About Nelya
Biography
Nelya Valamanesh is an Adelaide-based narrative artist, who has developed and produced works on range of different platforms including: producing and hosting on Radio Adelaide, producing and acting in theatre productions, Deejaying at music festivals, nightclubs and private events, working on short films, and writing, producing and directing her own short films and music videos.
During her BA in English and Creative Writing, she worked on a postgraduate project which crossed the gap between live performing arts and virtual reality and was chosen to travel to Malaysia as a part of the New Columbo Plan to write poetry and connect with local students. Several of these creative pieces have been published and displayed in exhibitions and university publications.
Nelya’s vision through all her creative avenues has been to speak her truth as a proud queer Persian/Australian woman and to be an ally for many unspoken ‘voices of colour’ in Australia’s film and theatre industries.
Experience
Freelance creative writer/copy writer, Adelaide, Australia
2017- Present
Interviews at Beyond the Valley Music Festival with artists such as Mallrat, Little Dragon, The Belligerents, NAO (2018) Clique Magazine Transcripts, Research, Author, Videographer, Editor for LASKKAA, Carrot Jam – Short Story (2017) Verse Magazine, Chosen to be presented at UniSA’s School of Creative Industries, Exhibition – Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, Malaysia Through My Lens – A collection of Poetry and Images (2017), Piping Shrike: a collection of short fiction and poetry by Writing and Creative Communication students (TBA), An Eternity Inside the Pages – Short Story (2018) Verse Magazine, Am I Muslim? (2017) Just Because – Self-Published Magazine (Berlin/Australia).
ActNow Theatre, Associate Producer, Theatre of The Global Majority
January - May 2019
I was chosen as one of two Associate Producer positions at ActNow Theatre under their CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) program ‘Theatre of The Global Majority’. During my time I helped organise and plan workshops and outreach workshops with multicultural communities and initiate partnerships with different organisations in Adelaide. I also helped book actors and creatives and assisted in further funding and grant applications. I am currently still active in projects with ActNow in creative roles from sound designing and co-facilitating workshops for CALD centric projects.
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FreeLance Filmmaker
January 2015 - Present
Worked with an array of creatives and projects Including;
The Best Idea I’ve Ever Had (the weed song) / Music Clip (2018) Director, Writer, Producer
Layla’s Sunflower – Short Film (2016) Director, Writer, Producer
A Clever Label – VR Documentary / Mod Studio – Sydney (TBA) Research Assistant LGBT+ political movements (Middle East and Australia)
Spider in The Garden – Short Film (TBA) Assistant Director
White Lilies - Short Film (2018) Assistant Director Selected for screening at The National Film Festival for Talented Youth (Seattle, 2018) and Indie Film Festival (Sydney, 2018)
HomeStart Advertisement - Showpony/NovaTech Creative Technology (2018), Runner
For more titles check IMDB
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3775169/
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Freelance Theatre Creative
January 2015 - Present
ActNow Theatre – Socially Conscious Theatre
Actor/Producer/Sound Designer/Videographer/Editor/Workshop Facilitator for multiple projects including; Responding to Racism and Theatre of the Global Majority
Foul Play Theatre Actor – Research and Development
SATC, development workshop documentation (footage/photography), 2019 State Residency – Development Grant
Interests
Deejaying
Poetry
Gardening and Ecology
Middle Eastern History
Australian and international Politics
Behavioural Patterns of Felines
Nostalgia and the History of Objects