Team and Board

Tish Naughton

Chief Executive Officer (She/her)

Appointed CEO of Feast Festival in April 2023, Tish is an award-winning entrepreneur with over a decade of small business management experience. Specialising in financial management, compliance, reporting, systems and procedural development, her goals are to ensure Feast becomes a sustainable business so that it can serve the community for a further 25 years and beyond. 

Tish is a passionate and driven individual who seeks to inspire change and lead by example. A proud lesbian, she has been attending Feast since 2007 and is excited for the opportunity to guide Feast Festival as a queer-run event and continue the fight for representation, visibility and celebration.

Katherine Sortini

Artist & Venue Liaison (She/They)

Katherine is a theatre maker, creative and founder of independent award-winning theatre company, Deus Ex Femina. She works at Feast Festival as the Artist and Venue Liaison and a Creative Producer. She works across multiple disciplines including theatre, poetry, music and writing.

In 2021, Deus Ex Femina developed their debut multi-disciplinary original show, All The Things I Couldn’t Say which had its premiere season at the 2022 Adelaide Fringe. It opened to a sold-out season, 5 star reviews and won The Adelaide Festival InSpace Adelaide Fringe Award. It was also selected to be a part of the RUMPUS 2022 Season in which the rendition of the show will premiere in 2023. In 2022, Katherine was nominated for the 7 News Young Achiever Award and was selected to be a finalist. In 2023, she will compete in the SA State Final of the Australian Poetry Slam.

Katherine is passionate about supporting and encouraging the LGBTQIA+ community and its artists.

Kristen Sortini

Marketing Coordinator (She/her)

Kristen is the marketing coordinator at Feast Festival. After studying in Cardiff, Wales, she joined the Feast family in early 2023. With a background in marketing for a small business, she entered the industry with a strong determination to make a difference.

As a passionate ally, she is committed to promoting inclusivity, wholeheartedly embracing the community with love and enthusiasm. Beyond her professional pursuits, Kristen’s zest for life includes traveling, immersing herself in literature, and spending time with her dog.

Adam Gardnir

Chair (He/him)

As Chair of Feast, Adam brings a wealth of experience from the Australian arts and events industry, with an extensive folio of producing and production design credits. Currently he is Special Events Manager for the University of Adelaide, programming the university’s 150th Anniversary Program for 2024, and prior to this he was Producer for David Atkins Enterprises at World Expo 2020 in Dubai. Adam has been Festival Director of MELT Festival in Brisbane and has served on the board of Midsumma Festival in Melbourne. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Australian Institute of Business and a Bachelor in Arts from the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne.

Anthony Van Der Borch

Board member (He/him)

Anthony is an accomplished professional bringing with him a wealth of experience in the community partnerships, sponsorships and events sector, as well being a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. He also has extensive experience working within the areas of corporate communications and brand management, graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of South Australia and specialising in professional writing. Anthony’s expertise, dedication, and passion make him a key asset in bridging gaps and building strong connections between organisations and communities while championing equality and creating a more inclusive society.

Charlotte Coulthard-Dare

Board member (She/her)

Nangka.

Ngai mityi Charlotte-nha. Ngatyu Yura Mityi Unakanha. Ngaityu Adnyamathanha Barngarla and Yankunytjatjara Transgender Yurartu

“Hello, my name is Charlotte. My Adnyamathanha name is Unakanha – which means 3rd born daughter. My ancestral ties are with the Adnyamathanha People, The Barngarla People and The Yankunytjatjara People of South Australia”

Charlotte is a country girl at heart, who grew up in and around Quorn in the Northern Flinders Ranges.

Radio has always been a part of her life and she speaks up about First Nations and LGBTIQA+ issues and is on the airwaves both locally and nationally here in Adelaide with the First Nations radio show Nunga Wangga through Radio Adelaide 101.5fm, as Presenter.

In 2016 Charlotte came out as a proud First Nations Trans Woman during the filming of the short documentary called “Just Harry”.

Charlotte was named NAIDOCSA LGBTIQ Person of the Year in 2019 and was an Ambassador for Feast Festival in 2021.

Jenn Allan

Board member (She/her)

Jennifer has 14 years’ experience in risk assurance and advisory working in consulting firms and industry. Jennifer started her career working at Not for Profit Accounting Specialists (NFPAS). In this role she worked on audits, administration takeovers, and accounting for various for-purpose organisations. In the following years, Jennifer worked across consulting firms and in industry, in assurance, risk, and compliance roles before going back into professional services with PwC.

For the past 2 years Jennifer has worked with organisations on improving risk environment and achieving strategic objectives with a focus on governance and culture.

Jennifer is the proud Mum of a trans man and the site lead for the Shine employee group at PwC. Jennifer has a strong belief in inclusion and equity which drives her commitment to be a part of the change to a better future for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Jennifer has a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting from Uni SA and is a Member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Jo Robinson

Board member (She/her)

Jo Robinson is a professional photographer of 24 years, having worked for The Advertiser for 14 years – she now runs her own photography business – ‘photojo’. Jo has also been the official photographer for Feast for a few years. In her spare time, she enjoys playing hockey and relaxing at home with her wife, Kate, their two dogs and their cat. Many would know that Jo is one of the world’s biggest Bette Midler fans, having met the diva 9 different times – she also has a memorabilia collection that has featured on ‘The Collectors’ TV Show. Jo is very passionate about LGBTIQA+ issues and works hard to be an ally to other marginalised groups as we navigate a privileged world.

Kate Rush

Board member (She/her)

Kate Rush is an awarded public speaker driven by building collaborative leadership and team capabilities and performance. An outstanding communicator, Kate has a track record for inspiring groups, building alignment across difference and achieving strategic results.

A lesbian with a genuine interest in creating inclusive communities, Kate is an experienced board director, having held director roles on the SA Police Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Port Adelaide Cricket Club, Triathlon SA and A Sign of Respect. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute Company of Directors and lifetime Fellow of the Governors Leadership Foundation.

Some of Kate’s prominent achievements have included the Dennis Mutton Award for leadership, nomination for the Channel 10 SA and Port Adelaide Enfield Community Services Awards, and Program Ambassador Award for the Advantage SA Speakers in Schools program. Kate lives with her partner and their dog, and is a passionate triathlete having recently completely her first Ironman.

Nick Hays

Board member (He/him)

Nick Hays is the Executive Director of Australian Dance Theatre, the nation’s oldest contemporary dance company founded on Kaurna Country in 1965. Nick has contributed to Australia’s cultural sector for nearly 20 years, most recently as Chair of Melbourne-based independent theatre company, Rawcus, a board member of the Public Galleries Association of Victoria and Deputy Chair of Dancehouse Melbourne. Nick is also currently on the Board of Writers SA and Project Animo.

As a young queer person growing up in country NSW in the 90s, Nick is incredibly committed to ensuring that queer artists, and queerness, are visible, respected and supported, and that all communities celebrate the diversity of sexuality, artforms and artistic voices.