Come Close and Listen’s Creative Director, David Harris, is an immersive theatre maker and game designer. He has made numerous immersive and interactive works from small one on one installations to large multi floored extravaganzas. Now he’s focused on working on LARPs having played for years. Currently he teaches at Swinburne University in game design, and is studying his PhD at the Victorian College of the Arts, looking at how immersive theatre practices are used in LARP design.

David is an avid miniature painter, especially 5th edition Warhammer Fantasy, loves playing TTRPGs and has worked on the world of Dance of Ribbons for over a decade. He loves reading trashy fantasy and sci-fi books, researching folk practices of England, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall & Ireland, and can be found deep diving into the local history of Naarm (Melbourne). He also plays futsal with Tim with their club Mang Central!

Jess Lu is a non-binary Malay-Chinese/Australian creative, educated at the Victorian College of the Arts. They’ve featured across film, television and theatre in Australia, the UK, the US and beyond. Jess is keenly interested in consuming and making queer, intersectional art for all communities. They’re invested in the future of the arts in Australia, and have been immersed in as many aspects as possible, including producing for independent theatre for Midsumma and Melbourne Fringe Festival, and as co-founder of Award Winning Naarm based live-action roleplay podcast The Dirty Twenty Podcast. 

Jess Lu’s producorial skills have expanded (quite a bit!) into the requirements of A Dance of Ribbons, and they’ve also found themselves in the role of a Community & Culture organiser. They now love interactive long form participant theatre, and creating a space that anyone from anywhere can be a kid again. When they’re not making cool fantasy things, they’re playing cool fantasy games and probably sitting in the sun sipping an iced latte!

Tim is a freelance creative living and working on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung country. He provides Creative and Production services across Festivals, Stage and Video. 

As a Creative Producer, he has worked in partnership with a range of independent Arts Orgs, Not-for-Profits, Council’s, and State Government bodies, delivering Multi-Art Festivals/Immersive Art Projects.  His methodology is deeply rooted in collaboration, creatively driven processes, community engagement; experimenting with multi-disciplinary and immersive forms. Tim also works as a professional clown and puppeteer, touring nationally and internationally. Additionally, Tim is a video editor and marketing strategist for independent theatre companies in Victoria and New South Wales.

Tim is a freak for table top role playing games, and since 2018 this obsession has extended to the world of LARPing. He’s been performing on stage with Dave since he was 11 years old.

Kit is a Creative Producer with experience shipping critically acclaimed PC game Solium Infernum, as well as animated TV series The Strange Chores (ABC ME), Little J and Big Cuz (NITV), and Do Not Watch This Show (in production). With a design degree and background in legal admin, they enjoy finding the sweet spot between organisation and imagination. Whether they’re running playtests, mapping out workflows in Miro, or just getting stuck into the details, Kit’s is a facilitator and hype man who loves to get involved at every stage of production.

Josiah is a theatre maker, theatre improviser, and anthropologist, who has been participating in LARPs since 2016. Currently, alongside his work as ensemble members of the Melbourne Playback Theatre Company and The Soothplayers, he is involved in the production of interactive and playful experiences as a performer, deviser and designer. Josiah is fascinated by the way ensembles of artists work together to tell stories bigger than themselves.

Josiah is currently completing a PhD at the University of Melbourne in anthropology, researching playful communities and immersive spaces. His work looks at the production and performance of interactive immersion in live games, particularly LARP events. Combining these two lives: theatre and LARP research, along with his deep care for Melbourne (and indeed Australia’s) LARPing communities, Josiah designs and facilitates our workshops, coordinates our communications to the player base, and fosters our community of role players to collaborate as an ensemble of generous improvisers.

Steph is a Naarm/Melbourne-based arts freelancer, specializing in stage and production management.  Steph is passionate about fostering safe and inclusive spaces in live performance, and has built a diverse portfolio that includes experimental arts, circus, contemporary dance, physical theatre, cabaret, theatre and festivals.

Steph collaborates with organizations that are deeply engaged with their communities. Their experience spans organizations such as Born in a Taxi, Na Djinang Circus, Arts House, Lucy Guerin Inc, Loom Arts and Management, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, HotHouse Theatre, the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Red Stitch Actors Theatre, and both Monash Performing Arts Centres and the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Music.

Steph holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Production from the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music (VCA), participated in the 2024 cohort of the Accessible Arts Equip Leadership Toolkit program, and is finishing a Masters in Arts and Cultural Management at the University of Melbourne.  In 2024, Steph led the Access team for Dance of Ribbons, where they will continue to develop and implement access and inclusion frameworks, including Access Guides, Social Stories, an Access Advisory Group and curated a Relaxed Space that attracted significant attendance.

Dan is a multi-disciplined graphic designer based in Naarm (Melbourne). He works on projects for both digital and print purposes in a commercial capacity as well as explorative personal development under the pseudonym ‘diddi was here’.

Working across a variety of large and small advertising and marketing agencies for over 6 years and as a freelance designer for 4 years, he has established a strong understanding of enduring design systems that reflect dynamic brands in evolving contexts.

For a Dance of Ribbons, Dan is heavily inspired by 1-bit fantasy games and retro Dungeons and Dragons illustrations. He hopes the DoR brand aesthetic evokes a sense of nostalgia, adventure, immersion and camaraderie for our player base.

Chantel is a Chinese-Australian game developer, 2D/3D artist, and producer working on Wurundjeri Land. She is the producer and creative director at games studio, Little Pink Clouds, working on ‘Letters to Arralla’. Previously, she was junior producer, then producer at Summerfall Studios on AGDA winning game ‘Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical’ (2023) and ‘Stray Gods: Orpheus’ (2024) respectively. Chantel is also the lead character artist at game studio Ghoulish, working on ‘PARASENSOR’.

As a lover of fantasy, history, and creative problem solving, Chantel is passionate about capturing the essence of Dance of Ribbons and taking it to new heights!

Outside of work, Chantel is a crafter of pottery, reader of fanfic, and mains Ana in Overwatch.

Em is an illustrator, costume maker and game designer. Their style leans into the whimsical and dark romance of fantasy, she wants to reflect at least a little bit of this feeling in all her work.

They would like to make the world of the Dance of Ribbons as mystical and welcoming as possible to both new and experienced larpers.

Em is responsible for the design of our Canton/Clan and NPC crests, as well as working with the aesthetics team for the art direction of our physical spaces and the costuming of our Witnesses.

She’s super excited about seeing all the players in their costumes interacting and inhabiting the world we’re building.

Outside of DOR they spend most of their time crafting characters for DND campaigns that don’t exist. They’re a Pinterest and Sims fiend, do not look at their screen time.

Eli is a poet and creative with a love for stories that embrace identity and the human condition. They are drawn to tales of cosmic consequence that focus on what it means to be human, the fear of losing yourself, and love at the end of the world.

After going full force in the Aesthetics team in 2024 they’re stepping into an advisory role to bring Dance of Ribbons to life once again. They are most excited for creating immersive set designs that make the world feel lived in while revealing information from the periphery. The festival could not exist without its inhabitants, and Eli welcomes players to grow the world with their own designs, creativity and personal magic.

Stirling has a deep passion for creating immersive worlds through sound. With over a decade of experience in responsive lighting, soundscape design, and improvised theatre, and more than 30 years as a tabletop roleplayer, game master and professional musician and singer, he brings a rich understanding of how to build spaces that draw players fully into the story. His work with companies like Underground Cinema and Immersive Cinema has helped hone his love of live, player-driven storytelling. Stirling is thrilled to be part of DoR, a project full of heart and wonder, and is excited to help players shape unforgettable moments as the story moves toward its epic conclusion!

Georgia Symons is a theatre-maker and game designer. She often collaborates with groundbreaking companies like one step at a time like this, Punctum Inc, fragment31, and Arts House. Her live performances, showcased at Fed Square, Malthouse Theatre, La Mama, and Theatreworks, include Reigen (2022) and The Human Voice (2021) at Meat Market; and Remote (2017), which toured the UK. She has produced events including the Emerging Writers Festival, Freeplay Independent Games Festival, and Melbourne Knowledge Week. As a game designer, Georgia co-wrote the internationally acclaimed video game, Wayward Strand (2022). She has designed game experiences for Escape Room Melbourne and PlayReactive, and commissioned games for a range of Australian festivals. In 2024, her game Screen Savour was an official selection in the prestigious Freeplay Parallels exhibition. She has also published many short stories and dramatic works, with publications including Overland Journal, Litro Magazine, and Currency Press. She holds a Master’s in Writing for Performance from VCA.

Frazer Shepherdson is an award-winning, multifaceted artist whose work spans acting, writing, and directing for theatre, film and audio. Active since 2015, he brings a wealth of experience and creativity to his projects. A graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (2017) and the Victorian College of the Arts (2022), Frazer is dedicated to storytelling in its many forms. He is the host and producer of the award-winning ‘The Dirty Twenty Podcast’ (2021-present), which highlights his skill in crafting engaging narratives and won him Best Host at the New Zealand Webfest in 2023. He is currently engaged as story editor for the immersive live-action roleplay experience ‘A Dance of Ribbons’, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews from attendees and funding from Creative Victoria in 2024. His work as writer, director, and producer of three original audio plays—’Whale Song’, ‘Firespeak’, and ‘Making Dinner’—showcases his talent for creating rich, auditory worlds that explore meaningful connection and cultural narratives. Frazer’s led the Story team this year, facilitating the world-building and character creation that stokes his creative fire.

He is also a massive nerd who loves tabletop games, video games and drawing maps. He has even admitted, finally, to enjoying the crime-thriller genre.

Tay is a writer specialising in short fiction, world-building, and podcasting. She loves to experiment with genre crossover and finds great joy in mashing horror into anywhere it can fit.

Writing can often be a very secluded practice and Tay has found great joy in working collaboratively on Dance of Ribbons. It has been such a journey to see this project grow from idea to execution. Working with the story team to develop characters, quests, and story beats has been a wonderful skill building experience for her own practice.

You may have seen Tay at last year’s Dance of Ribbons, completing side quests of her own (post master extraordinaire). She can’t wait to see known faces and new ones at the upcoming workshops and will be assisting the Tank Beast as right hand for this final Dance. 

Iris Osprey Simpson is a world-builder, driven to create immersive experiences that give an audience agency to create, play, and connect with each other and the world around them. She practices across Sydney and Melbourne, and works within theatre, art, and game design. She was an ensemble performer for Angelica Mesiti’s artwork ASSEMBLY, representing Australia for the 2019 Venice Biennale. She is currently a writer and performer on Dance of Ribbons, and has performed in immersive choral works with The House that Dan Built since 2014. She was Co-Artistic Director for Muse 2022 at VCA, a Programming Assistant for Midsumma 2023, and a producer for the House that Dan Built in 2023. She’s just left Development at Bell Shakespeare, working across both Philanthropy and Partnerships, and now works with The House that Dan Built running tour programs and funding sourcing.  She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Theatre from the Victorian College of the Arts. Iris is deeply inspired by magical realism and folk-tales, and she has loved seeing the culture and stories players have created for themselves at the Dance. 

James is a gamer and storyteller, fascinated by the ongoing phenomenon of communal mythmaking.

Practising as a writer director across film, television, audio, and theatre, he is forever delving into immersive worlds (whilst making a few of his own).

James’ award-winning films have screened at Burbank International Film Festival, the Cannes Short Film Corner, the FOXTEL Comedy Channel, and Palm Springs International Film Festival. His credits include Wentworth, Glitch (Netflix), Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero, as well as his debut feature film, Slant, which releases this year.

Working from Edinburgh, Scotland, James is in the Story Team and works tirelessly online, and will fly back for our Supplementary and Main Events. 

Will is a designer for interactive mediums with a love for interesting rulesets, unique interactivity and games of all varieties. He takes great pride in designing rules and mechanics that allow interaction to reinforce the message of the story and the bounds of its world.

They’re looking forward to seeing how you utilise, bend, twist and abuse the rules of The Dance of Ribbons to tell your stories.

Will holds a Bachelors of Games and Interactivity and a Bachelors of Computer Science.

Gispa is a gender non-conforming Tanzanian-Australian actor and theatre maker, born and raised in Naarm. A lover of games and all interactive mediums, they find great joy in the generosity and collaborative nature of face to face role-playing games in particular. 

Gispa has performed extensively across stage and screen, including in Akaraka (The Substation), and Julius Caesar (Forty Five Downstairs) and is currently studying ethical hacking and cybersecurity. A “once professional” competitive Halo player and current Dungeon Master, they are excited to blend their understanding of game mechanics and rules with their creative experience and can’t wait to see how you play with the toys the Dance of Ribbons team have made to tell your stories.

Jett is a Naarm based actor, theatremaker, crafter, stage combat professional and lover of swords – and was the Dance of Ribbon’s Prop Master.

Jett loves the hands-on and tactile nature of crafting, and over the past few years has dipped her toes into all kinds of craft. She finds a special kind of fulfilment in putting these maker skills towards into a world to life for others to inhabit. Jett spent hours designing and crocheting the majority of the ribbons for last year’s event, and had a major hand in the Witness design and production. She worked hard to create responsive and static props for the event, and you may’ve seen her horrific (delightful) hand in the plague designs for 2024.

With a background in theatre and live performance, including a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre from the VCA, Jett has worked extensively with world-class stage combat professionals across Melbourne. Jett was recipient of The Paddy Crean International Scholarship in 2024, seeing her train and qualify as a stage combat specialist in Canada. Jett adores seeing the kind of responsive, real, and generous dramatic play that happens in LARPing.

Siena is a multidisciplinary creator with a love for botanical illustrations, fractals and code. 

After working as a Cybersecurity Engineer for three years, she pivoted to immersive theatre, contributing to A Dance of Ribbons I & II as a Creative Producer, Website Developer, Systems & Operations Lead, Story Writer and Set Designer. Her work included building custom web features such as Player Profiles, a Discord bot (Dorbot), and a suite of automation tools to support logistical and production work.

She is currently growing her freelance web development practice, with recent projects including the Dance of Ribbons III website, and continues to explore the intersection between systems based project management and creative/poetic ideation.

Paulina is a neurodiverse & queer creative based in Naarm (Melbourne). She is a writer, game maker, artist, and designer with a love of whimsy, musicals, and historical sword fighting. She has been involved in the TTRPG and LARP scene for over a decade, and enjoys drama, costumes, and the immersion of roleplaying someone completely different.

Paulina has worked in everything from business, NGO’s, to government policy. Paulina is a founder and the Creative Director of the Melbourne based games collective, DragonBear Studios, which recently released the indie video game Innchanted.

In the first Dance of Ribbons, Paulina played the “Villainous” Francian NPC, Lord Maximilla, who probably retired from stress, and who vowed to never return to those haunted lands. And in the second Dance returned as a Golden Fist Banker. We’ll see Paulina return this year as an NPC.