Joana Pires

Joana Pires

Joana Pires has worked extensively as an actor across film, television and stage. She starred in a main cast role in the Emmy and BAFTA award winning miniseries Mrs Biggs for the Seven Network and UKITV. In 2014, Joana played Mrs. Yousef in the majestic Australian feature film Healing alongside Hugo Weaving and Don Hany. In 2015 Joana made her Melbourne Theatre Company mainstage stage debut in I Call My Brothers. A winner of the 2009 Malthouse Theatre Development Award for her performance of Truth Machine for Malthouse Theatre her other stage credits include Love Boy directed by Susie Dee, Fate directed by Tariro Mavondo both for the Arts Centre Melbourne and Tenderness for the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Sydney directed by Nadja Kostich. As a creator Joana that has lead vibrant and diverse performance work with companies such as St Martins Youth Arts, Arts Access Victoria, Melton City Council, Western Edge and Platform Youth Theatre. She is a lead artist for NBNW, Playback West and AAWE Collective which received the 2014 MIRA award for best inclusive arts group. Joana’s training includes a Post Graduate Certificate in Arts and Social Engagement (VCA), BA Drama & Theatre (La Trobe), extensive acting training with Robert Draffin and Mary Sitarenos (Liminal Theatre Company), Leonid Verzub (Moscow Art Theatre) and writing mentorships with acclaimed writers Christos Tsiolkas (The Slap) and Jenny Kemp (Still Angela). Joana is a published author and in 2008 worked under mentor Christos Tsiolkas to write and perform in the stage production of Waking In Angola (La Mama).