The PYT Fairfield Company is an Artist-in-Residence program that nurtures Western Sydney’s most promising emerging theatre-makers. An off-shoot of the PYT Fairfield Ensemble — a collective of young adults (18–28) from Fairfield and surrounding suburbs — the Company provides a select group of eight artists with a paid opportunity to develop an original Australian theatre work.

Launched in 2022, the PYT Company is curated by PYT’s Creative Producer – Youth and Emerging, AWGIE-nominated writer Bina Bhattacharya, who offers dramaturgical and producing support. Over six months, participants engage in an intensive, bootcamp-style theatre-making process, refining their skills and collaborating to create a work uniquely their own.

Beyond the creative process, the program offers a broader industry perspective through an interstate study tour. Thanks to the generous support of New Annual Festival, this year’s cohort travelled to Newcastle for a weekend of performances designed to inspire and expand their understanding of a creative career.

The 2025 Company program participants are (L-R):

Director-in-Residence – Neda Taha
Assistant Director-in-Residence – Jollee Hacadurian-Sacco
Writer-in-Residence – Daniel Mehareb
Technician-in-Residence – Sansona Trinh
Producer-in-Residence – Benjamin La
Performer-in-Residence – Nandika Nellicka
Performer-in-Residence – Riddhi Dua
Performer-in-Residence – Jayden Le

See below for bios:

Neda Taha
Director-in-Residence
Neda Taha is a Tongan-Iraqi interdisciplinary artist from Western Sydney whose creative journey began in street hip-hop as a young founding member of the award-winning dance crew, The Pioneers. Her work spans dance, theatre, and film, with performances that have graced prestigious stages like the Sydney Opera House and at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. Neda’s talents as an actor and deviser are highlighted with credits in the Helpmann-nominated dance theatre show ‘Playlist’ (dir. Kaz Therese), and short film ‘The Whispering Glass’ (dir. Taofia Pelesasa), which premiered to a sold-out crowd at the Sydney Opera House. Neda also gained recognition as the principal dancer in BLKB3RY’s viral music video ‘Ha’ele Ki Pilitania’, which has garnered over 4 million views on YouTube.

In 2023, Neda made her directorial debut with ‘Tuân’s Party’, which enjoyed a sold-out premiere and a critically acclaimed remount season in 2025, earning ★★★★ from WhatsTheShow and praise from ABC Radio’s Rod Quinn as “the best show he’s seen all year.” In 2024, Neda delivered a powerful TEDx talk and performance with The Pioneers for TEDxSydney Youth, showcasing her artistry and community impact on a national platform. Later that year, Neda premiered her new dance theatre work ‘Pioneers’ (dir. Eliam Royalness) as part of the City of Sydney’s Art & About program, advancing her mission to celebrate culture, resilience, and creative expression through movement and storytelling.

Neda is also a dedicated member of PYT Fairfield, where she has made significant contributions as a Director, Actor, Co-Writer, and Senior Tutor for their after-school drama program, Pilots/Junior Ensemble. Her commitment to nurturing young talent, coupled with her impactful work across various artistic disciplines, continues to define her as a vital force in the Australian arts community. Looking ahead, in 2026 Neda will embark on the development of her first solo work, ‘Finding Jody Jenkins’, marking a new chapter in her artistic practice. This project will see her deepen her craft as a performer, writer, and multidisciplinary storyteller, expanding her voice as an independent artist while continuing to refine the skills that have shaped her career to date.

Jollee Hacadurian-Sacco
Assistant Director-in-Residence
Jollee Hacadurian-Sacco (she/they/he) is a young, SWANA and Italian multidisciplinary artist from the western suburbs of Sydney (Dharug land). They are a member of the 2025 PYT Company, the Arts and Culture lead of the Wear it Purple youth action council (YAC), a staff writer and editor for MENAarts newsletter, and was a part of the 2024-2025 ‘Page to Stage’ cohort with National theatre of Parramatta and NIDA. They have also recently been chosen as part of Pilot 2026 and will be making their stand up debut at Melbourne International Comedy Festival as part of the program. Additionally, they are the recipient of the 2026 Landsdowne scholarship where they will be developing their work ‘Jesus is a friend of mine’. Jollee is very passionate about telling comedic and optimistic stories about their communities and intersectional identities through theatre and film.

Daniel Mehareb
Writer-in-Residence
Daniel is a writer and performer of Egyptian heritage from South West Sydney. He uses poetry and comedy to tell stories of his community for his community. He has previously been a state finalist for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s ‘RAW Comedy Competition‘ and came second with his team in the 2024 ‘Bankstown Poetry Grand Slam‘. He has performed and featured as a poet in poetry slams around Sydney such as the ‘Bankstown Poetry Slam‘, ‘Bread and Butter Poetry Slam‘ and ‘Westside Poetry Slam‘ as well as having performed stand up comedy since 2018.

He is also currently part of National Theatre of Parramatta’s Page to Stage program. Having studied International Relations and Middle Eastern studies at the Australian National University, he aspires to use storytelling as a tool to weave decolonial political and cultural awareness in his art. In 2024, Daniel was one of the lead actors in a four-person Ensemble for PYT’s ‘Sitcom‘ (dir Yvan Karezi), and is part of the 2024 PYT Company as a lead actor.

He is currently working on writing and performing a one man show ‘Big Nose Big Dreams‘ for the 2024 Sydney Fringe Festival.

Sansona Trinh
Technician-in-Residence
Sansona Trinh is an emerging live production technician, and lion & dragon dance performer based in South West Sydney. Jump starting their journey into the production side of events, Sansona completed their Certificate III & IV in Live Production and Technical Services at TAFE NSW in 2024. Soon after, they became assistant technician, later appointed to head lighting technician, for the 2025 season of Short+Sweet Sydney Theatre Festival and was also accepted into PYT Fairfield’s Ensemble where she went on to be selected as the Technician-in-Residence for the prestigious 2025 PYT Company program.

Sansona has 7 years of lion dance and 2 years of dragon dance experience representing Qing Fong Dragon and Lion Dance Team. Over the years they have performed for several celebrations and has competed in Australia’s first National Lion Dance Competition (2025) as part of the Music Team as well as Hua Tiong Luminous Dragon Dance Invitational Competition (2025) in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, as one of the Dragon Players.

They are currently finishing off their study for a Certificate IV in Screen and Media (Animation and Visual Effects) at TAFE NSW and is excited to continue venturing into other types of art forms, supplementing and curating their personal tastes and aspirations as a new artist.

Benjamin La
Producer-in-Residence
Benjamin La is a Writer, Filmmaker, Photographer and Theatre-Maker who loves poetic, nostalgic, heartwarming, slice-of-life stories. He is passionate about character-driven stories exploring the complexities of family and romance.

Benjamin has been published in the StoryFactory anthology ‘Platform 1‘ (2023), writing Chapters ‘In Defence of the Christmas Beetles‘, ‘The Galahs on the Corner of Wendy Avenue‘, and ‘Poems I Wrote |About Her Sitting on the Beach in Newcastle‘ and he has recently been selected to be part of National Theatre of Parramatta’s Page to Stage program. He is currently a resident artist at PYT Fairfield, co-writing a fun, young adult musical about second-generation kids achieving their dreams, ‘Little Big Dreams‘.

Nandika Nellicka
Performer-in-Residence
Nandika Nellicka is an emerging Indian-Australian artist from Western Sydney whose interdisciplinary practice spans dance, music, and acting. Currently undertaking a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Social Science at Western Sydney University, she brings a rich cultural and community-driven perspective to her creative work. Nandika has been involved in performance from a young age and has continued to develop her craft through numerous youth and community arts programs.

Nandika was a member of PYT Fairfield’s Ensemble program from 2023-2025 and was selected to join PYT’s prestigious Company programs in 2024 and 2025. Her performance credits include PYT’s ‘Piano Lounge’ as well as in the children’s works ‘Tahlila – Lullabies Under the Stars’ (dir. Aseel Tayah) and ‘The Friend-Ship: A Naughty-Cool Adventure’ (dir. Neda Taha). She has previously facilitated PYT’s after-school drama program Pilots/Junior Ensemble and in 2024, starred in the short film ‘Waves’ (Dir. Cristobal Olguin), earning a nomination for Best Lead Actor at the 2025 Made in the West Film Festival.

In 2025, Nandika returns to PYT as a Company artist and lead performer in their upcoming work ‘What Are The Odds?’. She is committed to expanding her training across performance disciplines and is passionate about creating hopeful, heart-centred stories that uplift communities and inspire audiences.

Jayden Le
Performer-in-Residence
Jayden Le is an emerging performer, creative writer, voice actor and lighting technician from South-West Sydney. Rocketing his entrance into the arts just this year, the Vietnamese-Indonesian artist brings a youthful passion and enthusiasm whether on the stage, behind the desk or in the booth.

Starting his arts journey in 2025 with PYT Fairfield, Jayden exemplifies an eagerness and a rapid development for stage performance, writing and technical skills. Selected to perform in the prestigious 2025 PYT Company’s newly developed ‘What Are The Odds?’, the young performer has also collaborated with other local arts organsiations such as Outloud Arts and CuriouslyWest in the development of live shows as well as directing his debut short film ‘Our Borrowed Time‘.

Jayden has also developed his craft through PYT’s Masterclass training in lighting, audio, stagecraft and acting, demonstrating his exemplary dedication to building on his skills and involvement supporting local artist residencies. Backstage, Jayden most recently operated as the lighting and audio technician in Roger Ly’s ‘Milk Fruit and Tiger Balm’ and Ala’a Al Qaisa’s ‘The Return’. Fuelled by an intrinsic joy for connecting with others and bringing stories to life, Jayden aspires to further build upon his creative journey and relationships in the industry as a performer and creative on and off the stage.

Riddhi Dua
Performer-in-Residence
Riddhi Dua is an emerging South Asian performer, actor, improviser, comedian, and events producer from Western Sydney. She is deeply passionate about the performing arts, storytelling, and contemporary theatre-making, with a practice grounded in collaboration, humour, and cultural specificity.

Riddhi is a graduate of the New York Film Academy Sydney, where she completed a Diploma in Stage and Screen, majoring in Acting for Film. She has also trained extensively in improvisation, completing three levels of Chicago-style improv at The Improv Conspiracy in Melbourne in 2023. In recognition of her community-focused practice, Riddhi is a recipient of Fairfield City Council’s Community Development Grant, supporting the production of an improvisation show for Youth Week 2026 at PYT.
In 2025, Riddhi was a member of PYT’s Ensemble program, where she reconnected with her theatre-making roots after several years working in corporate roles. This marked a renewed commitment to her practice as a performer and actor, with plans to continue expanding her work across film and theatre in 2026.

Alongside her performance work, Riddhi is the co-founder of Wild Mango, an events and experiences brand producing innovative, culture-forward events, including Bollywood-themed trivia nights. Through Wild Mango, she works as an events producer, combining her love of performance and entertainment with community building, particularly within the South Asian diaspora.

PAST COMPANY ALUMNI

2024 PYT COMPANY

2023 PYT COMPANY

Image credit: Anna Kucera