Jenine Mackay and her colleague Virginia Heydon co-founded Incite Arts and were also Co-Creative Producers for many productions and projects. As CEO of Incite, Jenine is responsible to and guided by the Board. She manages creative and strategic development; partnerships; delivery of programs; finances and employees. Jenine works in partnership with the Incite team, collaborating with the artists and diverse community constituencies to deliver creative programs.
Jenine was a long-term Board member (2008-2016) of Arts Access Australia including the position of Chair and then Honourary position of Immediate Past Chairperson. Arts Access Australia awarded Jenine life membership in recognition of her service and dedication to arts and disability leadership in Australia.
Jenine trained in classical ballet and graduated from VCA, Drama School, 1984, where she began her journey in community and cultural development (CACD) practice. Based in Melbourne in the 80s Jenine was active in the Fringe and Comedy arenas creating original, innovative and genre-defining works with Monkey Based Movement Theatre, Mohair Stockings and Out Theatre. Her extensive skills and experience in the performing arts also include circus and performance skills mentor and CACD arts leadership.
Jenine began work in the youth arts sector managing and delivering multi-arts programs as Artistic Director (AD) with Coco Youth Theatre (1991-97), now known as Southern Edge Arts, Albany WA. She was AD of Corrugated Iron Youth Arts Darwin (‘98-‘99) and led Barking Gecko’s youth theatre program (2000). In 2002 Jenine directed the Fremantle Festival opening concert. As an AD she has developed distinctive theatre, dance, circus and CACD works of quality, and innovation, collaborating with diverse communities in WA, NT and in South Africa with Jazzart Dance Theatre (1998) and Phenduka Dance (2001).
