Glitta Supernova
Coastal Twist Festival Director, Community Maker & Culture Shaker Glitta Supernova, lifetime LGBTIQ activist & Queer art maker who has led political, satirical and culture changing work across the country for over 20 years. Australian Burlesque pioneer & Co founder of Green room nominated Gurlesque "Lezzo Strip Club" 2000 - 2011, synonymous with Burlesque performers across the nation & setting the footprint for the broader neo burlesque scene of today. Glitta has been actively building Queer community & hosting safe space or over 25 years from the underbellies of Club Bent, to Wicked Women, Club Kooky & Hellfire club to co-creating The Imperial Hotels infamous "Pretty Peepers cabaret" Sydney’s first ongoing underground uncensored Queer variety club which went on to tour Australia as a roving show gaining acclaim as ABC Performance Awards runner up & Adelaide Fringe weekly cabaret award winner. 2 multi award winning one woman shows “Let's get METAphysical” 2015-2016, and “BODYMAP” 2017-2018. In 2018 Glitta was commissioned as Senior Queer Artist alongside William Yang leading the boldest and bravest Queer artists of today in "Day for Night" @ the Carriage works. Currently the Artistic Director of The Naughty Noodle Fun Haus, Central Coast NSW’s Home for Cutting-edge Performance & Discourse Glitta is simultaneously continuing to push inclusion, freedom from censorship and creative processes, by her very nature challenging everyday belief systems, normative thinking & collective realities, most recent (& upcoming) works @ Sydney Opera House, Carriageworks, AGNSW & Casula Powerhouse, Club Kooky, Honcho Disko, Heaps Gay & Loose Ends.
Juan Iocco
Juan Iocco Central Coast Pride Co-Founder, activist & writer, Juan has been actively engaged with LGBTIQ campaigns since the 90s as well as sitting on various LGBTIQ & local council committees with multiple years working across the LGBTIQ arts sector including Gay games reporter & SSO Music editor. 2011 - 2015 Co-founder/Producer of the infamous Imperial Hotel "Pretty Peepers Club, hugely successful going on to become the first LGBTIQ club to tour Australia on the Fringe festival circuit receiving multiple awards. Celebrated writer of the multi nominated, nationally toured “Let’s get METAphysical” 2015-2016, and Internationally toured, awarding winning “BODYMAP” 2017-2018 (Best in Fringe, Best cabaret) With over 11 years multi-million dollar project management and Senior Advisor, Innovation roles for Qantas Airlines, Juan brings project, operational and budgeting expertise to the ongoing activations of Central Coast Pride.
Melissa Cook
Melissa Cook, Coastie & Director of the multi-faceted Caper Creative studio. Melissa’s expertise in Graphic Design, Brand Identity, Advertising, Print and Digital Design is putting a visual face on the Central Coast Pride and Coastal Twist festival branding and marketing. Melissa is passionate about providing visual platforms for Social Justice and Equality organisations to have the exposure and outreach they deserve. Melissa’s dedication to equality for all human beings shines through to all of us who have the pleasure of working alongside her. With over 20 year experience in design and advertising for large corporations such as BBC Worldwide, National Geographic Channel, NBC Universal, Frasers Hospitality, Melissa brings a multitude of skill, talent & knowledge to Central Coast Pride and Coastal Twist festival.
Ryan Burrett
Ryan Burrett brings a range of community, training and people skills to Coastal Twist Festival 2019! A community health promotion officer with ACON Hunter providing outreach services across the Central Coast, Upper Hunter and Lower Mid-North Coast. Out of hours Ryan also runs his own small business - Elemental Care - which trains recently arrived refugees as cleaners and pairs them with businesses. Creatively Ryan has a wealth of experience acting, directing and producing both on the stage and screen, as well as writing, producing and arranging music. Ryan is currently recording new music and gearing up for his second exhibition of visual arts/photography.
Star Shine
Star Shine has worked within the LGBTIQ community since first coming out as queer in the early 90’s in a variety of roles which include Marshall, stagehand, Community liaison, float designer and decorator, team leader, volunteer coordinator, fund raiser, and committee member. Star helped coordinate the first ever children’s space as part of a Sydney Mardi Gras festival called ‘Kidzone Le Space’ which helped pave the way for queer families to be included in all future events as a standard.
Joshua Maxwell
Joshua Maxwell is a 26-year-old producer and activist from the Central Coast In 2016 he co-founded Jopuka Productions, a youth arts company based in the Central Coast, where he now serves as Artistic Director, recently staging a new production of Gaybies by Dean Bryant, centred around the lives of children of same-sex parents. Increasingly engaged in political activism, working extensively on the Marriage Equality Campaign; as well as speaking on national radio, television and writing opinion pieces. In 2018, Joshua was recognised on the Express Advocates 100 Most influential Central Coast Residents for his work on equality.