Simon Abrahams

Simon has served as Executive Producer/General Manager and co-CEO of Polyglot since September 2007.  Since then, he has produced tours of Polyglot's work in four continents including major tours to the London International Festival of Theatre, Kennedy Center, Singapore Arts Festival, Shanghai International Children's Theatre Festival, World Expo, National Center for the Performing Arts Beijing, Kujimuna Festa Japan,  Hong Kong International Arts Carnival, National Theatre of Korea, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Sydney Opera House, ASSITEJ international performing arts festival for young people and the UNIMA world puppetry congress.  In 2008, Simon was awarded a Margaret Lawrence Bequest Scholarship to attend the Senior Managers' Program at the Melbourne Business School.  Simon (together with colleague Sue Giles) was recently named amongst Arts Hub's Top Ten Australian Arts Leaders for 2010.  Simon has been selected as part of the Australia Council's 2012 Emerging Leaders' Program.

Prior to joining Polyglot, Simon held the positions of Marketing and Development Manager at Gasworks Arts Park and Executive Officer of the Gasworks Foundation. He also spent two years coordinating the Taste for Living food and wine festival and the Art of Difference international conference and arts program amongst a series of festivals and events at Gasworks. Previously, Simon worked at the Melbourne University Student Union at Union House Theatre, and was Festival Producer of Mudfest, Australia's leading student arts and cultural festival.

Simon is also a performer and has performed in Mysteries of the Convent, The Peepshow of Lost Puppets and Hansel and Gretel for Peepshow Inc, Emergency Exits at the New York International Fringe Festival, A Superhero Story at the Fun4Kids Festival, Lally Katz's Pirate Eyes, and solo cabaret performances at the Butterfly Club and Chapel off Chapel.  Simon has also performed in Polyglot's own We Built This City in Australia, America, Korea, England, Ireland and Scotland.  Simon is currently devising a new cabaret show in collaboration with Polyglot artist Lachlan MacLeod.  Simon also works as a freelance facilitator, guest speaker, peer assessor and arts consultant.

Simon served on the board of Peepshow Inc (2005 to 2009), and is currently Chair of Theatre Network Victoria, a peak body organisation established to  develop the theatre sector to build its capacity and sustainability.  Simon holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Diploma of Arts (Cultural Studies) from Melbourne University, and a Diploma of Creative Arts (Theatre Studies) from the Victorian College of the Arts.