Helen Ellis - Coordinator of Box Hill Town Hall spoke on the topic:
“Where life can lead you” or “what is the worst thing that can happen”
She took us on the journey of her working life outlining in 30 minutes what she does, who she is and how she got to where she is. Her career has been a series of twists and turns and detours and vague unqualified decisions.
Helen is a girl from Box Hill / Mitcham whose mother instilled in her a faith that there was nothing she couldn’t do (except be neat) and throughout her life has always has a job or 2 or more..
Starting out selling Candy bars at Her Majesties and the Comedy theatres, working as a checkout chick at Woolies, she developed a passion for dance and sport (Netball) (good but not great at either).
At Uni she for no particular reason enrolled in Drama with no experience, however this didn’t last and she deferred her course and worked at Coles. She auditioned for an amateur theatre (what is the worst thing that could happen?) and got the role.
She worked in the building industry and rose to senior levels, when the stress got to her and she quit and with no experience started clothing company.
She and a business partner ran the Maroondah one act play festival for a number of years.
Through a mentor (Alan Hopgood) she went on to produce a numbers of “an evening with shows” around Australia with people such as: Bud Tingwell, Nancye Hayes, Amanda Muggleton
She was producing a play by Alan Hopgood when the director left and she stepped in (what is the worst thing that can happen).
Became a director and directed and produced a number of shows around Australia. (Including an episode where she was in FN Queensland directing a play with a real “diva” actor who didn’t know lines that was due to move to Opera House – she had to pull the pin and cancelled the show.
She continued to work touring a number of shows, and arranged a fund raiser show for the gay community which unfortunately lost her $50k.
She was executive producer for a number of shows and worked with people such as Paul Hogan
Worked with a “cowboy” who talked his way into a show she was producing and stole her money
After working with the Australia Shakespeare Company in London, she returned to Australia and after 4 interviews took on her current role as the Coordinator of Box Hill Town Hall for the City of Whitehorse.
So her life turned full circle back to where she was born – Box Hill.
