Announcing Sinsa Mansell as new Senior Producer of Performing Lines TAS

We are thrilled to announce Sinsa Jo Mansell as Senior Producer of Performing Lines TAS, leading the company’s activities and programs in lutruwita/Tasmania. Sinsa is a Trawoolaway pakana woman from larapuna (the Northern region of lutruwita/Tasmania). She is a producer, artist, dancer and community leader of many years, with deep roots in the Tasmanian arts community.

Sinsa takes on the role of Senior Producer TAS after first joining the company as Associate Producer in February 2022. Her tenure as Associate Producer began with a tour management position on the statewide tour of Second Echo Ensemble’s Outside Boy. She was later instrumental in the delivery of Nathan Maynard (palawa) & Jamie McCaskill’s (Māori) major commission Hide The Dog, premiering at Sydney Festival 2023, before touring to Perth Festival, Ten Days On The Island, RISING, and soon Brisbane Festival.

With a deeply ingrained focus on ethical practice and cultural safety, Sinsa brings a strong foundation of producing expertise, creative literacy and a commitment to artist-led practice, as well as deep relationships across the island. She has strong national and international networks that will create opportunities for Tasmanian independent artists and extend their practice. Through her track-record of First Nations advocacy, and Trawoolaway pakana knowledge Performing Lines Tas will also continue its important role in the development of local First Nations artists.

“Sinsa has already demonstrated her incredible talent as a Producer and her commitment to a vibrant and rich performing arts ecology. She has the highest aspirations for Tasmanian artists, and the vision, imagination, and practical acumen to realise them. I’m excited to work with Sinsa in this new capacity.” says Performing Lines Executive Producer Marion Potts.

On her appointment as Senior Producer Sinsa states:

“I feel honoured to put my mark against the legacy that is Performance Lines Tas. I hoped to find new forms of representation and inclusion. I am committed to supporting artists and celebrating the many roles they play in society. In reignitions of the vast knowledge transferred from that past 17 years and its exceptional founder Annette Downs. I’ll respectively do my best as the caretaker for now.”

Performing Lines supports independent artists and the independent arts ecology, working across Australia and internationally, providing opportunities and giving support to artists at all stages of their careers in the realisation of their visions. Sinsa joins our excellent team of Senior Producers including Vanessa Wright (NSW) Samantha Butterworth (VIC), and Jeremy Smith (WA).

Performing Lines TAS has a track record as the leading producing organisation on lutruwita/Tasmania offering bespoke support to local artists in the realisation of their creative visions, alongside a suite of sector development initiatives including the annual Tarraleah Artist Residency, First Nations Mentorships, an annual Sector Day, and the Muylatina Producers Platform.

As the island’s arts sector rapidly expands, we seek to deepen our engagement with the brilliant creatives and organisations therein, and contribute to a culture of creative risk and innovation at all levels.

Sinsa Mansell Biography

Sinsa is a proud Trawoolaway women from larapuna the Northern region of lutruwita Tasmania. She is a program producer and project officer, as well a co-founder, performer, and choreographer with the successful pakana kanaplila a traditional/contemporary Tasmanian Aboriginal dance troupe.

Working nationally and internationally, Sinsa has been pioneering ways to reclaim ancient cultural traditions, as well as being involved in broad range educational experiences. Sinsa’s work generates critical awareness of the rich cultural heritage and continuing practices of her ancestors. She is committed to opening opportunities for the broader community to engage with the local First Nations peoples.

In 2021 Sinsa created and performed in BACK (co-directed with Kate Champion) and produced by Performing Lines TAS for the Ten Days on the Island Festival. In the same year she was one of 15 artists selected nationally for the Hobart Current Exhibition curated by Rosie Dennis for the City of Hobart and Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

During 2021 she was a lead creative for Illuminate, a Tas Dance production featuring five Tasmanian dance companies. For Mona Foma 2022, Sinsa is Director and lead Choreographer of tuylupa (a spark of fire) with pakana kanaplila, Tas Dance, Skinnyfish Records and Soma Lumia (postponed due to Covid).

Sinsa sat on the Ministerial Arts and Advisory Council for State Growth and the First Nations Advisory Group for APAM in addition to advisory panels for the Moonah Arts Centre, Ten Days on the Island Festival and the Walantanalinany Palingina  (WaPa) Program. She’s also been a member of the assessment panels for Arts Tasmania, Australia Council of the Arts and Constance ARI.

Sinsa is a Mentor and support for a range of organisations and many of the palawa arts opportunities for her community come through her roles with the Situate North Program, the Tarraleah Residency and Moonah Arts Centre Seed opportunity. For film Sinsa has appeared in Leah Purcell’s A Drover’s Wife and Amazon’s Deadloch.

Sinsa began her role as Associate Producer with Performing Lines TAS in February 2022 and starts her year as the tour manager for the state-wide tour of Outside Boy, a Second Echo Production.

Performing Lines

Performing Lines produces the work of independent artists across Australia, from concept to premiere and beyond. We champion this sector as a powerful force of contemporary cultural expression, demonstrating the value of artist-led practice. We share this work with others through collaboration, mobility, and reciprocity, bringing people together in a collective quest to make deeper sense of our world.

Performing Lines is the powerbase that fuels the work of our most innovative performing arts sector. We work in step with artists whose practice is constantly evolving and who are changing the way new Australian work is being made and shared. By supporting new ways of thinking, practicing, and experiencing the arts, we are a leading and formidable national producing force.