Top of the Class: Cool People Doing Cool Stuff
We speak with some of South Australia’s most exciting creatives about breaking boundaries in their respective industries and finding their path
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Ren Williams
Actor, Creator and Theatre Maker – Flinders Alumni
Tell us about who you are and how you got your start in the acting industry.
My name is Ren Williams and I am a professional stage and screen actor (7 year old me would be pinching myself). Graduating with Honours in 2020 from Flinders Drama Centre launched my career into what it is today - having made the connections within the industry in my final year and by being confident in my craft. After graduating I knew opportunities wouldn’t catapult towards me so I hustled hard. Auditioned for any unpaid film on Facebook I could find, started my own theatre company with my uni friends - and it lead me to working on creative developments that lead to bigger productions a couple years ahead and set my career up.
You co-founded independent theatre company CRAM collective in 2021. How did this come about?
During Drama Centre I not only learnt how to make my own work post graduating, but I made some great life-long friendships and working relationships. CRAM not only stands for Create, Revive, Augment & Merge - our core values - but it also stands for Connor Reidy, Ren Williams, Aarod Vawser and Melissa Pullinger, the four co-founders and my fellow uni classmates. Four years and going strong, CRAM has been an artistic outlet for us to make our own work and to collaborate and cram together local independent artists.
What have been some of your career highlights so far?
There have been SO many great moments over these last 4 years. One to note would be touring North America as Bluey’s puppeteer in Bluey’s Big Play. Seeing the world and the chance to perform to thousands of die-hard Bluey fans was a dream come true. Another would be - at 15 my life was forever changed watching a Slingsby theatre show. 10 years later - I’m now working on Slingsby’s trilogy ‘A Concise Compendium of Wonder’ where for 3 years I’ve had the privilege of collaborating and performing within 3 fabulous shows which will have a future life touring.
What do you wish people knew about your industry?
Nepo babies aside… I think there is a LOT more hustle involved than one might think. You will face a lot of rejection and a lot of unpaid work… but through all of that if you have the passion, the drive and the dream and you keep at it because you can’t imagine doing anything else - it is so damn rewarding.
What advice would you have for someone looking to work in your industry?
As cliche as it sounds - dive into the industry as YOURSELF and bring YOU to your work. Audiences and employers don’t want a carbon copy of what you think they might be looking for - people that already exist - the Arts World needs YOUR authentic self, YOUR stories, YOUR truth, YOUR own magic pizzazz and YOUR energy you bring to the work. By being yourself, people will want to work with you - AND you’ll be far happier rather than trying to fit within a certain squishy box.
Image Emma Brasier
tom Oswald
Owner of homeboy café (two tram stops from Flinders City Campus)
Tell us about your pathway to now.
My name is Tom and I run homeboy cafe! Before the busy spot in the CBD - we gotta bring it back to the beginning. It all started in high school when the interest in working at a cafe landed me a role as a dishy at La Crema in St Marys. I was horrible at making coffee but tried my best to sneak myself on the machine as much as possible to get better. Push forward to 2023, when an amazing opportunity to run a pop-up cafe at the beautiful Thiele’s shop in collaboration with The Paintbox in Hahndorf came up. Nervous and unprepared I decided to throw myself in the deep end and get started. With a slow start, and through documenting the life on social media, the pop-up cafe started to gain traction. And after about a year in operation I saved up enough money to start my own space in the CBD with the help of Renew Adelaide!
What motivated you to open your own café as a teen?
I always loved the nature and beauty of business. I never knew what industry I’d end up in but always knew it would be business related. My love for the cafe industry only grew the more I was amongst it and made me want to start something myself. The community, the complexity and depth of coffee understanding, working with amazing people and the ability to creatively express through the business is what kept me loving it!
What role has social media (Instagram and TikTok) played in Homeboy’s brand, from conception to now?
Social media has been one of the biggest factors to the brands growth. The videos were there from the start, allowing the customers to see the entire journey - start to finish.
What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt from running Homeboy?
To be optimistic in every situation. There’s always going to be setbacks but remaining positive and trusting that things would work out was vital for me.
Any advice for someone looking to be where you are?
Get started! Start small - whether its finding a pop-up spot or making videos from your own home - getting the concept out there is everything! If you know the concept can work, you know you can grow it! Have trust in your taste, be authentic and share your passion with the world.
