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Janelle Da Silva

Mama Boho (AKA Janelle Da Silva) is a decolonising multi-hyphenated artist, speaker, ultra marathoner, birthworker and philanthropist. Her work has featured on TEDx, international and national television networks, film, stage, festivals, radio stations and podcasts. Described as an “awesome” performer by Cathy Freeman, Mama Boho is a proudly queer, fiercely independent, intersectional womxn-of-colour, and a passionate advocate for social change through the arts.
When:
Thursday the 4th of Feb - 2021
twosixty.

Proudly a queer, intersectional feminist and a fiercely autonomous creative, Janelle is a passionate advocate for social change through the arts.

Janelle Da Silva has been in the professional arts and entertainment industry for twenty years.

Cutting her teeth at the ABC as a co-host of the live music television show Recovery, Janelle went on to acting & presenting on Channel 9, 10, the BBC & hosting live arts events. After studying Acting at the National Theatre in St.Kilda she continued onto a graduate diploma in Experiential & Creative Arts Therapy. This was her introduction into performance art. ​Branching into spoken word poetry, Janelle began featuring at independent arts events and festivals. From here she devised, Birthing The Mother, a six-week body-centred program for people who identify as women, that offers uncensored storytelling and improvised performance.

works

In 2016 Janelle formed Cherrypop Productions with two other co-producers and began We Of The Night. WOTN showcases emerging and established artists in the Geelong and Surfcoast region engaging the local community to support the arts and promotes socially conscious projects. 

A personal philanthropic project launched in 2016 is Janelle's  RunBitchRun campaign, raising money running marathons for the Cathy Freeman Foundation. Born from her own experience of racism, she is passionate about obliterating the gap in education for the 1600 kids living in remote communities. Her goal this year is to take her fundraising tally up to $25,000.

In 2017, Janelle directed, produced and performed in three original projects in the Melbourne Fringe Festival; a collaborative with twenty erotic artists, a free publics arts life drawing installation with her serpent and her first one-person show. Enjoying a full sellout season for both shows.​

This year she is focusing on touring her one-person show, Frankghanistan which has already enjoyed a sellout season at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, received 5 star reviews from Mullumbimby, NSW and will be remounting in Darwin for the Fringe Festival in July. 

twosixty.
twosixty.