Ari Palani is a passionate director, producer, community engagement specialist and theatre maker, currently based in regional Queensland. He has worked across many communities in Australia facilitating creative outcomes that advocate for youth voice, accessibility, and social cohesion. Ari is internationally focused on building cultural economies, humanitarian responses and increasing the discussion around displaced communities. He has worked extensively in South Korea and Malaysia developing innovative programs highlighting the interconnectedness of the Arts in contemporary STEM education and translating these into hybrid models of cultural engagement in the vast Australian landscape. He is currently the Director of Youth Arts at the Empire Theatre in Toowoomba, and has directed outcomes for Queensland Theatre, La Boite Theatre Company, QUT, USQ and in 2018 was the Finalist for the Queensland Multicultural Outstanding Individual Achiever Award. Ari is currently in his final year as part of the acclaimed Masters of Fine Arts in Cultural Leadership at NIDA. It is his desire to build the capacity of industries and works to nourish cohesion and promote the joy of collaborative practice.