Welcome to Episode 13 of 25 Years, 25 Artists. This week, Tabitha is joined by Olivia French, a performer, director, producer, and all-round creative force who’s never met an artistic challenge she didn’t want to explore.

Olivia’s love for performing sparked in high school, but it was the pandemic that rerouted her journey into the world of podcasting and deeper creative collaboration. Living in Ballarat, she became involved with BAF — a community that helped her connect with like-minded artists and launch a gothic literature-inspired project with co-creator Alexandra Meerbach. With spoken word and haunting visuals, their grant-supported vision grew into something far bigger than they imagined.

Now based on the sunny Gold Coast, Olivia continues to feed her passion for the stage while staying connected to her Ballarat roots. In this episode, Tabitha and Olivia unpack the creative pivots Covid inspired, the thrill of directing, and the ever-present shadow of imposter syndrome — a recurring theme in this series.

If you’ve ever doubted your worth or hesitated to put your ideas forward, this one’s for you. Let’s dive in.