Sue Giles AM

Sue has worked as the Artistic Director since 2000, and her life changed when she walked through the Polyglot door on a cold winter’s day in July. Since then, she has flung herself into the joyous, chaotic, thoughtful and surprising world of children as audiences and as co-creators, extending her career experience as an actor, writer and director into the rich and ever-changing world of theatre for young audiences. 

Sue has been able to follow a particular path of participation with Polyglot, broadening ideas of what theatre can be, how play can re-imagine performance, how the benefits of fun are underestimated and how children can change the world with their instincts, voices, bodies, energy and opinions.

Sue has had many highlights at Polyglot – the unexpected artistic discoveries, the collaborations that turn into friendships, the passion and courage of her colleagues, and the way people fall in love with the infinitely satisfying work of making art with and for children.

She is an advocate for the sector in Australia as a Board member of Theatre Network Australia, and internationally as President of ASSITEJ International – the global association of theatre for young audiences. In 2018, Sue received the Green Room Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in the Australian arts industry, and authored a Platform Paper for Currency Press titled Young People And The Arts: Agenda for Change. In 2019, she received a Theatre Fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts for her work in advocacy, and she was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to the performing arts as an artistic director, and to theatre for children.