Mentorship Program

Mentoring new and emerging artists is part of Belloo's ethos. We believe in paying it forward and sharing the knowledge we've gained from those who mentored and supported us in the past. Mentorship has become a core component of all our projects, allowing us not only to share our expertise but also to learn and grow through these vital relationships with the next generation of artists.

2025 Mentorship Program

Belloo is excited to announce our 2025 Mentorship Program! Two early-career Tamil Sri Lankan artists, Sudhesh Somu and Janaki Gerard, will join the creative team for Back to Bilo—a deeply moving new play, created with and inspired by the heart of regional Queensland.

Belloo's Mentorship Program selected for Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) Boost! Your Donation Doubled!

Belloo has been selected for ACF matched funding for our 2025 Mentorship Program. ACF Boost is a tax-deductible, matched funding program supporting independent artists and small arts organisations. This means that for every dollar you donate, ACF will match it dollar for dollar.

Every dollar raised will go toward paid mentorship opportunities for Janaki Gerard and Sudhesh Somu as part of Back to Bilo.

Meet the Emerging Artists

Sudhesh Somu

A proud Queenslander who arrived in Australia as an asylum seeker from Sri Lanka, Sudhesh’s life experience and community development background drive his passion for supporting disadvantaged Indigenous youth and combating family violence through men’s behaviour change programs. He is also deeply committed to dance as a means of cultural connection, using movement to celebrate identity and foster belonging. Sudhesh longs for his love of Queensland to be reflected back to him through the stories shared on its stages.

Janaki Gerard

An actor, writer, singer, and improviser from Brisbane, Janaki has worked in London and New York City and holds an MFA in Acting from East 15 Acting School/University of Essex in London. She is currently developing new platforms and projects for South Asian creatives in Australia. Her long-term goal is to champion representation and diverse storytelling, making Australia’s media and entertainment industries more inclusive, safe, and enriching for future generations.

About Back to Bilo

Back to Bilo tells the real-life story of the grassroots Home to Bilo campaign that fought to bring Priya, Nades, and their daughters back to Biloela. This powerful story of resilience, family, and community activism reflects values of unity and compassion that resonate across Australia.

Asylum seekers who fled war-torn Sri Lanka, Priya and Nades built a life and family in regional Queensland, only to be torn away from their home in a dawn raid. Their story could have faded into silence, but the women of Biloela launched a people-powered campaign to bring them home. This play is a tribute to family, courage, and the power of ordinary people uniting against injustice.

Premiering at Queensland Theatre as part of Brisbane Festival 2025, Back to Bilo will then tour to Perth and Darwin Festivals, reaching large, diverse festival audiences. This national platform presents an incredible opportunity for the emerging artists we are supporting.

Past mentees have included

• Masako Mizusawa – HANAKO, 2016.

• Emily Coleman – Rovers and The SAND Project, 2018.

• Alice Marsh – AKIRUNO Digital and 2020 Helpmann Academy mentorship with Co-Artistic Director Caroline Dunphy.

• Madeline Romcke – writing mentorship for her new work, Biting Tongues, 2019.

• Amer Thabet – Belloo Mentorship Program, 2022-2023. Amer’s mentorship culminated in a work-in-progress presentation of his new full-length play Falling Up at La Boite’s HWY (Artist Development Program).

• Yasmin Omidian – Belloo Mentorship Program, 2022-2023.

• Emmy Moore – Rehearsal observation, Boy, Lost, 2022.

• Emily Coleman – Industry Placement, 2023-2024.

• Nadia Milford – HOTA’s ArtKeeper Residency, 2023.

Images of past Belloo mentees.