First Nations Producer

Glenn Shea is a proud Wathaurong/Ngarrindjeri man and recent recipient of the 2020 NAIDOC Award for Elder and Respected Person Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative for outstanding cultural/program service to community. Glenn is an acclaimed, award-winning playwright (including recipient of the State Library of Victoria R.E Ross Trust Development Award and Playwriting Australia Script Workshop Selection Award), director and performer and was the first Aboriginal person to graduate from NIDA with a degree in Dramatic Art. He is a former frontline Koorie youth justice worker from Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative, where he wrote the WEP, a full-time education and development program as well as a ten-day cultural gathering camp around the boundaries of Country for Aboriginal adolescent people who came into contact with the criminal justice system. 

Glenn’s current dramatic work, An Indigenous Trilogy, has been in cultural development for over two decades, receiving accolades at various stages. An Indigenous Trilogy is a project that culminates years of research, sensitive community outreach, presentation to Elders and young people, careful planning, consideration for First Nations stories, song and dance and artistic development, into an epic presentation for the stage at La Mama’s Carlton Courthouse in November 2022. 

In addition to his cultural and theatrical accolades, Glenn created an Indigenous Learning educational resource called THE STORYTELLER. The Storyteller Board game has been used with a varied range of individuals and groups around Australia, spanning school-aged children to government departments. Some of these include: Department of Human Services training division, Deakin University first year medical students, One-Fire reconciliation group, Career Education Association Victoria, AFL Dreamtime @ the G education team, Department of Defence, Target Australia, Rainbow Riders, Surfing Victoria, Australian Bureau of Statistics, City of Greater Geelong, Williamstown Literary festival, St Augustine’s Education Centre and the Indigenous Unit of The Gordon. 

Glenn is a Research Fellow, Indigenous Creative within School of Humanities & Social Science, Faculty of Arts and Education at Deakin University to research the formation of the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative. Commissioned to write “Treasuring Life” for Treasuring Life suicide prevention network and Country Arts SA. Facilitator DHHS Barwon Region, reconciliation action plan for regional neighbourhood houses. 

More recently, Glenn directed The Black Woman of Gippsland; a play in development by Andrea James that was presented at Melbourne Theatre Company and his play Mi:Wi 3027, presented as part of Adelaide Fringe 2021. Creative and cultural consultant for the Michael Cassel Group. Current Board Member Ilbijerri Theatre Company and First National Producer at La Mama Theatre since 2020.