'Joanna Millicer Hempel was born during the Second World War in Edinburgh and is a hybrid of Polish, English and Australian cultures. She began creating theatre while at school in Melbourne, graduated in Psychology at the University of Sydney and completed a Masters in Theatre Studies at the [University of New England]. She formed the Armidale School of Youth Drama (ASYD) while her four sons were growing up and, as writer and director over 20 years, created many plays for the stage. Focusing on issues in the community, a number of her plays for young people have been published and been performed in Australia and USA ... After moving to Sydney in 2000, Hempel opened the Attic Studio in Glebe in 2001 to offer creative drama to adults in Sydney's Inner West.' ( Attic Studio Website:
http://www.atticstudio.com/)
