Avril Huddy
Director of Higher Education
Avril is an award-winning lecturer and teaching artist. She was an academic leader of the dance specialisation within the Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) for 14 years, and has previously worked with APAC as an expert critical friend on new degree
development.
Avril has a Master of Arts (Research), from QUT and is currently completing her PhD. Her Masters thesis is titled “A Contemporary Model for Dance Artists in Residence in Secondary Schools”. Avril also holds Pilates instructor qualifications and Feldenkrais Method practitioner qualifications.
Sean Dennehy
Head of Discipline – Acting
“Give yourselves the permission to be excellent”
A passionate acting teacher Sean teaches from the film set to the classroom, from the stage to the studio straight to the students of APAC. An independent actor, director and producer he has travelled his way round the world and through the industry. His credits include:
Appearing in TV Rake, Home and Away , All Saints films Don’t Tell, Sanctum 3D, his latest film JIVA is showing at Cannes Film Festival in 2020. Theatre As You Like It ,Mercy Thieves , Rigoletto, and Hamlet.
QLD Executive Producer of the Short+Sweet Theatre + Cabaret Festival, Sean provides a professional pathway into the industry. Director and producer for OperaWorks LA, Taiwan International Arts Festival, Regional Theatres such as the Brolga and independently in Australia and U.S.A.
Course coordinator – for the past 3 years he has been helping artists realise their passion by turning their talent into a career.
Kristina Chapman
Head of Discipline – Screen Production
Kristina is a researcher interested in online media content creation, specifically TikTok. Throughout the past few years, she has written and spoken about the evolution of participatory culture through the lens of TikTok; pulled a part story structures within the 7-second, 15-second and 1-minute video formats; and has investigated the merits of the participatory and self-reflexive documentary modes through the format of TikTok via the creation of Finding Culture – a mini documentary series where Kristina learns more about her Filipino culture through her mum.
Outside of mobile media platforms, Kristina is interested in screenwriting and story development, with a number of short film scripts placing in multiple film competitions.
Mirko Grillini
Lecturer – Screen Acting
Born and raised in Italy, Mirko graduated in performing arts early 2000s. With a background as a Chef Presenter, he devotes his life to performance on both screen and stage as actor, accomplishing to date over 200 screen productions and hundreds of live performances. Roles include Narnia, The Leftovers, Home and Away, Wanted, Neighbours, Joe Exotic and a array of international & Domestic Feature Films. Mirko has won several awards as an actor and as a director/writer and run classes in QLD, NSW and VIC as mentorship for artists who wanted to deepen their understanding of truthful performance and business growth in the industry.
His goal is to allow each student to unleash the artist inside, make it boundaryless and curious and find the freedom to learn, reflect and create while maintaining a vision and be abreast of the constant evolution of the Film/Tv industry. Understanding the business allows the artist to be like water and filter through the gaps constricting creativity and successful outcomes.
Joe Nucifora
Lecturer – Screen Production
Joe’s extensive Film and TV career – as a photographer, cinematographer, editor, producer, and teacher – commenced in the late 70’s in special events, as well state-wide TV commercials, documentaries, corporate, marketing, entertainment and instructional videos. In the late 90’s Joe established his own successful professional photography business, specialising in portraiture, fashion, commercial and advertising – as well as video editing and film production.
Over the span of his career he has also worked alongside Brisbane based cinematographers producing work for a wide range of advertising agencies, as well as significant large-scale Queensland government projects.
Joe brings extensive technical and creative skills and experience to APAC, as well as formal qualifications in a GradCert in Tertiary & Adult Education, excellent communication skills and complete professionalism. All of direct benefit to the students he teaches and the professional colleagues with whom he works on a day-to-day basis.
Sherri Smith
Lecturer – Acting
Sherri has had an extensive movement background and has furthered her training in acting and fight combat disciplines. This has allowed her to work in many areas through the performance industry including stage, screen, and live interactive theatre productions. Her credits include solo-actor performances of the stage play adaptation of ‘Animal Farm’ performed at the Powerhouse, Sonia in Uncle Vanya (The Curators Theatre); Lady Capulet in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ in the Shakespeare Festival, and MJ in ‘Mania’ as part of the Brisbane Arts Festival. In addition to her stage roles, she her work has also included: TVC’s, voice-over work, and roles in International, National and Local film projects like Project Eden (Mad Anth’m Pictures), Practise Patience (Sparrowland Productions) and Phoenix Rising (Vertical Realm Productions). Whilst lecturing at APAC, she still continues to work professionally in the industry.
Heidi Gledhill
Theatre Director
Heidi Gledhill, Queensland based award- winning theatre director and producer, is the founder and Artistic Director of independent theatre company Room to Play. Heidi has been Artistic Director of independent theatre venues, The Crypt in Sydney and Paddington Substation in Brisbane. Heidi Gledhill studied theatre at Macquarie University in Sydney and was granted a scholarship to work at La Sapienza Rome University in Italy, working alongside Nobel laureate, theatre-maker, Dario Fo. Heidi also worked with the legendary physical theatre company, Frantic Assembly, in London in 2022.
Heidi’s directing credits include Ionesco’s The Bald Prima Donna, Brian Friel’s Afterplay, Tom Holloway’s Red Sky Morning and Dario Fo’s Mistero Buffo, supported by Queensland Theatre and presented at Billie Brown and The Hanging by Angela Betzien at Playlab Hotlines. Recently she directed Lally Katz’ The Eisteddfod for Metro Arts Local Season and The Bull the Moon and The Coronet of Stars by Van Badham at Metro Arts. I AM KING I AM QUEEN was devised and directed for Anywhere Festival and toured to New Zealand and Sydney, winning Sydney Fringe Award and Brisbane Powerhouse Award.
As a lecturer at Australian Performing Arts Conservatory (APAC) she has translated and adapted, The Virtuous Burglar by Dario Fo together with students of APAC, directed David Ives, Its all in the Timing at the Brisbane Arts Multicultural Centre. She has been invited by Queensland Theatre to be on the assessment panel for Queensland Premier’s Drama Award. She is currently on the Board of Anywhere Theatre Festival and passionate about independent theatre in accessible and fascinating spaces.