The company identifies diverse emerging artists and arts workers seeking to advance their practice-pairing them with established artist mentors and producers to develop, scope, resource and produce their work, supporting long term career pathways. This program drives and informs our Major Works, offers an aspirational vehicle for our Community Access participants, and places a flagship ensemble with a fresh outer urban voice in the broader Australian and international performing arts sectors.

Associate Artist Program

Ruci Kaisila | PERFORMER | WRITER

Ruci is a musically gifted performer in gospel and soul. From a young age, Ruci, along with her twin sister Joanne, developed a passion for music through singing and performing at their local church. With Ruci on piano and vocals and Joanne on guitar and vocals, the dynamic duo captivated audiences with their soulful ballads. Ruci has featured in many Outer Urban Projects works including GRAND DIVISIONS - A MOVED URBAN CANTATA presented at Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne International Arts Festival; Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre opening POETIC LICENSE, The Big Anxiety's TAKEOVER and HUME STUDIOS Residency projects, REVELATIONS recording project in URBAN STUDIO and 125BPM Concert at Melbourne Recital Centre.

Ruci worked alongside some of Australia’s finest writers and theatre artists in 'Anthem', an Australian work of scale supported through the Major Festivals Initiative, that toured nationally. Ruci works as a performer on Outer Urban Projects’ Fee for Service gigs and workshops and is a key artist and driver of KIN - Dudi & Jojo, a transnational Australian-Fijian performance and film work.
Joanne Kaisila | PERFORMER | WRITER

Joanne is a proud Fijian-Australian. She is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist performer – playing guitar, drums and bass. From a young age Joanne developed a passion for gospel and soul music and has performed in many seminal shows for Outer Urban Projects including GRAND DIVISIONS – A MOVED URBAN CANCATA at Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, POETIC LICENSE opening at Darebin Arts Centre and HUME STUDIOS at Kangan Tafe. She recorded on REVELATIONS in URBAN STUDIO, performed in the TAKEOVER residency and is a key artist on the Australian/Fijian collaboration of the transnational performance and film project, KIN - Dudi & Jojo.

She is also a videographer, making music clips for her community and is a regular performer on Outer Urban Projects’ Fee for Service program.
SAHRA DAVOUDI | ACTOR | WRITER

Sahra graduated in art and architecture at the University of Tehran with a Bachelor of Theatre Art in 2009. Sahra was involved in many student productions as a writer, actor, costume and set designer. Her dissertation thesis was an adaptation of the short story by Raymond Carver - ‘Neighbors’.

Sahra's first professional work as an actor and writer in Australia was with Outer Urban Projects' dance theatre work, VESSEL at the Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Fringe (2017). She then went on to work as a writer and actor in THE AUDITION, which premiered at La Mama in 2019 and was remounted in 2024 at La Mama Courthouse, The Bowery Theatre, and Bunjil Place.

Sahra was granted permanent residency in 2019 and has since become an Australian citizen. Sahra performed 'In The Mirror' by Mammad Aidani for La Mama Theatre and the interdisciplinary dance work 'Conquest of the Garden' by Nebahat Erpolat. Sahra is a co-writer and performer in Outer Urban Projects' upcoming new work of scale VIGIL. In 2024 Sahra graduated with a Masters of Theatre (Writing) with the Victorian College of the Arts.
Kush Kuiy | WRITER

Kush Kuiy is an independent producer, writer, and storyteller whose practice explores third-culture identity, shifting ideas of home, cultural inheritance, and belonging. Working across writing, performance, and research, she experiments with form as a way of finding the most honest and resonant way to tell a story.

Her recent work includes writing on VIGIL with Outer Urban Projects and contributing to large-scale visual outcomes for Viv’s Place, a social housing development in Melbourne’s south-east. She is currently developing a long-term research project, 'HOMECOMING', which traces personal and diasporic journeys between Australia and her family’s country of origin.

Alongside her artistic practice, Kush is the producer of the Rise of South Sudan Music and Arts Festival (ROSS MAF), a bi-annual community-led platform that centres South Sudanese voices, artistic practice, and collective imagination. Kush’s practice is shaped by a deep interest in building cultural and creative bridges between Australia and the African continent. With a background in international and community development, she approaches art as a relational and civic practice, one that holds space for complexity, intergenerational exchange, and dialogue across communities and borders.
Natasha Lakkis (nee Hanna) | MUSICIAN

Natasha is fast becoming a well-known name in Melbourne’s orchestra scene. The eldest of 8 children of a musical family from Roxburgh Park, she began playing violin at 3 years of age. In 2014 Natasha was the principal 2nd violinist for the Melbourne Youth Orchestra and collaborated with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra on their tour to New Zealand. She was violin concertmaster in 2012 & 2013 for Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight conducted by John Foreman.

For Outer Urban Projects Natasha has performed in URBAN CHAMBER - BEYOND at The Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne Festival, GRAND DIVISIONS - A MOVED URBAN CANTATA at Fairfax Studios, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, and is lead performer in the Outer Urban Projects STRING QUARTET. Natasha is the lead artist on Outer Urban Projects’ Triple Violin Concerto collaboration with The Impossible Orchestra. Natasha will take part in Episode 2 of KIN in 2026, KIN – The Hannas.
Josef Hanna | MUSCIAN

Josef Hanna is an Associate Artist. He began playing the violin at the age of 4. Josef was raised and educated in Roxburgh Park. His past teachers include Helge Thelen, Elizabeth Sellars and Roy Theaker. Josef is currently studying under Sophie Rowell.

Josef has been a member of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra (MYO) since 2012. In 2015, he was appointed the position of Concertmaster and has retained the position into 2016.

Josef has performed at various venues with MYO including Deakin Edge - Federation Square, Iwaki Auditorium, Hawthorn Arts Centre, Windsor Hotel and Melbourne Recital Centre. Josef is currently 1st violinist of the MYO String Quartet. Josef performed in Outer Urban Projects GRAND DIVISIONS, URBAN CHAMBER - BEYOND, LIBERIAN BOY and gigs regularly with Outer Urban Projects and is part of the Outer Urban String Quartet. Josef will take part in Episode 2 of KIN in 2026, KIN – The Hannas.
Karla Hanna | MUSICIAN

Karla Hanna is a Lebanese-Australian artist. She is a professional violinist with extensive experience in performance and teaching for over 20 years.

Karla has worked as a freelance musician, performing with orchestras such as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, as well as working regularly with different Chamber groups around Australia. She studied at the Australian National Academy of Music from 2015-2017 and is currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Music.

During her time with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra, she collaborated with Outer Urban Projects on various occasions and performed with two of her siblings on a recording of Olli Mustonen’s triple violin concerto with a small orchestra. Karla will take part in Episode 2 of KIN in 2026, KIN – The Hannas.
Milad Norouzi | WRITER | MUSICIAN | PERFORMER

Milad is a rapper, singer-songwriter and performer. Milad’s creative life began in the underground rap studios of Tehran. He joined Outer Urban Projects in 2015 after attending its remount of POETIC LICENSE at Darebin Arts Centre. As a writer/performer/actor he has written and performed in Outer Urban Projects' major works POETIC LICENSE at fortyfivedownstairs (2017), GRAND DIVISONS - A MOVED URBAN CANTATA at the Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne (2015), LIBERIAN BOY (2018), and THE AUDITION, which premiered at La Mama in 2019 and was remounted in 2024 at La Mama Theatre, The Bowery Theatre, and Bunjil Place. Milad has also recently recorded his moody underground EP THE LITTLE LIONHEART in the company’s URBAN STUDIO.

Emmanuel Kaisila | Vocalist

Emmanuel is the youngest of the talented Kaisila family. He is also musically gifted through his family roots in gospel and soul. From a young age, Emmanuel, along with his twin sisters Joanne and Ruci, developed a passion for music through singing and performances at their local church. The trio captivate audiences with their soulful ballads. Emmanuel’s work with Outer Urban Projects includes 125 BMP, Melbourne Recital Centre, HUME STUDIOS, TAKEOVER residencies, and the upcoming transnational performance and film project, KIN - Dudi & Jojo.

Tangata Tupou | SONGWRITER | MUSICIAN | VOCALIST

Tangata Tupou began singing at a young age. Born to a musically gifted family, Tangata's passion for music started in the family living room and at her local church. Tangata's Cook Island heritage has a huge influence on her style of music. She and sister Fakaoho have been performing together for many years. Both artists learned how to play musical instruments and sing from their dad. She is an independent vocalist, performing with sister Fakaoho and cousins, Ruci, Joanne, and Emmanuel Kaisila. Tangata is a recipient of a Hume Art Award.

Tangata has featured in many Outer Urban Projects works including GRAND DIVISIONS - A MOVED URBAN CANTATA at Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, opening of POETIC LICENSE Darebin Arts Centre, TAKEOVER and HUME STUDIOS residencies, REVELATIONS recording project in URBAN STUDIO. Tangata is a key artist on the Episode 4 of the KIN series - KIN - The Tupous.
Fakaoho Tupou | MUSICIAN | VOCALIST

Blending Māori and Pacific Islander influences with her love for Gospel and Hip Hop, Fakaoho Tupou is an asset to any concert or performance. She is a musically gifted singer with a strong following in the Pasifika and gospel community, and is a recipient of a Hume Art Award. Fakaoho has featured in many Outer Urban Projects works - URBAN CHAMBER BEYOND at the Melbourne Recital Centre, the opening for POETIC LICENSE at the Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre, LIBERIAN BOY, REVELATIONS in URBAN STUDIO, HUME STUDIOS and TAKEOVER residencies and GRAND DIVISONS – A MOVED URBAN CANTATA at Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Festival.

Fakaoho is a key artist on Episode 4 of the KIN series of works - KIN - The Tupous.

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