Local Person: Belinda Kelly

by Stephanie Williams

Executive Producer Belinda Kelly is making sure a new generation of Tasmanians continue to enjoy puppetry.

Where in Hobart do you live? LoWeHo? Lower West Hobart, on the edge of the CBD

What’s the best thing about Hobart? The size, walkability, cultural assets, and proximity to the beach and bush.

And the worst? The car culture and fixation on free parking.

Tell us a little about your work? I am an arts manager and producer, with a speciality in making new Australian work, and currently the Executive Producer/CEO at Terrapin Puppet Theatre. We make new work for theatres and interactive installations for public space in Hobart then tour the world, from Flinders Island to NYC’s the Lincoln Centre to the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival. Our horizons have temporarily shrunken a little over this Covid-era, but we enjoy great relationships with all our local festivals so have continued to make and present work in this time.

Why did you move to Tassie to work with Terrapin? Having grown up on a farm in regional Victoria, but only ever having lived in the centre of large cities as an adult (Melbourne, London, Sydney), I had a growing hankering to get out of town, and a fear of living the rest of my life in the big smoke. Hobart offers a happy, and very picturesque, medium between a heaving metropolis and country life. The cultural scene here is also very strong and growing and it’s the perfect place to make new work.

What role do you think Terrapin plays in the arts scene? Terrapin creates all-new work, collaborating with writers, designers, makers and performers to develop our productions. This means we can support and nurture talent here in Tasmania, and provide a pathway for these artists to share their work with new audiences here, on the mainland and internationally. We’re presenting Nathan Maynard’s play A Not So Traditional Story in Hobart and Launceston during the school holidays, and it’s a real privilege to work with Tasmanian Aboriginal artists to help tell their stories.

Why puppetry? Puppetry has a unique power to evoke empathy. You have to use your imagination to believe that something is alive, even when a part of you knows it isn’t.

What do you love doing outside work? I am loving my role as a board member for Tasmania’s Beaker Street Festival of Arts and Science. Founded a few short years ago by scientist Margo Adler, this festival is transforming the way science is communicated to the general public (with great art and great local beverages!).

Where’s your favourite Hobart eatery? Migrant Resource Centre Kitchen, Hamlet, Templo.

Drink of choice and where do you head for it? Vino. Sonny, Lucinda, Tom McHugo’s, Willing Bros.

Guilty pleasure? Old seasons of Australian Survivor. I’m not sure it’s entirely a guilty pleasure as I’ve learnt a lot about strategy from watching it, but I admit it is not considered an entirely conventional tool for business planning and development. Some people think it is quite trashy!

What do you never leave home without? XXX Extra Strong Mints.

If I didn’t live in Hobart I’d live… I’m not sure, I might have Stockholm syndrome caused by locked borders, it is hard to imagine living anywhere else at this time.

Where to next? On the move again after a period of reflection and development. After the incredible disruption caused by Covid to the performing arts and event worlds, we are looking ahead to touring off the island again. All going well we will be in the Gold Coast at the new HOTA complex in September and at the Sydney Opera House in January. In 2022 we are also representing Tasmania by presenting a new interactive public space work at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, which involves a group of Tasmanian school children rewriting our national anthem. We are very curious to see what they come up with. We are also hoping to make a delayed trip to Japan and to welcome Japanese artists to Tasmania to develop a new work for theatres.

Quote to live by? For this era, Samuel Beckett: “You must go on. I can’t go on. I’ll go on.

Love this

Extras

Hobart Happenings

by Steph Williams

Bits and Pieces- June 2026

Hobart Happenings

by Steph Williams

Bits and Pieces – May 2026

Bits and Pieces- May 2026

Stay up to date with everything happening at the Hobart Magazine.

Worker shortage is currently universal, there isn’t an industry that’s exempt. For Kelvin Smith, four years ago he decided there was a very obvious solution to the shortage facing the construction industry, and all that was needed was a little time, empathy and a helping hand. Integrate Workforce is a Hobart-based labour company with one requirement: a refugee/ migrant background. He’s also the outdoor piano man in his free time.

Landscape artist and creative Elliott Nimmo is enjoying discovering Hobart’s vibrant art scene and local environment after relocating here from London to pursue his art.

Even though Tasmania is known for its mild summers, it doesn’t take much to get sunburnt. Tasmania experiences extreme ultraviolet (UV) levels, but contrary to popular belief this isn’t due to the hole in the ozone layer, which is actually south of the continent.While higher UV levels often occur at the same time as higher temperatures, the two are not linked. Instead, UV levels are determined by the angle of the sun in the sky: the higher the sun, the higher the UV. In December and January, the position of the sun over Tasmania gives the state a UV index of 11 or more on most days, which is classified as “extreme” on the UV index. Tasmania’s lack of humidity and generally clear skies contribute to the stinging feeling of the sun. UV can reflect off buildings and water, making it possible to get a higher dose of UV from these reflected rays, even in the shade.

Setting up shop during a pandemic was a risky move, but if the crowd at Dāna Eating House (Dāna) on a Friday night is anything to go by, it’s one that’s paid off. With tables of diners chatting and laughing over drinks, the music and conversation buzzes off the monstera-leaf-green walls. Low-hanging rattan lights and worn wooden floorboards give the newly opened South-East Asian fusion venue in Hobart’s CBD a relaxed vibe.

A Holyman flagged ship hasn’t steamed up the River Derwent since 1984 but the company’s name still proudly adorns its former offices at 5 Morrison Street, Hobart.

Widening the Tasman Bridge to allow 3.5 metres on each side is a big win for walkers and cyclists.

Need a laugh? Check out @theinspiredunemployed feed on Instagram.

Rain, hail and shine, the school crossing guards are always there to help with a smile on their face.

It’s hard to believe it’s not standard practice to have a working phone in every aged care room - shared phones make private conversations impossible and increase the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Just when you think your cousins are alright. NZ Opposition Leader Judith Collins took aim at Tassie during her recent (unsuccessful) campaign, calling us Australia’s “poor cousin.” She also seems worried about us nabbing tech businesses, “It’s a lovely part of the world but do you necessarily want to go there with your high- tech business? Possibly not,” she said. We beg to differ!