Meet the Team at Arena
Arena is a small, experienced team with roots across theatre, film, festivals, community radio and youth arts – the people who keep the productions moving, the partnerships alive and the work connected to the young people it’s made for.
Debra Allanson
Chief Executive
debra@wearearena.org.au
Debra’s career spans children’s television production, screen industry leadership, and the founding of digital media studio Ish Media. She has led organisations including ScreenWest and Fed Square, where she oversaw the world’s first five-storey digital façade. She joined Arena in 2022 and is a current member of the VicScreen investment and incentive committee and a former board member of Barking Gecko Theatre Company.
Fionna Allan
Producer
fionna@wearearena.org.au
Fionna is a creative project manager and producer with a 25yr+ background in tour management, venue booking, television production, festival operations, community radio, kitchen discos and more.
Flynn Smeaton
Associate Producer
flynn@wearearena.org.au
Flynn (he/him) is a creative producer with experience in queer arts and live performance sectors. He has worked with Midsumma Festival, Malthouse Theatre, RISING and as a young arts mentor for Spacecraft Studio and the Smith Family Foundation.
Harriet Devlin
Creative Producer
harriet@wearearena.org.au
Harriet comes to Arena from Midsumma Festival, where she led the Pathways program supporting over 40 LGBTIQA+ Deaf, Disabled and neurodiverse artists. She brings exceptional experience in artist development and producing to Arena’s creative program.
Ella Filsell
Operations & Marketing Support
ella@wearearena.org.au
Ella brings a background in communications and community engagement, including work with the City of Greater Bendigo’s Youth Team. At Arena, she supports the day-to-day operations and marketing across our productions and programs.
