists and audiences in contemporary intercultural creative practices.
Natali Rojas Palacia
Board Member
Natali is a community and cultural development leader with fifteen years of experience working across the creative sector, not-for-profits and local government in Australia and internationally. Her work focuses on strengthening inclusion, community capacity, and resilience through interdisciplinary collaborations, policy development and place-based practice.
Her career includes cultural programming positions in Aotearoa New Zealand and Colombia where she collaborated with artists, communities, and cultural institutions to empower communities to lead change. Natali is committed to equity in the creative sector and has worked extensively alongside culturally diverse and First Nations communities to create opportunities for meaningful participation and representation.
Natali holds a Master in Social Sciences from Jyvaskyla University in Finland, is a member of Creative Australia’s Pool of Peers for Community Arts and Cultural Development, and is currently completing a Certificate IV in Leadership and Management.
She shares and strongly supports Nexus Arts’ commitment to diversity, intercultural dialogue, and creative inclusion. She brings a unique blend of strategic insight, cross-cultural awareness, and a deep belief in the role of creativity to drive social justice and lasting change.
Jennette Plooij
Board Member
Jennette Plooij (she/her) is a strategic marketing and brand leader with a Dutch-Australian background. As Head of Marketing at Adelaide Fringe, she leads brand strategy and campaigns for the Southern Hemisphere’s largest open-access arts festival, connecting diverse audiences and artists through bold creative expression.
Jennette brings deep expertise in marketing, communications and partnership development, alongside a strong commercial and governance mindset. She holds a BA (Hons) in Communication Design from Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. She has lived and worked across multicultural environments in Europe, the USA, Asia and Australia, shaping global brand strategies and campaigns in the design, music, tech and sustainability sectors.
Her approach is collaborative and values-led, grounded in cultural awareness and a genuine passion for inclusive community engagement. She is committed to amplifying diverse voices and supporting Nexus Arts in fostering a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable arts sector.
Brenda Klose
Board Member
Brenda was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where music was part of everyday life from an early age. A background in vocal performance eventually brought her to Australia, and she has called Adelaide home since 2013.
Her path into finance was gradual and deliberate. She built her career through audit and finance roles in the education sector and holds a Chartered Accountant qualification and an MBA in Finance.
Brenda is drawn to Nexus Arts because she understands, from her own experience, what it means to navigate life as part of a diaspora. At one point she was fairly certain she was the only Puerto Rican in Adelaide. She knows what it means when organisations create genuine space for those voices, and joins the board with financial literacy, a deep personal investment in culturally diverse arts practice, and a strong commitment to the work Nexus Arts does in this community.
Bethany Ashley-Ward
Board Member
Bethany (Beth) Ashley-Ward is a Māori (Uenuku-Tuwharetoa) woman from Ōtaki, Aotearoa (New Zealand), living on Kaurna Land in Modbury North, South Australia. She began her career as a visual artist, specialising in mixed media, experimental photography, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and installation. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours), a Certificate IV in Project Management, and Certificate III in Business Administration, Government, and Arts Administration.
Beth has held significant roles in South Australia’s arts and cultural sector. As Manager of Arts Programs (Communities) at Carclew, she led key initiatives including Aboriginal Artists in Schools, Nunga Days, Ngarrindjeri Yanun, Tjitjiku Tjukurpa, ExpressWay Arts, and Pom Pom. Her earlier roles at Carclew included supporting programs such as Off the Couch and Cargo. She has also worked as Arts Programs and Grants Officer at Country Arts SA, Community Partnerships and Program Lead at Northern Sound System, Manager of Public Programs at the South Australian Museum, and Coordinator at Kurruru Arts & Culture Hub. She has led community projects including Dolphins in the Port for the inaugural Port Festival and worked with the City of Port Adelaide Enfield on public programming.
Beth’s creative practice spans over two decades, exhibiting in solo and group shows and working across community and cultural development.
She is currently working part-time as Public Art Consultant for the City of Campbelltown on public art policy and processes, and is the Visual Arts Coordinator at Tutti Arts (Brighton), supporting learning disabled and neurodivergent artists in their contemporary practice. Beth also serves as Board Member for Open Space Contemporary Arts (OSCA), Secretary for He Waka Eke Noa Māori Suicide Prevention Network, and is a 2022‚2023 graduate of Creative Australia’s Arts Leaders Program.
Terri Dichiera
Board Member
Terri is a passionate and committed Arts administrator and producer with over 15 years’ experience across the planning, management and delivery of a broad cross section of programs, events and festivals. Her previous roles have been with WOMADelaide, the Commonwealth Games Performing Arts Program in Melbourne 2006, Adelaide Film Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Windmill Theatre, AAPPAC (Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centers), Country Arts SA and the Adelaide Festival Centre across various programming/producing roles.
Terri has a strong commitment to promoting social cohesion and creating opportunities for arts and culture to genuinely reflect and represent diverse voices in our contemporary culture and society. Terri also has a deep connection with her own Italian cultural background.
Terri has been a long standing supporter of Nexus Arts, and acknowledges and values its vital role as a leader in culturally diverse and intercultural artistic practice. She equally shares Nexus Arts’ passion and advocacy for expanding the opportunities and platforms for culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Victoria Falconer
Board Member
Victoria Falconer (she/her) is a celebrated cross-disciplinary performance maker, music director, multi-instrumentalist, and creative mentor of Filipino-English heritage. She is co-Artistic Director of Hayes Theatre Co alongside Richard Carroll, and 2024 winner of the Arts and Culture category at the Asian-Australians Leadership Awards).
Notable recent work as a musical director includes Hedwig & The Angry Inch (Adelaide Festival), My Brilliant Career (Melbourne Theatre Company), In The Heights (Sydney Opera House), Ride The Cyclone (Hayes Theatre Co) and M’ap Boulé (Performing Lines). Recent commissions as cabaret artist include Smashed: The Nightcap (Sydney Festival 2024/Auckland Arts Festival 2025), The Sight (Dark Mofo 2023), and The Vali Myers Project (Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Frank Ford winner 2022).
Kate Donelly
Board Member
Kate is passionate about the arts and the rich, diverse cultural life that makes South Australia such a remarkable place to live and work. With extensive experience in festival and event management across Australia and internationally, including senior roles at Adelaide Festival, OzAsia Festival and the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, Kate has spent her career creating space for bold, ambitious work that connects artists with audiences in meaningful ways.
She has a deep commitment to culturally diverse and intercultural artistic practice and a genuine understanding of what it means to build platforms for underrepresented voices. Kate is a recent graduate of the Governors Leadership Foundation program through the Leaders Institute of South Australia.
Kate strongly supports Nexus Arts’ role as South Australia’s only contemporary arts organisation dedicated to culturally and linguistically diverse practice and is thrilled to be joining the board at such an exciting moment in the organisation’s evolution.
Our Team
Kim Roberts
Co-CEO
Zhao Liang
CO-CEO
Ruth Weldon
Development and Communications Manager
Bolanle Akintomide
Marketing Manager
Chiranjika Grasby
Gallery Manager
Kultar Ahluwalia
Co-Manager, Interplay Program
Jennifer Trijo
Co-Manager, Interplay Program
Jacquelyn Nikolic
Finance Administrator
Damien Storer
Venue Manager
Kiera Simmons
Head Technician
Kim Roberts
Co-CEO
Kim Roberts (she/her) is an experienced and passionate arts leader and advocate. With 25 years in the music industry in charity management, community radio, festival administration and as a working musician (which she still enjoys), Kim has a deep understanding of the needs of artists and arts organisations in our current climate.
With added roles and qualifications in social research, vocational training and digital media, Kim brings a breadth of skills and a strong focus on knowledge sharing, advocacy, diversity and inclusion, artist pathways and sustainable organisational development.
Kim is also the General Manager 0.2FTE for the Arts Industry Council SA, a non-government not-for-profit acting as an independent voice for the arts in SA.
Zhao Liang
CO-CEO
Zhao is an accomplished creative, musician, producer – who has created and developed programs in arts and public spaces. Over the years, her initiatives are strongly grounded in South Australia, partnering with art companies, local councils and education institutions to develop projects which amplify the voices of the community.
With a heart for families, culturally diverse artists and individuals – her works often speak to younger audiences with a deeper message. Her recent production “Tale of the Fire Phoenix’ has been a project developed with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Create SA; whilst “Multicultural Storytime’ has been another project – still embraced by local councils and Multicultural SA – in the last ten years.
Zhao is a listener, responder, and ground-breaking risk-taker. Her onboarding at Nexus Arts will open up new collaborations and initiatives, crossing languages, art making and forms in the local South Australian art scene, as well as across states and nationalities.
Ruth Weldon
Development and Communications Manager
Ruth Weldon (She/Her) is a highly skilled and experienced arts worker, living and working on Kaurna land.
Ruth has almost 20 years experience in the arts, primarily in community and cultural development, working with emerging artists, in youth arts and arts education.
Outside of Nexus Arts, Ruth works as a freelance audio describer with Acess2Arts and is a co-chair of the Arts Industry Council of South Australia.
This year, she graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) with an MFA in Cultural Leadership. From her beginnings, travelling the world working on festivals, she has had a range of experiences across ticketing, marketing, producing, project management and development.
Ruth is immensely passionate about making arts accessible for all and helping to foster the next generation of arts workers and makers.
Bolanle Akintomide
Marketing Manager
Bolanle has a dynamic background in both the creative and business side of advertising and media production.
With extensive experience as an Advertising Agency producer and as a producer with Nigerian Idol, Bolanle has honed a unique blend of creative direction, project management, and strategic marketing expertise. She has always enjoyed the process of bringing stories to life and can always be found reading a good book with a cup of tea.
She currently works as our Marketing Manager, focusing on leveraging her experience to deliver results that elevate Nexus Arts.
Chiranjika Grasby
Gallery Manager
Chiranjika (Chira) Grasby is an artist and curator working on Kaurna Yerta.
Her practice incorporates painting, illustration, and sculpture, inspired by her experiences with cultural disconnect as a Queer Asian diaspora. This translates into melancholic depictions of mundane daily imagery, as well as explorations into the personal impact of internet culture and the spread of digital technology from a neurodivergent lens.
Since graduating from Adelaide Central School of Art in 2019 with a Bachelor of Visual Art, she has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions across South Australia and Victoria. As a curator she has presented exhibitions at FELTspace ARI, Praxis Art Space, Halfpace, Nexus Arts, Adelaide Town Hall, and Collective Haunt.
In 2024 she was the Early Career Curator for South Australian not for profit Guildhouse, and was a 2025 Curatorial Intern under Rayleen Forester at Adelaide Contemporary Experimental (ACE) Gallery. She currently co-owns Halfpace Studio – an inclusive tattoo space and residency site, whilst also working as the Gallery Manager at Nexus Arts Gallery.
Kultar Ahluwalia
Co-Manager, Interplay Program
Kultar Ahluwalia is a hip hop artist from Southern Adelaide with Punjabi and Irish roots. At a young age coming to terms with his identity, Kultar found wisdom in the empowering words of revolutionary hip hop artists. Kultar has been releasing and performing music over the last two decades under various pseudonyms and in the group, We Move Like Giants. More recently, Kultar began creating works under his birth name.
In 2023, Kultar was selected as one of six artists in the Nexus Arts Interplay Program. During his time in the program, Kultar created a new stage show and accompanying EP “The Mixed-Race Tape”.
In 2024, “The Mixed-Race Tape” was premiered at OzAsia Festival across two capacity shows at Nexus Arts with glowing reception. Kultar was invited for performances and media appearances on outlets such as ABC Radio National, SBS, Channel 9, themusic.com.auand Glam Adelaide.
In 2025, Kultar will be taking “The Mixed-Race Tape” into new territories across Australia and, as always, hitting the home studio and sharing new music.
And, in a full circle moment, he will be commencing a role at Nexus Arts supporting and mentoring the next cohort of Interplay artists.
Jennifer Trijo
Co-Manager, Interplay Program
Jennifer Trijo is a Filipino singer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist living and working in Kaurna Yerta.
Her professional theatre credits include: Baruska in Once (Darlinghurst Theatre Company; Black Swan State Theatre Company; Comedy Theatre; HOTA); Janelle Woods and Shirelle in Beautiful – the Carole King Musical (Matt Ward Entertainment); Ms. Mendoza in The Deep North, the first African-Australian musical (South Australian Playwrights Theatre); Hua Mulan, Pocahontas, and Badroulbadour in Disenchanted (Mad About Theatre); and Kim in the Australian tour of Miss Saigon (LWAA | Michael Coppel).
Jennifer is a regular featured artist at the Oz Asia Festival and Adelaide Fringe Festival with credits including: Pinoy Street Party (2021); Someday – A Mindful Cabaret (2021-2022); Hyoshi in Counterpoint (2022-2024); Leslie & Anita: The Fallen Stars of Hong Kong (2024); the Jennifer Trijo Band (2024); and Typhoon for SAPT (2024).
Since releasing her debut self-titled EP, she has composed approximately 100 original songs. Recent career highlights include being named a 2024 Finalist in the APRA AMCOS Professional Development Awards in the Music Theatre category for her musical Dragonfly, and winning a 2024 Green Room Award for Best Artist Ensemble in Commercial Music Theatre with the multi-talented cast of Once.
Jennifer is an advocate for accessible arts education and works as a mentor for emerging First Nations and culturally diverse singer-songwriters through Nexus Arts, Adelaide. She is a voice faculty member of the Elder Conservatorium of Music (Music Theatre), a graduate of the Bachelor of Music & Bachelor of Education double degree at UNSW, a graduate of a Certificate IV in Fitness at AIPT, and a proud member of the MEAA.
She is thrilled to be one of the original Australian cast members of Hadestown (Opera Australia & Jones Theatrical Group).
Jacquelyn Nikolic
Finance Administrator
Jacquelyn Nikolic is an accomplished business manager with a background in the arts, retail and trades industry. She is highly proficient in office administration and holds various qualifications in bookkeeping, management, SFX makeup and film.
She has been involved with events such as Beer and BBQ Festival, SA Music Awards, Scouted, Space Jams, Umbrella Festival and Girls Rock! Adelaide Rock Camp.
In 2022, Jacquelyn was a recipient of Women in Music mentorship with Australian Independent Record Labels Association.
When she is not busy figuring out how to use an abacus, you will find her deeply involved in several textile projects with an objective to exhibit her work in the near future.
Damien Storer
Venue Manager
Damien has extensive experience in Front of House and Venue Management for Arts Organisations in Australia including Belvoir St Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Seymour Centre Sound Lab and Adelaide Festival Centre.
Damien is delighted to bring this experience to Nexus Arts and looks forward to hearing from artists wishing to perform at our venue. Please get in touch!
Kiera Simmons
Head Technician
Kiera J. Simmons (She/They) is an emerging South Australian sound designer based on unceded Kaurna Land. Their creative work in Speculative Soundwalking and live electronic performance explores engagement with place through sound.
As a freelance sound designer, she works with local and global artists on creative projects focusing on queerness, ecology, neurodivergence and embodies theatrical experiences.
Since 2024, she has served as Head Technician at Nexus Arts and Chairperson of Creative Original Music Adelaide. In both roles, they enjoy supporting and collaborating with artists and community members on an exciting variety of shows and events.