Steve Howarth, Head of Design

As a founding member of Erth Visual & Physical Inc., Steve heads up the development, design and creation of the majority of the company’s productions and external commissions. From the Erth studio/workshop he supervises a team of artists and makers in the creation of the puppets, sets, props, costumes and associated elements that are on constant tour around the globe. With a background in visual arts and sculpture, Steve has overseen the daily production of giant, teeth-gnashing dinosaurs and inflatable monsters that spring from traditional fine arts and textiles work, engaged with a variety of performers, artists, audiences and organisations, and worked across a range of media and creative platforms. Steve also mentors design students from tertiary institutions and assists emerging artists in the implementation of their craft.

Katrina Lynch, Maker

Katrina has been a maker at Erth for 15 years, following work in film, TV and theatre. Prior to this, she obtained a degree in prop making at NIDA. She studied fine arts, Museum Techniques and Anatomical methods at TAFE. She is an ethical taxidermist who also works on skeletal preparation involving a beetle colony. Katrina’s artistic practice has evolved into the experimental mummification of small animals, creating copper sculptures using electroplating techniques. Katrina has been part of several group art exhibitions, and was awarded the Greenway small sculpture prize in 2016. She has over thirty sculptures in private art collections.

Sharon Kerr, Founding Company Member (1991-2021)

Sharon was the Executive Director and one of the founding members of Erth.  Originally trained as a school teacher majoring in drama, Sharon had considerable performance experience.  Prior to helping form Erth, she spent five years in contemporary dance theatre with emphasis on improvisational movement.  Puppetry became a natural extension of this.  As well as a regular performer, Sharon steered the company for many years as its key administrator.  Some of her performance highlights include her aerial harness and flying work, memorable amongst these are from atop the sails of the Sydney Opera House, the spire of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne and from the the 30th floor of the Nge Ann skyscraper in Singapore.

Celia Curtis, Maker

Celia is a multidisciplinary artist. She is an experienced scenic painter, maker and a published scientific illustrator. She also works as a singer and comedian with a history in theatre and circus. 

After graduating from University of SA with a Bachelor of Visual Arts with a painting major in 1999, Celia travelled Australia for 5 years as the ringleader of notorious circus Freakshow, Circus Bizarre. 

She first worked as a scenic painter for Erth Visual & Physical in 2003, moving on to numerous other theatres and companies including The Opera House. After ten years of prolific work in theatre, TV, illustration and rock band White Knuckle Fever, she returned to Erth in 2013 where she continues to work part time as head of the painting department.

Celia also completed an artist residency at the Australian National Insect Collection in 2016, in the Lepidoptera section. She has since had multiple scientific illustrations published in America for lepidopterist  Dr. Sandra Schachat;  and has also illustrated birds for NSW South East Local Land Services. Celia continues to explore paleo art and design paint schemes with enthusiasm.