Saplings

Hannah Belanszky is a writer, actor and Yuwaalaraay woman based in Sydney. She is the recipient of the 2025 Balnaves Fellowship with the Belvoir St Theatre, which has long been recognised as one of the most prestigious playwriting awards in Australia. Hannah is currently working on a number of projects, including a 2025 commission for the Griffin Theatre Company, and the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP).

As Playwright for ATYP: Saplings (2024); for Queensland Theatre: don’t ask what the bird look like (2023); for QPAC/Playlab Theatre: Shadow in a Dress (2020); for Fringe World Perth & Brisbane Powerhouse: The Wives of Wolfgang.

Awards 2025 Belnaves Fellowship with Belvoir St Theatre; Her debut mainstage play don’t ask what the bird look like was shortlisted for the 2024 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, a finalist for the 2019 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, and the 2019 Lord Mayor’s Award for Best New Australian Work; Best Cabaret at Adelaide Fringe Weekly Award (2020) for The Wives of Wolfgang.

Abbie-lee Lewis is a Kalkadoon woman who grew up in Western Australia and is a WAPPA graduate. Abbie was the 2022 recipient of Belvoir St Theatre’s biannual Andrew Cameron Fellowship.

As Director for ATYP: Saplings (2024); Mooghalin Performing Arts: Cutter and Coot (2022); for Belvoir St Theatre 25A: An ox stand on my tongue.

As Assistant Director for ATYP: Charlie Pilgrim (or a Beginner’s Guide to Time Travel) (2018); for Bell Shakespeare: Hamlet (2020), Macbeth (2023); for Belvoir St Theatre: At What Cost? (2022), Wayside Bride and Lights Shining in Buckinghamshire (2022),The Weekend (2023).

Stage for Bell Shakespeare: The Players, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ensemble in Macbeth; for Sport for Jove Theatre Co: Martha in Fallen; for Black Swan Theatre Company: Emily in Our Town; for Blue Room Theatre: IDA in The Bleeding Tree; for Belvoir St Theatre: Counting and Cracking International tour; for Australian Dance theatre And Illbidjiri: Tracker.

Screen for Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Black Comedy.

Ryan Whitworth-Jones is a proud Wiradjuri man, award-winning director, producer, and arts leader. Holding a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from NIDA, Ryan has collaborated with prominent companies such as Sydney Theatre Company, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Moogahlin Performing Arts, Opera Australia, Art Gallery of NSW and NAISDA Dance College.

As Director for Fidelio (Opera Australia development), Eden – Garage Noise Music Video (Triple J Unearthed), Healing: A new First Nations dance piece (Brand X), The Queen’s City of the South (Qtopia) Sage to Stage (Scene Theatre, Pier 4 Walsh Bay), Venus in Fur (Sydney Fringe Festival, Nominee Best in Theatre), Cloudstreet (Lane Cove Theatre Company, Best Director Nominee), Life Cycle (NAISDA), Cheats and Liars – Jawbreakers Music Video (Triple J/ABC Rage, 2024 Telly Award Winner), I’m Not Inspirational (PACT) and How to Win a Plebiscite (and Tennis) (Festival of Emerging Artists).

As Assistant Director for Cut Chilli (Old Fitz Theatre), What is wrong with us? (Yellamundie Festival), the Australian Premier of the Broadway Musical Natasha, Pierre and the Comet of 1812 (Darlinghurst Theatre Company) and The Job I took (Triple J).

As Dramaturg for works with Australian Plays Transform, The Visitors (Sydney Theatre Company), Yellamundie Festival and guest reader for the Patrick Playwright Award.

As a Producer Ryan has worked across art forms and institutions. His work has earned two Imagine Awards.

As Set and Costume Designer for ATYP: Saplings (2024), Shack (2022); for New Ghosts Theatre Company: Iphigenia in Splott (2021).

As Costume Designer for Hayes Theatre Co: A Little Night Music (2023); for Red Line Productions: The Chairs (2023); for Seymour Centre: The Turn of the Screw (2023).

Qualifications National Institute of Dramatic Arts: Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design for Performance).

Awards Sydney Theatre Award Nomination for Best Independent Costume Design (2023).

Morgan Moroney is an award-winning lighting and video designer working across theatre, opera, dance and installation. Growing up on Kaurna land, he currently lives and works primarily on Gadigal Land. He brings a distinct multidisciplinary approach to his practice, with a particular fascination for integrated-media live performance.

Morgan’s work includes August: Osage County (Belvoir & Black Swan), Song of First Desire and Nayika: A Dancing Girl (Belvoir), Dido & Aeneas (Pinchgut Opera), The Queen’s Nanny, Suddenly Last Summer, Clyde’s and Mr. Bailey’s Minder (Ensemble), The Barber of Seville (Opera Australia National Tour), Turn of the Screw (Hayes Theatre Co), Shitty (Belvoir 25A), Cleansed (Redline Productions), The Nutcracker (Australian Chamber Orchestra), Inferno (Australian Brandenburg Orchestra), Camp (Siren Theatre Co), Girls in Boys Cars and A Practical Guide to Self-Defence (NTofP), Anatomy of a Suicide (Sugary Rum), The Dry and The Wet (Circa Cairns), Saplings and Shack (ATYP) and Collapsible (essential workers), which he also co-directed.

A NIDA graduate, Morgan’s accolades include the 2020 APDG Emerging Designer for Live Performance Award (Ghosts), 2023 Sydney Theatre Award in Best Independent Lighting Design and NIDA X Storytelling Futures Grant (Collapsible), 2023 APDG Award in Lighting Design (Cleansed) and 2024 Michael Northen Award for emerging Lighting Designers, administered by the Association for Lighting Production and Design in the UK. Morgan’s Assistant and Associate Designer work with Nick Schlieper includes Dracula (Sydney Theatre Company), The Phantom of the Opera (Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour) and Maureen: Harbinger of Death (Soft Tread). Morgan is one half of independent theatre contingent essential workers.

I’m a Wiradjuri man who you will find in the studio recording and producing music, and creating visual art for my Indigenous streetwear label Sacred Era. As a hip-hop artist, I have won a Deadly Award, shared the stage with some of Australia’s most talented Indigenous artists, and opened for local and international acts, but I’m most proud of the work I’ve done in my community developing and implementing workshops for Indigenous youth.

As Composer and Sound Designer for ATYP: Saplings (2024); for Moogahlin Performing Arts: Yellamundie Festival (2023), Cutter & Coot (2022).