GRiT Studio Collective founded in 2019 by theatre maker Simone Avramidis, a South Australian company that provides professional theatre workshops for people 4+ wanting to have fun, learn, develop and enhance skills in performance and theatre making.
Encouraging a love for the arts by encouraging people to be truly creative and developing innovative intelligence, self-discipline, connection and control over voice, physical movement and emotions.
GRiT Studio Collective generates a richer social awareness and appreciation for arts culture and creativity within our community and nourishes the capacity for empathy.
Simone Avramidis – Artistic Director
Over the past 20 years, Simone has worked rigorously to establish herself in the Adelaide Arts and Youth Arts sectors, regularly being described by professional peers and mentors as a dynamic, infectious and collaborative artistic director, director, manager, tutor, performer and youth arts worker.
Simone graduated as an actor from The Centre for the Performing Arts (currently ACArts) in 1998. Simone co/founded Budgie Lung Theatre Company in 1999, has facilitated and taught drama workshops for over 20years and performed at almost every primary and high School in South Australia.
She has worked with leading companies; State Theatre SA, Patch Theatre, Vitalstatistix, Brink, Actnow, Urban Myth, Riverland Youth, Southern Youth, No Strings Attached, Restless Dance, Ausdance, ADT, Carclew Youth Arts, Come Out Festival to name a few. She has also worked as Voice and Drama lecturer at Flinders University, ACArts and Adelaide University. Through her engagement with various arts organisations, youth services, centres and institutions, she has further enhanced her strong interpersonal, presentation and communication skills.
Simone has facilitated projects for children at risk through Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People in Care, CREATE Foundation and Carclew Youth Arts Centre. She has instigated workshops with The Centre for People Development resulting in the implementation of team building programs with Indigenous children in State Ward Care, and executed the inaugural Introduction to Acting Course at ACArts for Indigenous students. She has facilitated many in-school workshops with schools including: Secondary School of English, Cornerstone College, Edwardstown Primary School, Kaura Plains School, Brighton High School, Glenunga International and Cabra Dominican College.
Simone has an excellent rapport with young people and genuinely cares about them, respecting their values, beliefs and energy and embracing an environment where creativity, social inclusion, health and wellbeing are paramount.
Simone has an Advanced Diploma in Performing Arts – Acting, RAN Training, Senior First Aid, CPR, and up-to-date DECS & Police Clearances.
Temeka Lawlor – Associate Tutor
Temeka Lawlor is a professional actor and yoga instructor. Temeka’s greatest passion is for children’s theatre and since graduating from the Adelaide College for the Arts in 2017, she has found herself working consistently with Adelaide’s treasured Patch theatre company. In the time she has spent with Patch she has toured the country performing the ever-popular production Me & My Shadow and has assisted in the development of the Adelaide Festival installation Light House as well as I Wish, the forthcoming collaboration with international acrobatic troupe Gravity and Other Myths.
She also helped develop and perform the lead role in the world premiere of ZOOOM in 2021, as well as performed in The PaperBoats Fringe 2021 award winning production of Especially On Birthdays, which will be presented in Sept 2021 in a debut performance as part of Goodwood Theatre & Studios COMEBACK Festival.
Temeka is best known for her high levels of professionalism, enthusiasm for working with children and the passion she has for creating the best children’s theatre possible, which is why she is so excited to be working with GRiT Studio Collective as Associate Tutor.
Emelia Williams – Associate Director
We are so lucky to have the wonderful Emelia Williams working with the BELIEVE COLLECTIVE (5-7yrs) in 2024! Emelia brings a wealth of knowledge, warmth and energy to her weekly BELIEVE workshops.
Emelia is a 2021 Honours Graduate of the Flinders University Drama Centre. She had the delight to perform such a wide range of roles including Dionysus in Euripides’ The Bacchae (Dir. James Wardlaw), Frau Bergmann/Thea in Frank Wedekind’s Spring Awakening (Dir. Anthony Nicola), Natasha Ivanovna in Chekhov’s Three Sisters, (Dir. James Wardlaw), ensemble member in Mark Ravenhill’s pool (no water) (Dir. Connor Reidy/ Renato Musolino), Elizabeth in Rita Kalnejais’ BC (Dir. Connor Reidy), Puck in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Dir. Tom Healey) and for her graduating production, Solveig in GYNT (After Henrik Ibsen) (Dir. Nescha Jelk).
Emelia was most recently seen as Clara in Home Thoughts (Dir. James Watson) and Kristine in Miss Julie (After Strindberg) (Dir. James Watson). She is currently the Creative Associate of Famous Last Words.
Emelia is also currently a proud member of both MEAA and Rumpus.
Krystal Cave – Associate Director
Krystal Cave is ACArts alumni, graduating in (2008). She won the Neil Curnow award, along with the NYFA conservatory scholarship to study acting for film in Hollywood, LA (2011). She has had a prolific and diverse acting career on stage and screen since 1996. Concurrently working as director, writer, talent agent and acting coach.
Krystal has played leading roles in Shakespeare, Beckett, Brecht and Moliere. Her most recent theatre credits include playing Sarah in Famous Last Words original production of ‘Home Thoughts’(2022), the role of Becca in David Lindsay-Abaire’s ‘Rabbit Hole’ (2021), and Rosannah in the awarding production of ‘Brilliant Traces’ (2019) and many more. On screen, Krystal has been in numerous short films and feature films. She has made appearances in Foxtel mini-series ‘Deadline Gallipoli’, ABC’ s Gruin Transfer, as well as popular US web-series ‘My Roommate the… Conspiracy Theorist. Playing supporting roles in web series ‘Blink’ (2021), and award-nominated web series’ INK’ (2018), a leading role is web series ‘Dust’. As well as a recurring role in independent TV series ‘Warpath Chronicle’ (2018-2019).