Associate Director & Teaching Artists

In 2012 St Martins will commence a new staffing structure for teaching artists. We will no longer employ a pool of casual teaching artists, rather engage a highly skilled Associate Director and 2 teaching Artists.

Hannah Liddy
Associate Director

Hannah is a graduate of both the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne, she has a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts, Acting (VCA). Hannah also completed a dance internship at Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre in NYC. As a performer Hannah has performed nationally and internationally and has appeared in Australian premieres of works by Meryl Tankard, Kate Champion, Louis Nowra, Michael Gow, Patricia Cornelius and Tanya Gerstle. She has worked as a Director, Choreographer and Theatre Maker with companies such as The Australian Theatre for Young People, The City of Sydney, The Sydney Dance Company, The Sony Foundation, The Australian Girls Choir, The National Institute of Youth Performing Arts and is a National Production Judge for the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. Hannah has presented at the international conference for Religion, Literature and Art, has sat on various educational boards and was a regular panelist on 2UE radio’s Sunday Drive.

Samara Hersch
Teaching Artist

Samara Hersch is an independent theatre maker and director. She graduated with a Masters in Theatre Practice from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2009 and in 2010 was a recipient of the British Council Realize Your Dream Award.

In 2010 Samara was mentored by Bruce Gladwin, from Back to Back Theatre Co. through the JUMP National Mentorship Program  and worked as a facilitator at Back to Back’s Theatre of Speed, as an emerging female director.

Samara’s training includes the SITI Company New York, David Mamet’s Atlantic Theatre Co., New York and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. In 2011 Samara was a Producing Placement at the London International Festival of Theatre.

Jacob Williams
Teaching Artist

Jacob Williams is a freelance puppeteer, maker and actor with over twenty years experience in the arts.  He began performing as a child at Newcastle’s renowned Young People’s Theatre and hasn’t stopped since.  He was a core artist at Terrapin Puppet Theatre in Hobart for four years having appeared in works such as “Stormy Nights”, “My Sister’s An Alien” and “Dark at the Top of the Stairs” for the ’10 days on the Island Festival.’
Jacob completed a post-graduate degree at the Victoria College of the Arts Drama School in Animateuring (theatre making) in 2005
He has directed shows at the Store Room and toured internationally as a puppeteer , actor and animateur. In the last 2 years Jacob has created and facilitated a 16 week workshop in all forms of puppetry with Dreamhouse Theatre Company,  created and performed “The Cautionary Tale of Barry Von Peabody and the Scarlet St Theatre” which was the sell out hit of the 2011 Melbourne International Fringe Festival and will be headlining La Mama’s 2012 Comedy Festival program. He is also a skilled musician, having studied and played the flute, piano and guitar since childhood.