BlakDance Australia announces the departure of Co-CEO and Business Director Kate Eltham, following her decision to step down from the role.
Eltham has played a defining role in the development and growth of BlakDance. As Co-CEO and Business Director, she provided the operational and financial stewardship that enabled BlakDance to evolve from a grassroots organisation into a nationally significant force in First Nations contemporary dance. Under her leadership, BlakDance produced acclaimed works, built enduring sector partnerships, and established the strong organisational infrastructure that underpins everything it does today.
“Kate has helped build the heart of this organisation. Her contribution to BlakDance and to the wider First Nations performing arts sector is one we will carry forward with gratitude and pride,” says Merindah Donnelly, Co-CEO & Executive Producer, BlakDance Australia.
To ensure stability and continuity, BlakDance has implemented a robust transition plan. The organisation is also using this moment of change to undertake a strategic and operational review, including consideration of future workforce models.
The following leadership team is now in place:
Trudy Gunston, a Kullilli woman, has stepped into the Acting Co-CEO role on a temporary basis while the strategic review is underway. Her leadership ensures seamless continuity of operations, people management and financial oversight. Trudy’s appointment as Acting Co-CEO is a direct and proud expression of BlakDance’s commitment to First Nations leadership at every level of the organisation.
Merindah Donnelly continues in her role as Co-CEO and Executive Producer, leading BlakDance’s artistic vision, national and international producing partnerships, sector relationships and strategic direction. Under Merindah’s leadership, BlakDance has experienced a period of remarkable creative and organisational growth, and that trajectory continues.
Sam Weingott joins BlakDance as Chief of Staff, bringing more than 15 years’ experience in senior leadership and executive advisory roles across media, government, health and major international organisations, including Bupa and Rio Tinto. A strategic communications and governance specialist with a PhD in AI and Communications, Sam brings systems thinking, stakeholder expertise and organisational rigour. He also brings a meaningful connection to First Nations storytelling, having worked on the Incarceration Nation team, a Logie Award-winning documentary made in partnership with First Nations leaders and communities.
Together, this leadership team provides clear coverage across artistic, operational and governance functions, ensuring BlakDance remains strong, stable and ready for the next phase of its development.
This transition is intentional, values-led and years in the making. It is directly aligned with BlakDance’s own First Nations Performing Arts Workforce Development Framework, which charts a clear pathway toward 100% First Nations employment in the sector.
It also marks a significant milestone for the Australian performing arts sector. BlakDance is believed to be one of the only Small to Medium (S2M) funded organisations in the country operating with two First Nations Co-CEOs, a powerful demonstration of self-determination, cultural leadership and organisational maturity.
BlakDance stands as a model for what First Nations-led governance looks like in practice: stronger, more resilient and more culturally grounded. The organisation is deliberately investing in its people and systems to drive the next phase of growth.
A Financial Officer is currently being recruited to strengthen financial leadership and long-term fiscal governance as the organisation expands its national and international programs.
BlakDance is also committed to the ongoing development of its team through mentoring, professional growth and clear leadership pathways. With a 90% First Nations workforce and a clear trajectory toward full First Nations employment, BlakDance’s people remain its greatest asset.
Systems strengthening is underway across governance, reporting, financial management and operational infrastructure to ensure BlakDance is well positioned to deliver on its Strategic Plan 2025–2029 and meet the growing ambitions of the organisation and the sector.
BlakDance’s recently reconstituted Board of Directors is a powerhouse of expertise, lived experience and genuine commitment to the organisation’s mission. Chaired by Karina Hogan, the Board is composed primarily of First Nations directors, reflecting BlakDance’s enduring commitment to cultural leadership and self-determination. The Board is fully engaged and strongly supportive of the organisation’s stabilisation priorities and long-term strategic and cultural growth.
“BlakDance is an organisation with extraordinary momentum. The Board has full confidence in the leadership team and the robust transition plan in place. We are focused on stabilising and strengthening the foundations that will enable BlakDance to grow – artistically, culturally and organisationally – for years to come,” says Karina Hogan, Chair, BlakDance Australia Board of Directors.
Across BlakDance’s national and international program, work continues at full pace. Major productions including Garabari (Joel Bray Dance), currently on a landmark national tour, and The Other Side of Me (Gary Lang NT Dance Company), touring the East Coast and heading to Scotland and the UK, are progressing as planned. Preparing Ground, which sold out at Brisbane Festival, continues its journey, while international partnerships remain active and growing.
BlakDance’s workforce development initiatives, including the First Nations Performing Arts Workforce Development Framework 2025–2030 launched nationally in 2025, continue to shape the future of the sector by creating pathways, building capacity and advancing systemic change.
“BlakDance is strong – in our people, our program, our governance and our vision. This transition reflects exactly the kind of organisation we are: one that plans carefully, acts decisively and keeps the work and the artists at the centre of everything. The future is bright, and we are moving toward it with confidence,” says Merindah Donnelly.
For more information and updates, visit www.blakdance.org.au
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