Caroline Meaden

Caroline Meaden is a performer, choreographer, teacher and speech pathologist based in Narrm/Melbourne, and working at the intersection of dance, language and theatre.

She has created and performed original choreographic works for festivals and presenters including Dance Massive, Next Wave, Festival of Live Art, Melbourne Fringe, Keir Choreographic Award Commission, the MEL&NYC Festival, Artshouse, the Substation, Union House Theatre, Northcote Town Hall and Abbotsford Convent. Caroline has received a Creative Victoria Creators Fund Grant enabling development of her major work, Molly presented by Union House Theatre (where she was the 2023 Artist in Residence) and University of Melbourne Arts and Culture in 2024. She has also received a career development grant from Creative Australia, enabling travel and professional development with her collaboration, Alice Will Caroline (Alice Dixon, William McBride, Caroline Meaden). With Alice Will Caroline she was 2024 Artistic Director in Residence at Lucy Guerin Inc, as well as an Artist in Residence at the Australian Ballet.

Awards include Green Room Award nominations for Best Performer, Ensemble Performance and Choreography, with a win for Ensemble Performance for Alice Will Caroline’s Doors Shut presented by Temperance Hall in 2019. Alice Will Caroline have received multiple Melbourne Fringe Awards, and in 2022 were awarded a Chloe Munro Fellowship in association with Lucy Guerin Inc.

Caroline’s teaching experience and choreographic commissions include Victorian College of the Arts, Union House Theatre, Yellow Wheel and Transit Dance. As a performer she has collaborated with artists and companies including Phillip Adams Balletlab, Shelley Lasica, Michelle Heaven, Sandra Parker, Nat Cursio Co, Paea Leach, Katerina Kokkinos Kennedy/Triage Live Arts Collective, Reckless Sleepers (BEL/UK), Anna Smith, Malia Johnston (NZ), Sibylle Peters and Opera Australia. She has worked with New York-based artists Walter Dundervill, Iki Nakagawa and Monica Bill Barnes, and in 2018 was selected from a national callout to perform Merce Cunningham Company repertoire as part of the National Gallery of Australia’s American Masters exhibition, directed by Merce Cunningham Trust stager, Jamie Scott.

Since 2024 Caroline has worked as a paediatric Speech Pathologist alongside her dance practice. She is also a trained audio describer and has directed movement for theatre.