Dr Margi Brown Ash is an educator, theatre-maker, therapist, researcher, facilitator, and mentor with over 45 years of experience, based in Brisbane, and working nationally as a guest educator/mentor/creator (Queensland, Victoria, N.S.W., Tasmania and Western Australia). In 2003, she founded 4change coaching and counselling, based at Metro Arts for 16 years. Now based in Pullenvale, she works both individually with artists and those who want more creativity in their lives, and in group settings. ‍ ‍

Margi has also been employed by Queensland University of Technology, University of Queensland, Curtin University Perth, Sydney Theatre Company, and internationally as a facilitator/mentor/coach, a highlight being at Arteles Creative Center Finland (April and May 2019 & 2022) where she was invited to host her own program New Course.

This year, Margi hosted the 5-day inaugural Future Stages Symposium at Theatre Works, Melbourne, created by Steven Mitchell Wright and Diane Toulson.

In 2023, 2024, and 2025, Margi was invited to Cairns and Magnetic Island to mentor Far North Queensland Artists. She has worked on the Sunshine Coast in their arts incubator program as a mentor, and at the Gold Coast’s HOTA, guest mentoring visual and performing artists. Margi has often worked with Playlab, hosting workshops to explore creative practice. In Melbourne (Performing Lines), she mentored physical performers, and in Hobart, Margi mentored theatre makers at Theatre Royal.

Margi is also an experienced therapist, having trained in Counselling (MasterC), Creative Arts Therapy (Grad.Dip), and Adolescent Health and Welfare (Grad. Dip). She was subject co-ordinator, lecturer, and tutor in the Psychology and Counselling School at QUT for several years before returning to theatre full time. Her theatrical PhD combined both these worlds, the world of theatre and the world of therapy, titled House of Homes, exploring the importance of home, belonging and creative practice.

Margi has been a guest speaker at many International Conferences, including the Communicating the Arts Conference in both Montreal and Sydney (2019). In 2022, Margi presented the Opening Keynote Address for Drama Queensland State Conference, Elevate. She also presented a series of workshops for the Emerging Directors Program at Theatre Works, Melbourne.

For several decades, Margi lectured in the Drama Degree at QUT, then worked with incoming acting students as Coach, helping them establish a unique set of Group Norms and introducing them to the power of Group Processes and Group Dynamics.

Margi was commissioned to co-write a new work, Wanderings, with award-winning theatre makers Zac Callaghan and Leah Mercer, focusing on transitions, transitioning, and relationships. Wanderings had a season at Queensland Theatre in November/December 2024, after winning a place in their new Door 3 Program and was nominated for multiple awards, including Best Performance (Brown Ash), Best Set Design and the Lord Mayor’s Best New Australian Play. It will be published 2026 by ATP, Australia.

Margi co-created and performed a trilogy of multi-award-winning plays, Home, EVE and He Dreamed a Train, now published by Playlab under the name The Belonging Trilogy with multiple seasons at La Boite, The Blue Room Perth, Queensland Theatre, Metro Arts, and Brisbane Powerhouse. She also performed in the La Boite Theatre season, the Sydney Festival’s Belvoir Street season, and the national tour of Prize Fighter and Queensland Theatre & Dead Puppet Society’s The Wider Earth culminating in a season for the Sydney Festival’s Sydney Opera House.

Margi is the Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director of The Nest Ensemble and, through years of post-graduate research, has created the Relational Impulse Cultural Collaborative Process (RICC). An outcome of her PhD, RICC is a postmodern arts program that helps participants do their best work and at the same time turn up as the best version of themselves.

Margi engages in weekly writing workshops with her academic theatre colleagues and friends, where they create a nurturing, vibrant environment to dream up ideas related to creative eco-awareness, creative ageing, and wisdom making.

For the last decade, Margi has been focusing on meditative and yoga practices, mentored by some of Australia’s leading yoga teachers: Judy Krupp (Sydney), who guided Margi through her Level 1 and Level 2 Yoga Teacher Training; Chanthalah Webster-Tight (Brisbane); Tamara James (Byron Bay); Kay Ashwood (Brisbane); and throughout 2024 and 2025, Margi completed her Yoga Teacher Training Program with Kate Pell (Kangaroo Valley).

Margi also completed her Certificate in Meditation with Nalanda Institute, NYC (2023-2024) and studied Nalanda’s Embodiment and Tibetan Buddhism in 2025.

Sangha for Artists of Life

(https://www.facebook.com/groups/835515145022233) .

Over three years ago, Margi formed a Facebook group called Sangha for Artists of Life. All Sangha members are invited to attend meditation and writing sessions with Margi on Zoom; these sessions are free for her arts community.

Sessions are two hours long, including meditation (25 minutes), writing (25 minutes), and then, if we are moved to, sharing the writing with the group.

Australian Winter times are Sunday (9 am AEST), Wednesday (4 pm AEST, 12 pm AEST), and Friday at 12.00 pm AEST.

Not everyone can engage in 2-hour blocks, so some people come just for the meditation; it is always up to you. How welcome you will be. Contact Margi, and she will link you to the group and the WhatsApp page.

From those who’ve worked with MBA:

“Margi has a unique gift for working with artists. She meets us exactly where we are: in times of ebb and flow, inspiration and block, excitement and frustration. She made me feel heard and valued, helped me connect with my authenticity and uniqueness, and challenged and encouraged my artist to express herself - even when she was fighting me every step of the way. Margi has shown deep compassion and empathy in some of my darkest days and, with humour and curiosity, she also led me toward the lightness and play that is available to all of us. Thank you Margi. I am forever grateful, and I know I will use the tools you’ve given me long into the future.”

— L. S. WORKSHOP ARTIST

“Full of energy and passion for the work of teaching and learning. Models openness to learning and personal and professional development. Respectful and collaborative as well as supportive and adaptable. Walks the talk - a great role model, mentor and teacher.”

— STUDENT OF MASTER OF COUNSELLING

“Margi and teaching go hand in hand. The passion, warmth and safety created in the class environment made you want to get in and participate. Her respect and interest in each student is genuine and the classes were lively, fun yet full of learning, questioning and the ability to walk away and be reflective.”

— STUDENT OF MASTER OF COUNSELLING