Belvoir is pleased to announce Gumbaynggirr/Wiradjuri actor and creative Dalara Williams as the 2022 Balnaves Foundation Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellow.
Born and raised in Sydney on Gadigal country, Dalara has always had strong ties to her culture and now through writing is on the journey to bring those two worlds together, showcasing the importance of our voices, language, culture and stories to the stage and screen.
As a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts, Dalara made her feature film debut in Wayne Blair’s romantic comedy Top End Wedding, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and her follow up feature, Victoria Wharfe McIntyre’s The Flood. Along with being one of the main cast members for ABC’s Black Comedy season 3 and 4.
Her stage credits include Winyanboga Yurringa (Belvior Street Theatre), Exit The King (Redline Productions), Black Ties (Ilbijerri Theatre Company) which toured both Australia and New Zealand, Rainbows End (Darlinghurst Theatre), and Blackie Blackie Brown (Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre) directed by Declan Greene, and whilst at NIDA her stage credits included Realism directed by Jessica Arthur, Love and Money directed by Judy Davis, The Season At Sasparilla and Twelfth Night.
Prior to NIDA, Dalara studied Aboriginal Theatre at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and performed in Crowbones And Carnivores. She also performed as Goneril in The Shadow King, a reworking of Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear as part of the Darwin Festival. Her professional acting debut was starring in the Tiwi adaptation of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs; Wulamanayuwi And The Seven Pamaui directed by Eamon Flack which toured regionally.
Dalara’s first written play, The Lookout was picked up by Moogahlin Theatre Company as a part of their bi-annual Writing Festival, Yellamundi Festival and she has since been selected as part of Ilbijerri’s Black Wrights writing program. Her new play As I Was Walking Down Eveleigh Street follows Lorraine Mathews, a single mother and her three very eccentric children as they navigate the ups and downs of being a blackfullas in the city. Learning that being Aboriginal isn’t all about protest and fighting. It’s not just about the trauma experienced but more so the laughter that has helped them survive through it.
Hamish Balnaves, CEO of The Balnaves Foundation said, “The Foundation believes in supporting the next generation of artists and the creative development of new Australian work. Philanthropic support provides the opportunity to bring new Indigenous works to new audiences; engaging, challenging and educating them. These stories play a pivotal role in truth telling, treaty and reconciliation. Congratulations to Dalara on being awarded the Balnaves Fellowship, we are truly excited to see how she will use the fellowship to further develop her creative work as a talented artist in the industry.”
The Balnaves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellowship is supported by The Balnaves Foundation.
Deborah was last at Belvoir in Company B’s Greek Tragedy. Other theatre credits include: Wicked Sisters
(Griffin), Lady Tabouli (National Theatre Of Parramatta/Sydney Festival), Gods Of Strangers (State Theatre
Company South Australia), The God Committee, Heartbreak Kid (Ensemble/tours), The Shearston Shift (Sydney
Theatre Company/Australian People’s Theatre/tours), I’m With Her, The Mystery of Love & Sex (Darlinghurst
Theatre Company), Metamorphoses (Apocalypse/Old Fitz), Unfinished Works, Homesick (Bontom), Seagull
(Secret House), Mum’s The Word (Burberry Productions/Australian tours/SOH Playhouse/Glen Street), Dropped
(The Goods Theatre Company/Old Fitz), House of Ramon Iglesia (MopHead/Old Fitz), A Kind of Alaska,
Suddenly Last Summer, Hotel Hibiscus (NIDA company), Antigone (Sport For Jove), Boswell for the Defence
(Sydney Festival), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (theatrongroup). Television credits: Children’s
Hospital, My Place, Police Rescue, G.P., Pulse, Rake, Redfern Now (ABC), Camp (NBC/Matchbox), Murder Call
(Nine Network), A Country Practice, All Saints, Home and Away (Seven Network). Film credits: Chasing
Comets, Balls, Boys From The Bush, Cavity, Inside Out, No Worries, The Premonition, and Razzle Dazzle. A
NIDA, Trinity College London, and Sydney University graduate, Deborah’s been nominated for several Sydney
Theatre Awards, and is a proud MEAA Member since 1990.
Deborah GalanoS
Deborah was last at Belvoir in Company B’s Greek Tragedy. Other theatre credits include: Wicked Sisters
(Griffin), Lady Tabouli (National Theatre Of Parramatta/Sydney Festival), Gods Of Strangers (State Theatre
Company South Australia), The God Committee, Heartbreak Kid (Ensemble/tours), The Shearston Shift (Sydney
Theatre Company/Australian People’s Theatre/tours), I’m With Her, The Mystery of Love & Sex (Darlinghurst
Theatre Company), Metamorphoses (Apocalypse/Old Fitz), Unfinished Works, Homesick (Bontom), Seagull
(Secret House), Mum’s The Word (Burberry Productions/Australian tours/SOH Playhouse/Glen Street), Dropped
(The Goods Theatre Company/Old Fitz), House of Ramon Iglesia (MopHead/Old Fitz), A Kind of Alaska,
Suddenly Last Summer, Hotel Hibiscus (NIDA company), Antigone (Sport For Jove), Boswell for the Defence
(Sydney Festival), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (theatrongroup). Television credits: Children’s
Hospital, My Place, Police Rescue, G.P., Pulse, Rake, Redfern Now (ABC), Camp (NBC/Matchbox), Murder Call
(Nine Network), A Country Practice, All Saints, Home and Away (Seven Network). Film credits: Chasing
Comets, Balls, Boys From The Bush, Cavity, Inside Out, No Worries, The Premonition, and Razzle Dazzle. A
NIDA, Trinity College London, and Sydney University graduate, Deborah’s been nominated for several Sydney
Theatre Awards, and is a proud MEAA Member since 1990.
Deborah GalanoS
Deborah was last at Belvoir in Company B’s Greek Tragedy. Other theatre credits include: Wicked Sisters
(Griffin), Lady Tabouli (National Theatre Of Parramatta/Sydney Festival), Gods Of Strangers (State Theatre
Company South Australia), The God Committee, Heartbreak Kid (Ensemble/tours), The Shearston Shift (Sydney
Theatre Company/Australian People’s Theatre/tours), I’m With Her, The Mystery of Love & Sex (Darlinghurst
Theatre Company), Metamorphoses (Apocalypse/Old Fitz), Unfinished Works, Homesick (Bontom), Seagull
(Secret House), Mum’s The Word (Burberry Productions/Australian tours/SOH Playhouse/Glen Street), Dropped
(The Goods Theatre Company/Old Fitz), House of Ramon Iglesia (MopHead/Old Fitz), A Kind of Alaska,
Suddenly Last Summer, Hotel Hibiscus (NIDA company), Antigone (Sport For Jove), Boswell for the Defence
(Sydney Festival), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (theatrongroup). Television credits: Children’s
Hospital, My Place, Police Rescue, G.P., Pulse, Rake, Redfern Now (ABC), Camp (NBC/Matchbox), Murder Call
(Nine Network), A Country Practice, All Saints, Home and Away (Seven Network). Film credits: Chasing
Comets, Balls, Boys From The Bush, Cavity, Inside Out, No Worries, The Premonition, and Razzle Dazzle. A
NIDA, Trinity College London, and Sydney University graduate, Deborah’s been nominated for several Sydney
Theatre Awards, and is a proud MEAA Member since 1990.
Deborah GalanoS
Deborah was last at Belvoir in Company B’s Greek Tragedy. Other theatre credits include: Wicked Sisters
(Griffin), Lady Tabouli (National Theatre Of Parramatta/Sydney Festival), Gods Of Strangers (State Theatre
Company South Australia), The God Committee, Heartbreak Kid (Ensemble/tours), The Shearston Shift (Sydney
Theatre Company/Australian People’s Theatre/tours), I’m With Her, The Mystery of Love & Sex (Darlinghurst
Theatre Company), Metamorphoses (Apocalypse/Old Fitz), Unfinished Works, Homesick (Bontom), Seagull
(Secret House), Mum’s The Word (Burberry Productions/Australian tours/SOH Playhouse/Glen Street), Dropped
(The Goods Theatre Company/Old Fitz), House of Ramon Iglesia (MopHead/Old Fitz), A Kind of Alaska,
Suddenly Last Summer, Hotel Hibiscus (NIDA company), Antigone (Sport For Jove), Boswell for the Defence
(Sydney Festival), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (theatrongroup). Television credits: Children’s
Hospital, My Place, Police Rescue, G.P., Pulse, Rake, Redfern Now (ABC), Camp (NBC/Matchbox), Murder Call
(Nine Network), A Country Practice, All Saints, Home and Away (Seven Network). Film credits: Chasing
Comets, Balls, Boys From The Bush, Cavity, Inside Out, No Worries, The Premonition, and Razzle Dazzle. A
NIDA, Trinity College London, and Sydney University graduate, Deborah’s been nominated for several Sydney
Theatre Awards, and is a proud MEAA Member since 1990.
