Queerstories

Wesley Enoch is a writer and director for the stage. He is the current Chair of Creative Australia. Wesley was the Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre Company from 2010 to 2015 and was the Artistic Director at the Sydney Festival from 2016-2021. Wesley is the QUT Deputy Vice Chancellor Indigenous Australians. He hails from Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) and is a proud Quandamooka man.

Paff Evara (they/she) is a Black lesbian writer and cultural producer from Kerema, Papua New Guinea, by way of Magandjin, Australia. An essayist and future memoirist, their work tenderly pushes on the bruises of generational trauma, identity, love and transformation. As an international speaker and producer, Paff has created, curated and hosted panels, workshops and conferences exploring web3, neuroinclusion, the creator economy, decentralised media and more. Paff also co-founded Take Up Space, a slow media collective for queer expression and liberation.

Daniel Bruschweiler is a bold, sharp, and unapologetically funny trans male stand-up comedian based in Brisbane. Known for his hard-earned beard, dry delivery, and fearless honesty, Daniel brings lived experience, sharp self-awareness, and a finely tuned sense of chaos to the stage, turning trauma into punchlines and awkward truths into big laughs. Turns out coping mechanisms can pay off. While his work is grounded in his experience as a trans man, Daniel’s comedy isn’t about lecturing or labels. His sharp observations, self-deprecating humour, and instinct for absurdity have seen him win over rooms of all kinds – queer, straight, festival, and everything in between.

Darby Jones is a writer and editor with matrilineal ties to the Kamilaroi mob in Southwest Queensland. In 2023, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts (Writing) from the University of Queensland, where he was the valedictorian of his graduating class. He’s also a proud alumnus of the black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project, where he was rigorously trained in the art of structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, and manuscript development. He’s an advocate for diverse representation in literature and has dedicated his career to amplifying the voices of marginalised peoples.

Mary Duong is a queer Vietnamese-diasporic writer and filmmaker based on Turrbal and Jagera Country. Their practice grapples with cultural expectations, the weight of family history, and the neverending journey of queer self-discovery. Their web series TWO WEEKS (2018) reached over 2.3 million YouTube views and won Best Web Series at SAE ATOM Awards 2018. They co-created short factual series BANANAS (2019) for SBS, which was selected for SXSW Film Festival 2020, while riot grrrl-inspired children’s short film VIV’S SILLY MANGO (2022), commissioned by ABC, screened at Outfest Fusion 2023, Viet Film Fest 2024, and Heart of Gold Film Festival 2024. Their latest project, MANGROVE MANSION, co-created with Rhianna Malezer, was shortlisted for SBS Digital Originals. With curiosity and care, Mary’s slate dances across the personal and the political.

Charley Allanah is a live performance maker who lives on stolen Gadigal Land. Her practice includes writing, directing and performing, and her work in the arts has extended to producing, access, management and consulting. She has worked for STC, STCSA, Vivid Ideas, Sydney Fringe, Sydney WorldPride and many others. With her sister – dancer and choreographer Eliza Sanders – she co-founded, and for 11 years ran, paradigm bending performance outfit House of Sand. She is an advocate for diverse artists and workers across multiple industries, working with institutions including the Inner City Legal Centre and M.E.A.A., where she is a delegate to the Federal Council and Co-Chair of Entertainment Diversity.