TisArt Consultancy

TisArt a passionate advocate of the Arts;
promoting inclusive transformative art practice.


Training and Development
Professional Development for artists and teachers.
Liaise between artist and schools and organisations.
Mentor / impart teaching skills and pedagogy.

Project Management
Co-ordinate exhibitions / projects / events.
Design and implement community art projects.
Curate and hang exhibitions.

Art Skill Workshops
Puppets- making to performance.
Sculpture and site-specific installation.
Concept development.



Sessions tailored for groups or individuals, integrating culturally appropriate and reflective practices. Through consultation and negotiation TisArt provides opportunity to explore personal responses through the Arts. Fees negotiated on a project-by-project basis.

blog free self funded residency.

no phone, no computer India unplugged

With some trepidation I relinquish links to cyber space for 6 whole weeks. Family too leaving I pods and psp. No Blog, no nada. A retro postcard-type introspective exploration of the immediate.

10 days in Northern India starting with a brief stay at Sanskriti Kendra - an art residency, a quick view of the Himalaya, the Taj Mahal and visit another art resdiecy- Jaipur Inn. Then fly to Bangalore to meet Prahbu a 'popet' maker and slow down the pace to cruise by local transport though southern India for a month doing who knows what- hopefully no much. Finishing at a four day pongal - cow festival with sculptures of fruit (your guess is as good as mine!!)

Sip a Singapore sling with my sister and catch up on details of her families trip to Nepal before returning to OZ to re join the rat race.

Project Co-ordinator

Currently I am working for Carclew Youth Arts at Tailem Bend Primary with Luku and Danica conducting Flash Animation workshops with the senior primary students. Crazy characters are being designed then put to motion for the School concert early December09.

It is a whole school performance of Pinocchio so there is latitude for plenty of interesting animations and a nice cross over to Puppetry. My Sri Lankan Demon Dancer Marionette did a recess demo and caused quite a commotion - some thought it was real and a bit too scary. Most were happy that he was exercising any evil from the yard.

Sydney Residency 09

From September 21 - October 25 Tis is Artist-in-Residence at Marrickville Council, NSW.


This Professional Development opportunity will have three main areas.

-Investigation into puppets and their role in conveying culture.

-Emphemeral installations as part of '2042' a street festival in Newtown.

-observing the contemporary art scene in inner Sydney and making connections with NSW artist and Galleries

Elephants of Sri Lanka

Articulation is a sculptural response to experiences from a recent residency to Thailand and Sri Lanka where Tis Milner-Nichols interacted with Makhampom, a community cultural development foundation, and participated in a mentorship with Nalin Gamvary a traditional Sri Lankan puppeteer.

Artist statement
Focusing on form and texture Tis Milner-Nichols selects materials for their inherent qualities. The resultant sculptural language develops a narrative to explore the gap between encounter and interpretation.

The Devil Dancer series is inspired by the marionette of a traditional Sinhalese ‘Demon Dancer’. At the pinnacle of the ritual performance the 18 demons are exorcised and banished to restore equanimity and wellbeing of an individual or a place. In Sri Lanka, until very recent times, performances by costumed demon dancers and it’s replication with hand carved marionettes occurred regularly through out the regions. The demise of these ancient traditions is imminent with the rapid growth of consumer culture.

Series 2 Conundrum – a riddle, question, problem, enigma, in fact any puzzling question. The skeletons from which the parts of the figures have been displaced resemble a child’s puzzle, bringing to mind that ‘the whole is more than the sum of the parts.’ Life is a voyage of discovery, some basic elements apply to all humanity other aspects vary greatly. Culture acts as a framework by which to navigate.

This solo exhibition is at Nexus Gallery April 30 - June 5, 2009

Art Residency- Sri Lanka & Thailand.

In July / August 2008 Tis Milner -Nichols and family will be travelling abroad to study the cultural significance of puppets and masks in conveying stories and customs.

Commencing in Northern Thailand with 'Makhampom' a communty cultural development organisation then on to Sri Lanka south coast to be mentored by Nalin Gamvary - the last traditional puppeteer and on to the hill town of Kandy to observe Dance and puppetry performances as well as visit significant cultural sites and conducting workshops in schools.

Tis is investigating Art as cultural short-hand by examining the refinement of cultural practice and story telling through visual art. Puppets and masks viewed as sculptural objects, rather than through performance, convey meaning through gestures incorporated in their basic form and via adornment. Tis will explore avenues that masks and puppets offer to cultivate and transmit stories and customs. On return to Australia Tis is looking forward to sharing her findings through wokshops and presentations in a range of forums.

Thanks to generous support from the Australia Council for the Arts.

digital story -Butterfly Dreaming.

Gesture Exhibition

Gesture shows the latest explorations of four emerging artists, Silvana Angelakis, Sue Michael, Tis Milner Nichols and Elizabeth Wojciak. Their observations of and reflection upon the human condition has led to work that explores a range of experiences through the mediums of painting, photography, drawing and sculpture.

Some works are intimate observations of the poignant in the everyday; others bring physical form to the hidden world of the unconscious. Some deal with the way the inner world is hidden or manipulated in order to create an acceptable, external image, whilst others strip back the layers to reveal an innate awkwardness and vulnerability.

This diverse range of approaches and styles are linked by the exhibitions title, Gesture, to create a sensitive and intriguing exhibition.

Professor Kay Lawrence AM, Head of School, South Australian School of Art, UniSA, will open the exhibition. There is an accompanying essay by Melinda Rankin. The artists have been kindly supported by a grant from ArtsSA.

The Light Square Gallery, Adelaide Centre for the Arts, will host this exhibition, opening Wednesday August 28th between 6-8pm. It will run until September 20th