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Shirley Van Sanden Shirley Van Sanden i(A71487 works by)
Born: Established: ca. 1961 Penang,
c
Malaysia,
c
Southeast Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,
;
Gender: Female
Arrived in Australia: 1971
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BiographyHistory

For six years Shirley Van Sanden lived in Singapore before emigrating to Australia where she graduated from the Murdoch University School of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. Her cultural interests are linked to Drama - she has worked with various local theatre companies - and to writing; mainly playscripts. Her play Baby Brother was produced by the Acting Out Theatre Company in 1987. In 1995/96 she wrote scenarios for live performance and video on grief and stress. The latter were used in practice situations by final year veterinary students. Van Sanden has worked extensively as an actor, and has written for children's television as well as for the stage.

Most Referenced Works

Awards for Works

Trains of Thought 2006 single work drama young adult

'Andrew and Robbo are best mates, fans of action movies and frequent travelers on Perth trains. When Andrew witnesses white supremacists hassling Chien, he does nothing, despite sharing Chien's Chinese-Australian background. Robbo tries to educate his mate through Hong Kong martial art films starring Jet Li but Andrew is more interested in the video store salesgirl, Rebecca. When the pharmacy owned by Andrew's karaoke-loving parents is fire-bombed, he is caught up in spiraling racially-charged street violence...

'This pacy play explores the tensions that spread from suburban train stations where people from diverse backgrounds meet. But where do the roots of these tensions lie and what brings out the fears and preconceptions that so easily lead to trouble?'

Source: Barking Gecko Theatre Company website, http://www.barkinggecko.com.au/
Sighted: 02/08/2007

2007 nominated AWGIE Awards Theatre For Young People Award
y separately published work icon Hidden Dragons 2005 Hobart : Australian Script Centre , 2006 Z1219614 2005 single work drama children's Brendan is an Australian-born Chinese boy who is having difficulty accepting his Chinese heritage. On the morning of his 11th birthday, Brendan experiences a recurring nightmare where he witnesses a fight between a red and a blue dragon. His grandmother's ghost enlists the help of his best friend to help him accept his 'dragons'. - from synopsis (Collection #6 (2006), p.17)
2005 shortlisted AWGIE Awards Children's Award Theatre
form y separately published work icon The Sleepover Club ( dir. Arnie Custo et. al. )agent Australia : Burberry Productions Nine Network , 2003-2007 Z1883334 2003-2007 series - publisher film/TV

'Based on the popular books by Rose Impey, this comedy-drama series features five 12-year-old girls on their quest for identity, individuality, belonging, family, friendship and how to have the most fun while trying to deny the existence of boys.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 3/12/2013)

2007 nominated AFI Awards Australian Film Institute Awards Best Children's Television Drama
Last amended 16 Jun 2016 09:41:04
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