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 Patrons
The Honourable Hieu Van Le AC
Nexus Arts Patron
Mrs Lan Le
Nexus Arts Patron
The Honourable Hieu Van Le AC
Nexus Arts Patron
Mr Le was born in Central Vietnam in 1954, where he attended school before studying Economics at the Dalat University in the Highlands.
Mr Le, and his wife, Lan, arrived in Australia in 1977 and settled in Adelaide, starting with three months at the Pennington Migrant Hostel.
Mr Le returned to study at the University of Adelaide, where he earned a degree in Economics and Accounting. In 2001, Mr Le’s further study earned him a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the same university.
Mr Le gained Certified Practising Accountant accreditation, and from 1991 worked at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, where he led many high-profile matters. Upon his retirement from the Commission in March 2009, he held the position of Senior Manager – Financial Services Regulation.
Mr Le has served on many community boards and committees, in particular those relating to cultural and linguistic diversity, the arts and education.
In 1995 Mr Le was appointed a member of the SA Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission, and was appointed Deputy Chairman in 2001. When Mr Le became Chairman in 2007, he was the first person of Asian background to be Chairman in South Australia.
In August 2007, Mr Le was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of South Australia. Over the next seven years in this role, Mr Le served as the Patron or Honorary member of many organisations.
On 1 September 2014, Mr Le was sworn in as Governor of South Australia. He concluded his term on 31 August 2021.
It is understood that Mr Le is the first Vietnamese-born person who has ever been appointed to a Vice-Regal position in the world.
Mr Le was awarded the Australia Day Medal in 1996 for outstanding service to Australian Securities and Investment Commission, and has been awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for service to the advancement of multiculturalism.
In 2010 Mr Le was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for outstanding service to community, social inclusion and international engagements. In June 2016, Mr Le was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for service to the community in South Australia. He has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from both Adelaide University and Flinders University.
Mr Le is married to Mrs Lan Le, with whom he has two adult sons, Don and Kim.
Mrs Lan Le
Nexus Arts Patron
Lan Le was born in Da Nang, Vietnam, and arrived in Australia with her husband Hieu Van Le in 1977.
Lan attended the South Australian Institute of Technology and in 1985 graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work. For 30 years, she worked as a Social Worker and Rehabilitation Consultant in various Commonwealth Government departments.
Within these positions, Lan have received several Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service National Awards for her outstanding and consistent contribution to client services and team leadership
Currently Lan is patron of St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation
Lan has been awarded Life Membership of Palliative Care SA and Cystic Fibrosis SA.
She is also an Honorary Member of Rose Society SA and Ambassador for Grandparents for Grandchildren, South Australian Women’s Memorial Playing Field Trust Inc. and The Memorial Hospital’s Centenary Celebration.
Lan is a recipient of Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Foundation in 2021
Lan has a strong interest in arts and crafts, she enjoys cooking and gardening
Lan Le was born in Da Nang, Vietnam, and arrived in Australia with her husband Hieu Van Le in 1977.
Lan attended the South Australian Institute of Technology and in 1985 graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work. For 30 years, she worked as a Social Worker and Rehabilitation Consultant in various Commonwealth Government departments.
Within these positions, Lan have received several Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service National Awards for her outstanding and consistent contribution to client services and team leadership
Currently Lan is patron of St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation
Lan has been awarded Life Membership of Palliative Care SA and Cystic Fibrosis SA.
She is also an Honorary Member of Rose Society SA and Ambassador for Grandparents for Grandchildren, South Australian Women’s Memorial Playing Field Trust Inc. and The Memorial Hospital’s Centenary Celebration.
Lan is a recipient of Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Foundation in 2021
Lan has a strong interest in arts and crafts, she enjoys cooking and gardening
Our Board
Terri Dichiera
Chair
Boram Lee
Board Member
Adrian Vicary
Board Member
Diana Glenn
Board Member
Blythe Chandler
Board Member
Terri Dichiera
Chair
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.
Boram Lee
Board Member
Boram is a Senior Lecturer in Arts and Cultural Management at the University of South Australia. She is specialised in the field of accounting and finance with an emphasis on behavioural studies based on psychological approaches. Boram also has a wide range of research interests in cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary studies, covering the valuation of arts and culture, creative fundraising, arts governance and accountability, artists’ labour markets, well-being and entrepreneurship.
Prior to her academic life, Boram managed international tours of highly respected theatre companies, worked as a producer at arts festivals, and participated in many visual arts projects. Her professional involvement and life-long interest in theatre and the visual arts sectors led her to her current active research interests.
Adrian Vicary
Board Member
Adrian was born in Adelaide of Celtic working-class ancestors. Although he has always lived in Adelaide, he has travelled through much of Australia and established intercultural connections internationally.
Adrian is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of South Australia. In recognition of his contribution to the University he holds the honorary title of University Fellow. He holds professional qualifications in education, and a PhD in political sociology. He is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Member of the Arts Industry Council of South Australia, and an Associated Member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia.
Following his retirement from UniSA, Adrian joined Nexus Arts in 2014. He is the current Chair of the Board, and is proud to advocate for the unique and vibrant intercultural work of Nexus Arts in the interests of global citizenship.
Diana Glenn
Board Member
BA (Hons), MA, PhD, Dip Ed. Diana is currently Professor Emerita of Italian and formerly Dean of the School of Humanities and Creative Arts at Flinders University. A recipient of national teaching awards, she has published numerous scholarly works on Dante, migration and oral history.
Diana serves as a Chair of the Fellowships Judging Panel for the biennial Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature (2020). She previously served on the Arts SA Literature Advisory Committee and chaired the Multicultural Committee. Additionally, she is an external assessor for Arts Industry Development Programs & Mid-Career Fellowships. She is also a member of the Register of Peers, Australia Council. Diana is a Life Fellow of the Governor’s Leadership Foundation, Leaders Institute of SA, as well as a member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia.
Diana strongly supports the dedicated advocacy by Nexus Arts for promoting culturally diverse representation, inclusivity and intercultural creative practices. Her own cultural background is Italian-Australian.
Blythe Chandler
Board Member
Blythe Chandler enjoys a jigsaw puzzle career dedicated to arts management and academic pursuits. With a passion for art in all its forms, Blythe has previously held the position of General Manager at the renowned cinema journal Senses of Cinema, managed the Audience and Industry Development portfolio at Film Victoria and worked at the Barbican Centre, London, Europe’s largest visual and performing arts venue. The role at Nexus is somewhat of a homecoming for Blythe, who began her career next door to Nexus at the Media Resource Centre and Mercury Cinema.
The same interest in the intersections between art and society that compelled Blythe to work in art management, has found parallel outlet in academia. Blythe’s PhD research explored contemporary dystopian films produced all over the globe. She has taught Screen Studies and Literature, both at home and while living abroad in Hollywood (…Maryland…!), and received a Teaching Excellence Award for her work in the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences at Flinders University in 2019.
Our Team
Emily Tulloch
CEO & Artistic Director
Kultar Ahluwalia
Marketing Assistant
Jennifer Trijo
Interplay Program Coordinator
Rebecca Meston
Development Manager
Emily Tulloch
CEO & Artistic Director
Emily Tulloch is a South Australian musician working as a violinist, composer-arranger, educator and arts worker. A passionate creator, Emily focuses her time at Nexus Arts on the presentation and promotion of contemporary art music in Adelaide and beyond.
A member of Zephyr Quartet since 2005, and with the ensemble, Emily has created critically acclaimed shows including Exquisite Corpse (2016), Between Light (2014, 2016), Music for Strings and iThings (2014) and The Aspirations of Daise Morrow (with Brink Productions, 2015). Zephyr Quartet has performed across Australia as well as internationally at the Edinburgh Festival and the Holland International Dance Festival.
Emily has being a member of the COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide) committee since 2007, working on the presentation and promotion of original music in the city – helping co-ordinate twice-monthly concert presentations continuously for almost ten years. If you don’t know about COMA and you live in Adelaide, please get out your device of choice immediately and investigate.
Emily holds two first class Honours degrees, in violin performance and Spanish, the latter with a thesis on the representation of the city of Merida, on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, through the lyrics of the popular song repertoire of trova yucateca.
The connection between music and place is one of her favourite musings. She is passionate about new music: contemporary art music, original jazz, sonic art and various other creative musical endeavours – with whichever tags you choose to throw at them. She plans to continue the support of these art forms in her beloved hometown of Adelaide, and also to strive to take South Australian work to corners of the globe as far-flung as she can manage.
Kultar Ahluwalia
Marketing Assistant
Kultar Ahluwalia is a hip hop artist from Southern Adelaide, South Australia with Punjabi and Irish roots. At a young age, Kultar found wisdom in the empowering words of revolutionary hip hop artists such as Public Enemy and Ice Cube. Kultar has now crafted a unique style of hip hop that encompasses numerous influences, whilst remaining very much his own.
Kultar is a multifaceted artist (and human being) – a rapper, singer, vocalist, poet, music producer – often handling all production, writing, recording and mixing from his humble home studio. Kultar wears his heart on his sleeve in his writing which often reflects the important aspects of his identity – having family from two different cultural backgrounds, being a husband, a father, an Occupational Therapist and Clinical Educator, and workshop facilitator.
Kultar was a part of the Interplay Program in 2023 where he developed a new stage show and EP. He will be releasing and performing this material with a series of performances for the 2024 Oz Asia Festival.
Jennifer Trijo
Interplay Program Coordinator
Jennifer Trijo is a Filipino-Australian multi-disciplinary creative based in Adelaide. She seeks to promote wellbeing and empower artists to create authentic work that reflects their lived experiences.
She has written and produced the critically-acclaimed show Someday – a Mindful Cabaret which features her original music combined with spoken word and motivational talks, grounded in mindfulness principles. She has studied a Diploma of Positive Psychology and is passionate about how the arts can improve psychological wellbeing.
Jennifer values collaborative exchanges between artists and organisations who create socially conscious art and platform culturally and linguistically diverse performers. She is an actor at ActNow Theatre, a musician in the Nexus Arts Orchestra, and is an actor in The Deep North, a new African-Australian musical with South Australian Playwrights Theatre.
Other career highlights include the role of Baruska in the Australian production of Once the Musical (Darlinghurst Theatre Company/Black Swan State Theatre Company), and originating the roles of Hua Mulan/Pocahontas/Princess Badroulbadour in the Australian premiere of Disenchanted the musical (Mad About Theatre).
Jennifer performed her original compositions at the 2021 Pinoy Street Party production in the OzAsia Festival. She was also selected by artistic director Annette Shun Wah as a participant for the inaugural SA Artist Lab by Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP).
She holds a Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education (UNSW) and honed her craft as a cabaret singer and musician, touring with Skeed Entertainment. She is credited in notable theatre productions as a performer, orchestral musician, composer, and music director, and made her professional debut as Kim in the Australian tour of the musical Miss Saigon (Louise Withers and Associates).
Jennifer believes in the value of arts education and works as a voice coach and song repertoire tutor for the next generation of music theatre artists studying at the Elder Conservatorium of Music. She has been a member of the MEAA since 2007.
Rebecca Meston
Development Manager
Rebecca is a theatre maker, arts worker and mum. She’s held roles at Critical Stages, Adelaide Fringe, Metro Arts and the Australian Theatre Forum. She was recently the Funding Programs Coordinator at Carclew, dedicating her time to mentoring young artists, 26 and under.
After graduating from the University of Sydney, she spent a number of years travelling widely, where her interest in both community cultural development and culturally diverse practice grew and grew. Needless to say, she is very excited to be working at Nexus Arts.
As an artist, Rebecca has had her work presented at Theatreworks, This Is Not Art, Metro Arts, Format Festival, Brisbane Festival, Queensland Theatre Company, Vitalstatistix, Rumpus, FELTspace Gallery and the Adelaide Fringe, and in 2015 was awarded first prize in HotHouse Theatre’s Solo Monologue Competition.