To commemorate International Women’s Day 2024, we’re putting the spotlight on our incredible Master of Arts Screen: Business (MASB) alumnae, highlighting their achievements, their perspectives on leadership in the screen industry, and the impact of education on their careers as screen business leaders.  

Sarah Price founded Castaway NT, focusing on the creation of opportunities for First Nations emerging talent in regional and remote communities, she is immersed in the vibrant growth of NT’s screen sector, paralleling Australia’s ecosystem growth. 

Tell us a little more about your current role or focus area.

I’m a casting Director and producer based in Darwin in the Northern Territory. I founded the NT’s only casting business – Castaway NT. My key area of focus is creating opportunities for emerging acting talent especially First Nations talent which not only have a deep and entrenched well of innate performance expertise but also face considerable barriers to careers in the screen sector – especially those in regional and remote communities. I’m currently working on (and have received funding for) a project inspired by the research I completed while completing my capstone project as part of the MASB course at AFTRS. This will not only create skilling and bespoke pathways into a screen career for First Nations actors but will also enable a framework for screen producers to create culturally safe workplaces for those diverse talent.  

How do you approach leadership in the screen industry, and what perspectives can you share about fostering inclusivity and gender equality within this sector?

While navigating a path in a small, regional industry such as the Northern Territory is challenging, I’m also fortunate to be immersed in the burgeoning Northern Territory screen sector which is just beginning to hit its stride as a key player within Australia’s screen ecosystem. This has provided me with many opportunities to become a leader in this space especially in the area of diverse casting. There’s a great opportunity to lead by example, and as both the industry and my own leadership capabilities grow, I can illustrate the importance of inclusivity and gender equality as enterprises and industry form and scale.  

In honour of International Women’s Day, could you elaborate on what tools and mindset you draw on to challenge traditional gender norms and advocate for diverse voices and stories in the screen business?

As I grow my own enterprise, I am embedding key values and principals into the business structure and culture. Key to this is representation – embedding diversity into corporate values as we grow our own headcount and develop recruitment and talent management policies and procedures that support diverse talent. I also actively seek to promote opportunities for diverse emerging talent with whom I collaborate. Collaboration is also very much a key tool. Working and collaborating with diverse stakeholders – be they suppliers, employees or advisors is the key to better business performance and outcomes. 

Is there a female or female-identifying leader in the screen sector whose work you have found particularly inspiring?

I find the work of award-winning Bus Stop Films CEO Tracey Corbin- Matchett and Founder Genevieve Clay Smith incredible. Their journey of creating opportunities for diverse screen talent as well as changing community attitudes within the industry around cast and crew with a disability has been nothing short of extraordinary and inspirational for my own business practice. 

Reflecting on your journey through the Master of Arts Screen: Business, how do see your leadership and the skills you developed advancing the screen industry?

Completing MASB was a game changer for me professionally, personally and also for my business. It allowed me to clarify and consolidate my role and where I fit within both a local (NT) and national context. It illuminated my pathway in the industry as a leader and gave me skills and confidence to forge ahead. I am now working on creating a suite of tools and services that will enhance and consolidate the role of diversity within the screen sector nationally. 

What leadership skills do you see as being essential for the next generation of screen leaders?

I believe the next generation of leaders will need resilience and tenacity to face the considerable challenges ahead; integrity to lead by example and forge an ethical pathway forward; and communication and relationship building skills as partnerships are integral to success in this industry. They will also need the ability to both develop and articulate a clear vision and to unit people behind that vision.  

What advice would you give someone considering studying the Master of Arts Screen: Business?

Just do it. Not only it will help galvanise your direction in the industry, it will provide you with the skills, confidence and knowledge to forge ahead. You’ll also meet some amazing people that will be your future collaborators, advisors, mentors and if you’re really lucky, lifelong friends.  

Read more interviews here. 

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