From the Editor-In-Chief, Creative Director and Co-Founder:

A lot of work has been happening behind the scenes at Carnival Cinema and I am super excited to announce two new faces of the company. Firstly Kareena (Oates) Hodgson & her business ‘The Manifesto’ will be a key partner and collaborator with Carnival Cinema!  

Secondly, Mike Finch (Circus Monoxide Co-Founder and Ex Circus Oz Artistic Director (for 17 Years!)  will be assuming the positions of Creative Producer, Connector & Strategist, and the three of us will be collaborating to evolve Carnival Cinema, the Magazine, and the company as a whole.

Super exciting Times!

Hamish x

(Feature Pic by Virginia Cummins)

Feature Interview: ‘In conversation with Kareena Hodgson’.

Hamish: I first met Kareena in 1995 when I was 14.

I had caught the circus bug a few years earlier as a 12-year-old at Maleny Folk Festival, learning how to juggle with Jeff Turpin, Suzy Lee and Ian Reece. It was there I also became obsessed with watching the street performers including ‘The Banana Brothers’ Mike Finch, Tim Durick & Geoff Keen, and Jolly ‘Rumple’ Goodfellow.

At the age of 14, I wrote to Rock‘n’Roll Circus in Brisbane asking if I could do Work Experience with them. Being the lovely, super cool, tattooed, 20-somethings that they were, they agreed, and in doing so changed my life forever.

After that first work experience trip, I apparently came home to my folks and said, “I’m going to be a circus performer, I’ve found my people and they’ve accepted me”… I say ‘apparently’ because I can’t remember saying it, but I’ve heard my Dad tell this story so many times over the years it must be true! I was right, my two weeks’ work experience turned into multiple trips to Brisbane to hang out and train with them. So in 1996, at the age of 15, I found myself on my first ever plane trip to Tony Rooke’s Tasmanian Circus Festival as Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus’s Stage Manager – without my parents. My Mum and Dad fondly remember Kareena dressed in a leotard and tracky pants, whisking me off them at the airport, calling over her shoulder ‘Don’t worry we’ll look after him!’. They did, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Kareena and I have now been mates for 23 years and that friendship has only got stronger as time goes on. I’ve witnessed her go from one of Australia’s most kick-arse circus ‘strong women’ (and as such she has become a legend in her own lifetime!) to an amazing mother of two, along the way performing in internationally acclaimed UK company DV8 Physical Theatre, revitalizing a small country hall in country Victoria into a thriving community hub, she has now found her new calling as a life coach & counsellor with her practise ‘The Manifesto’. She is dedicating her career to individually helping members of our community to be the best versions of themselves they can be. She’s also one of my new business partners.

 

So without further ado, let’s get to know Carnival Cinema’s new Senior Editor, Executive Coach and Moral Backbone – Kareena Hodgson!

Kareena: Before we start I just want to clarify that those ‘trackie pants’ were designer!!!!

That you’ve asked Mike and I to join you is so exciting and the timing feels perfect.

Apart from having a shared history and connections going back into last century, I think we also share a common goal. We all genuinely want to create spaces both online and in real life for our community to gather, celebrate and connect with each other in an authentic way.

Like you, I’m hoping that people join for the magazine, the amazing documentation and the imagery, and stay for the rich conversation, community, and honest support.

Hamish: Here here!

Ok, so ‘trackie pants’ aside 😉 – Where did it all begin?

Kareena: It was 1989. I was in Melbourne. I was a theatre student at Prahran Tafe, which later became Swinburne University. By sheer coincidence, I actually had classes in the building that is now decades later, The National Institute of Circus Arts.

As part of my Certificate in Performing Arts, I did some circus classes. The teachers were Heather Tetu and Kim Kaos. I also had a lecturer called John Butler who had a big influence on my early interest in circus.

Hamish: For the newcomers, Heather is an ex-Fruit fly aerialist who later set up ‘Kinder Circus’ in Melbourne, and Kim Kaos is a trailblazing female street performer and the founder of Oz Juggle Magazine which, pre-internet, was the main channel of communication for the newly emerging ‘contemporary/New’ circus scene in Australia. As a 13-14 year old living, as I did in the wilds of Mullumbimby, regional NSW, Oz Juggle was the reason I was in touch with what was happening in the circus community. Oz Juggle was actually a huge influence on me starting this mag, so I’m sending a huge shout-out to Kim!

What was it like for you in those days, and hanging out with Kim?

Kareena: I was really poor. Like hungry poor. Kim may have noticed this or maybe she just thought I’d be a good babysitter. She offered me a weekly gig babysitting her kids Lilikoi and Keili. Lil was maybe 3 years old at the time. I’d stay the night and then Kim would either drive me to school or I’d get a tram. One time while babysitting I was raiding her pantry and opened what I thought was a jar of nuts and a bouncy magic trick came out. This wasn’t something I was used to. Kim would say “Lilikoi likes to sleep in her swimming costume, this is ok”. They were a different kind of people. I really liked Kim. She was kind, a little wild and she spoke to me like an equal. I wasn’t used to ‘grown ups’ acting the way Kim did.

Hamish: And how did the leap into circus actually happen?

Kareena: The circus classes were fun, but I didn’t think ‘OMG I’ve found my calling’. Not even close. I was failing in most subjects and not really feeling like I knew where my life was going. In fact, I almost dropped out midway through my second year. In my final year, one of our last assignments was to write a CV and actually apply for a job in the arts. I was at Kim’s and reading through a copy of Oz Juggle, as I did most weeks because it was there and was actually really cool. I saw an ad for a traineeship in a circus. I thought ‘oh maybe that would be good for my assignment’ I had no concept of actually getting the job. However, I did get it, and that job was with Rock’n’Roll Circus. As it happened, Simone O’Brien also auditioned at the same time, and our lifelong friendship and working relationship began from there.

Hamish: You and Simone went on to make some amazing doubles aerials together, what were some of your other influences?

Kareena: In 1990 Archaos came to Melbourne. The women were tough, plus it was not like anything happening in Australia. It was also around the same time I first saw Circus Oz. I watched Anni Davey in that show and I can say she had a huge impact on me at that point.  Years later when Simone and I worked together those earlier influences were still there. The strong ratbag was something we both identified with.

1990 was also the first time I met Derek Ives. He was in the Circus Oz show as well, at this point I knew I had the job and had arranged to meet Derek as he was a founding member of Rock’n’Roll. We went to a pub in the city and got completely drunk and talked for about 3 hours. He was going off to see a band in St. Kilda, it wasn’t far from where I lived so I offered to take him there. We said farewell outside the theatre and I didn’t see him again for 2 years.  

Hamish: Can you tell us more about your formative experiences at Rock’n’Roll Circus?

Kareena: I packed my bags in November 1990 to catch a bus to move to Brisbane. I had hardly ever left Victoria in my life. Steve Brown, Anna Yen, Sharon Weston, Brett Parker and Jarome Pride became my family. Within 18 months of arriving, I was on my first plane ever. Heading for Shanghai. Oh hang on, rewind,… one month before we went to Shanghai, Derek came back to Brisbane. He had had a difficult time at Circus Oz, there had a been an accident in Edinburgh and this had a huge impact on Derek’s mental health. He had come home to rest and recover. Derek and I fell in love, so when I left for Shanghai we promised to write. Letters, like on paper. Eventually he joined us in China. So,.. back to Shanghai. Rudi Mineur had replaced Jarome, so Rudi, Steve, Anna, Sharon, and I all flew to the Shanghai Circus School in March 1992 for a 3 month intensive training program.

Hamish: And this was where you found the *Hula Hoop? Tell us about that moment for you.

(*To put this in context for our readers who see hula done everywhere in circus these days, in 1992 there were very few other hula hoop performers in Australia, Gypsy Gomez was the only other person performing hoops at the time in Australia to our knowledge. It’s interesting to note that last week Spin Circus held their Hula Hoop Convention in Melbourne, and hundreds of performers and thousands of amateurs now do hula hoop in Australia as a circus skill).

Kareena: It was a pivotal moment for me.  Yes, I found the hula hoop. Maybe it found me? I looked around that training room on day one. Hand standers, bike balancers, head balancing, pole, umbrellas on feet, and then almost in a ray of sunshine I saw this young beautiful child swinging her hips and actually smiling. She was the only student in the room smiling and I thought ‘That’s it. That’s my thing.’ I had never seen any hula hoop tricks before. I didn’t meet Gypsy Gomez until I came back and saw her family in a traditional circus show. I don’t think she knew there was another hula hooper in Australia either. We became friends instantly and trained together a few times when our paths crossed. Gypsy was a very generous artist. In those days there was no internet or YouTube, so she helped me a lot with new tricks.  When I decided to pick the hula hoop in China it was because I thought it looked fun. Oh, was I wrong. Learning to hula hoop in Shanghai was the most boring 3 months of my life. But I will forever be grateful because I was taught solid foundations that helped me create what was to become my signature act. That’s where it began, the next 15 years was a whirlwind of making art, training, touring, heartbreak, joy, challenges, success and being totally absorbed and obsessed by circus and my circus life.

Hamish: Not to mention co-launching the current explosion of Hula Hoops in this country. Rewind again. What was Rock’n’Roll like as a company when you joined?

Kareena: Pretty small, and super exciting. We were based in The Old Paint factory in West End. Another company called Street Arts shared the space so it was always full of artists, acrobats and hard-working administrators. It was very much a community feel in those days. Each project was developed with a large group of contributors. This is when I first worked with Sally Forth, Therese Collie, Sally Hart and  Meg Kanowski, so many fabulous and talented woman. They all became my mentors and family. Sally Forth especially, we are still friends 27 years later. The first couple of shows I did before we went to China, I was very much a trainee. Learning, watching and jumping on the front of the group bike. It wasn’t until we came back from China, hula hoops under my arm that I really thought that this what I was going to do. For as long as I could.

Hamish: How did the company go about making work?

Kareena: Rock ’n’ Roll Circus was a collective. Everything was discussed, dissected and decided together. It caused tension at times, but I think the structure played a huge part in how we were as a creative team. There was no hierarchy. It sometimes made the process longer and more painful but in retrospect, I see the value. It was very much OUR work. It came from us all.  We basically had an idea and went into the rehearsal space and played and trained and brought in designers, directors, dramaturgs, artists musicians and created as a group. We had sub groups for smaller acts and you could usually find Derek tinkering in a corner with a bucket, or asleep on a crash mat.

 

Hamish: I have fond memories of the bucket tinkering, or watching D spend what seemed like an exorbitant amount of time trying to balance 2 eggs on a chopstick!

Working in that way meant your lives and work were totally entwined, How did the on-stage work manifest some of the stuff happening off-stage?

Kareena: The company was so tight by about ‘95/’96 that sometimes it was hard to tell off-stage from on-stage. Operating as a collective meant that everything was under a microscope. There was a fair bit of disagreeing and heartbreak as well, so in some of those later shows like Body Slam and The Dark, life and art were imitating each other. We were all pretty young. I didn’t always manage the onstage/offstage stuff as well as I could’ve.

Hamish: This was around the time that I first met you all. Even as a 15-year old I was aware that stuff was going down and it was more than just ‘work’ or ‘a show’. There were completely blurred lines between the art and your lives, but for me, the overriding fact was I had totally fallen in love with you all and the whole concept that this could be a legitimate ‘job’. The Dark remains one of my all time favourite circus shows – I’m still so chuffed I got a Thank You in the program!

Kareena: I remember that clearly Hamish. You were so young.  I never really thought about how young you were at the time. Annabel Lines and I took you under our wing, did we boss you around a lot?   I guess it’s not that different to when I met Kim. You know your tribe when you find them. I really love that shared history we have together.

Hamish: You bossed me around a bit, it was mainly forcing me to do your conditioning regimes – which I secretly loved. What 15 year old wouldn’t love 2 spunky older women bossing them around? But when it came to learning actual circus skills I was more interested in hanging out with the dark clown, eating fire and balancing stuff on my nose.

So, moving on, you went from Rock’n’Roll to Club Swing. Why did you move on from Rock’n’Roll?

Kareena: The Dark was a difficult piece to make. Emotionally I was pretty fried. And then I broke my wrist onstage in Hobart.  That was the beginning of me leaving Rock’n’Roll. I did stay on as a trainer for the training project in 1997, but during that year I was dreaming up ways of moving on. I needed to explore different ways of making work. I got a gig with Club Swing making Razor Baby and didn’t really look back. Club Swing was a complete change to Rock’n’Roll Circus. All of a sudden I was surrounded by women. I was a guest, so the running of the company wasn’t my job. It felt a bit like leaving home and discovering a whole new world of possibilities. I had worked with Gail Kelly as a director on The Dark so to have another opportunity to make a show with her was amazing. I loved the way she directed. I finally got to work with Anni which I had wanted to do since seeing her in Oz years earlier. Simone and I began our double trapeze relationship. It was an exciting time for me, it’s still one of my favourite shows. Then that led me to Circus Oz.

 

Hamish: And what was Circus Oz like when you joined?

Kareena: Fabulous!

Mike Finch had just become Artistic Director, many of the cast were new, and there was definitely an exciting vibe. It was the first time I really created a solo act with amazing resources like props builders. I said to Mike I wanted to float down to the ring in a giant bubble. A few weeks later a giant bubble arrived.  I loved Laurel Frank straight away and designing my costumes with her was a highlight of my time at Oz. I have always been excited and driven by design. I remember seeing Tim Coldwell watch me struggling with my hoops and then a few days later he popped out of the workshop with a bespoke hoop stand. It was so refreshing not having to actually run the company as well and worry about wages and rent. It was a time I cherish because I really focused on the work. It was also when I met Nicci Wilks and we created Coco and Guido. Apart from the work being completely exciting and fulfilling, that friendship has been a huge part of my transition into coaching and counselling.

Hamish: When you were performing, what did you hope the audience would feel and take away from the show?

Kareena: I always wanted the audience to really see me. Onstage I found I was able to tap into a vulnerability that I found difficult in my offstage life. I wouldn’t have been able to articulate it at the time but I worked out that the softer and “more real’ I was onstage, mostly referring to my hula hoop act, the bigger response I got from the audience. Hamish, you are probably thinking “Soft? You never seemed soft onstage HA!”, but it was more a feeling. A place that I performed from. Trying to tap into a vulnerable feeling. I think it somehow took the pressure off some of the bigger tricks. If they see me, all of me then no matter how I go they will like me. Essentially I wanted them to like ME, not my circus skills. This translates for me as an audience member too. Some of my favourite performers around now really allow themselves to be seen even if they are playing characters. To see the person behind the work is engaging for me.

Hamish: How did it feel at the time being a bit of a ‘poster girl’ within the community both literally with show posters for Circus Oz etc. and having photographic articles in magazines? Where you chasing that?

Kareena: I loved it. Yes, I actively pursued that kind of publicity. I was really into magazines, fashion, costumes and design. Those shoots gave me an outlet to work with stylists and photographers which was really interesting to me and different to circus.  It was another way for me to be creative. I think this is why I love Mark Winmill from Briefs so much. There is so much depth to his characters from a styling and design perspective. I can literally not take my eyes off him when he is on stage.

Hamish: Why did you leave Circus Oz?

Kareena: I loved being in Circus Oz. I didn’t love touring without my partner who was living in Sydney at the time. I also craved new challenges. For me at that time, I really craved a home and feeling settled. I had the opportunity to work with DV8 Physical Theatre for 3 months in Sydney during my time at Circus Oz. After I left Oz, DV8 contacted me again and offered me a 9-month contract to make a film, tour Europe and perform a site-specific show at The Tate Modern. I had loved DV8 since I was 20 years old in Rock’n’Roll Circus so this was a job of a lifetime. I didn’t hesitate for a second. So my dream of a settled life was short lived.

Excerpt From DV8’s Show & Film: The Cost of Living

Hamish: You always seemed like you were totally at home on the stage. Why did you stop performing?

Kareena: Coming back to Australia after DV8 was difficult. My personal life was pretty messy, my back was injured, I had no job, no real direction and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Nicci Wilks, Annabel Lines and I decided to start our own thing and we did a professional development. I loved working with them both but realised my heart just wasn’t in it. I did the corporate circuit for a while because the money was great but I always searched for connection as a performer and that’s hard when people are eating dinner or just not watching. Eventually I realised that I needed to find what it was that lit me up again. Like performing used to. I knew I needed to evolve. I was 31 years old, and I had been training in circus and making circus shows since I was 18.

Hamish: That leads us nicely to the present: How you feel about your current role, as a life coach and a counsellor with your new business The Manifesto?

Kareena: I feel like I want to talk about the things no one wants to talk about. I want to shine a big spotlight on mental health within the entertainment industry. When I began my training as a counsellor I didn’t see how it would connect to my previous career. I dabbled in art/dance therapy but it wasn’t a fit for me. I was much more excited by existential therapies and solution-focused therapies. I thought the two careers wouldn’t really ever merge. It wasn’t until I attended the conference ‘The Show must go on” convened by Entertainment Assist that it all fell into place for me. Entertainment Assist is an organisation that promotes and facilitates the enhancement of mental health and wellbeing in the Australian entertainment industry, offering support, resources and raising awareness. I’m a strong advocate for them. I’d encourage everyone that works in the arts to become members. Many of the readers might have heard about them via Robyn & Tiny Good from ShowTech Australia who are also strong advocates of Entertainment Assist and incidentally have also quietly and humbly done wonderful things themselves over the years to support members of the industry, particularly crews and circus performers.  

Hearing the statistics around anxiety, depression and drug and alcohol abuse in the entertainment industry, particularly within backstage crews blew my mind. When I reflected on  my own experiences as a young person touring and managing the ups and downs of life I could see clearly how having professional support would have been a massive help to me during those years on the road. Not only so I had a better time personally, but also for the quality of the work itself. The life coaching side of my work with The Manifesto is about assisting with life and work transitions. It can be difficult transitioning from stage to a ‘proper’ job. If that’s even what you want to do?  Believe me I know. I enjoy this kind of exploration because although it can be daunting, it can also be a positive experience. An inspiring feeling of ‘anything is possible’.

Hamish: On that note, can you tell us more about some of the personal mental health and sustainability issues that came up for you and for your friends and colleagues on the road and being a performer?

Kareena: I can really only speak for myself but I certainly remember the physical struggles of a 10 show week and the impact that had on my head. The struggles of being away from family, being injured, going onstage to entertain when all you feel like doing is crying because of grief, going back to hotel rooms and feeling lonely. Partying to numb whatever it is you don’t want to feel, the frustration of missing family events. The complexity around having a fight with your friends/partner and then having to literally trust them with your life onstage. The anxiety of the premiere of a new show. There’s loads of issues that come up with this lifestyle. I don’t want to paint a picture that I was a hot mess, most of the time touring was amazing and I was so grateful to do what I loved. But life sucks and sings. That’s the truth. So how do we support each other better when life sucks? That’s what I do.

Hamish: Obviously social media is a massive factor too these days- the obsessive compulsion to self document and continually put yourself out there. The constant checking to see how many ‘likes’ and interactions you’ve had, and the inability to control online images and stories of yourself. Social media helps lots of people feel like they are ‘connecting’ but with the relentlessness of it, I feel it often becomes overwhelming, I know for me personally it does.

Kareena: Yes, definitely, I’m fully aware that it’s a very different time now than when I was touring. I stopped performing before the rise of social media, and I can see it has turned out to have a massive effect on people’s wellbeing. Is there ever a down time? Are you ever ‘off’? Comparing each others work, schedule, tricks, costumes, acts. Is everyone else is doing better gigs than me? Its endless.

So how was it when you were touring ‘way back then’ ;).

Kareena: I think one of the big impacts touring had on me was the dual life. On one side you have the applause, fabulous outfits, alcohol, parties and fun. But as a young person I had other things going on like grief, relationship issues, a sense of wanting to be home, not knowing where home was, thinking I should be enjoying this more, fatigue, injuries. All of these things impacted me, probably made me drink and party more than I should. There was no place to deal with these issues. It was more a case of just ‘get on with it’. We didn’t really talk about any of the real issues that were going on.There was also stigma around people that weren’t coping with the lifestyle. A feeling that we should be able to self-manage it. I think things have changed a bit since then, but I want bigger changes! I would like to see every cast/crew member of a tour have access to a number of sessions allocated to them for counselling per year. You don’t have to use them, but if you need it, it’s there. And not only for bigger well funded companies.  How do we get support to the smaller independent companies that are potentially under even more stress?

Hamish: That’s what is great about the work you are doing with The Manifesto, you are helping facilitate that change! It’s inspiring.

I’ve always wondered – do you ever miss performing?

Kareena: I can honestly say no. This is the most asked question when I tell people I used to be a performer. So I have thought about it a lot. There is a perception that performers thrive on attention and without it life would be dull. I found it to be the opposite. When I left performing I had the opportunity to discover more about myself as a whole. Become more introspective. My life felt like it had more depth. I also craved domestic life and longed for a family from an early age. I know many women who have nailed all of this, kept performing, had children and I am in awe of them. But I knew that wasn’t how I was going to do it. I think I also I craved new adventures. Performing had run its course for me. I think that if I missed performing I would have simply gone back to it by now.

Hamish: How did the name The Manifesto come about?

Kareena: I wanted a name, but I wanted it to feel like me, because whenever I googled Counsellors or Life Coaches I was inundated with butterflies, the colour blue, and hands being held. I didn’t identify with that. I’m not a particularly calm person. I also wanted it to feel like it was about the clients. How do they want their life to look? What’s their personal manifesto for life? What’s their mission statement? What do they need from therapy? So that’s where The Manifesto came from. Trying to create a feeling that if you came to work with me it’s about your vision not mine.

Hamish: And what initially drew you to The Counselling & Life Coaching?

Kareena: Actually it was my husband Tom who suggested I look into being a counsellor. I think he saw something in me that I didn’t even see. I wasn’t sure, mostly because I kept thinking Butterflies, and Hands Being Held.  I sat on the idea for a while and eventually thought maybe I can do my version. I enrolled in a Bachelor of Counselling at The Australian College of Applied Psychology. When I realised that I could also do coaching as part of my degree I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. I haven’t looked back since that first lecture. It ignited something in me the same way performing did when I started. It felt completely right. And now that I’ve found a way to pull the two worlds together, it feels even more that I am doing what I should be doing at this stage of my life.

Hamish: In terms of those two worlds, why are you specifically drawn to working with people from the performing arts community?

Kareena: Even though I haven’t spun a hula hoop for years I will always identify as a circus artist. It’s so much a part of who I am. I was at Adelaide Festival and Fringe this year and so many people still think of me as a hula hooper. I stopped performing 12 years ago. I love that about our community, I belong. They are my peeps. My lived experience creates depth between me and my clients. They don’t have to explain how touring can be draining or how creating work with your partner can strain relationships.  Normalising some of these common issues that come up can be enough to create a language to talk within companies. I also want more care to be taken of our performers and crew. We need them in good physical and mental shape. We at least need to start a dialogue about how we are managing mental health within the arts. Imagine if companies paid for counselling like they do massages? Imagine if we took as good care of them mentally as we do physically?

Hamish: I know a lot of your qualities, but what do you think are some of  the personal strengths your background brings when your counselling/coaching our community?

Kareena: I think one of my strengths has always been ‘look for a solution’. Even a small shift can make a situation different. This is why I love coaching. Its very much about asking questions like ‘What do you want?’  ‘What’s in your way?’, ‘Can we make small steps to either move the obstacles or go around them?’. I’ve always felt like I can make choices to change my situation, even if they are very small. It’s instinctual for me to search for a way out of stuckness.

Hamish: Your clients are often touring nationally or internationally, and working all kinds of odd hours, how does it work – coaching & counselling remotely when people are on tour?

Kareena: People contact me via email, and we arrange a time to talk on Zoom, which is like Skype, but better. I am extremely discreet and never discuss who I am working with anyone. This is a crucial part of what I do. It’s very important that people trust me enough to be really honest about what is going on for them. At first I worried that our community is so small and tight, and that performers and crew wouldn’t open up to me. However I’ve found that half the people already know me and do trust in my confidentiality, and the other half don’t know me, or are younger people who have never even heard of me as a performer which makes it really easy to build rapport. Working via the ‘web means they effectively have a counsellor/coach with them on tour, which is so beneficial because you can be anywhere and continue the work without starting from scratch in every city. You’d also be surprised, once you get used to talking on a computer it can feel very intimate and connected.

Hamish: As I said at the top I am really excited about this new collaboration with both Mike and  Kareena & The Manifesto and what they bring to Carnival Cinema as a company. I have always cared deeply about my community’s mental health and wellbeing, so having Kareena on board will make both those topics part of the ongoing conversation on this forum, and a deeper focus within all of Carnival Cinema’s future projects.

I am equally humbled and stoked that you want to be involved in Carnival Cinema Kareena and thanks so much for giving us an insight into your personal story!!

Kareena: Thank you Hamish. For everything you do. I think what you’ve done by documenting and editing so many people’s onstage and offstage lives connects and nurtures in a way that is so important. I love that your positive values have always been there, so it feels like a really safe hub to share in. I had no doubt when I met you as a young human that you were going to do great work. It’s so excellent to see you doing it. I’m super thrilled to be coming on board and continuing our adventure as friends and colleagues.

If people want to connect with Kareena professionally, you can do that here – http://www.the-manifesto.com.au/

We recommend becoming a member of Entertainment Assist which is an awesome resource for the Showbiz community, and it’s free to join! You can find them here – https://www.entertainmentassist.org.au

Thanks again Kareena and a huge welcome to you and Mike!

I hope you all enjoyed that glimpse into Kareena’s life,

Peace & respect for all,

Cheers

hamish