Bio
Nicolette Forte
Nicolette Forte is a dynamic and multi-faceted artist whose creative practice spans music, theatre, visual arts, and community engagement. With two decades of experience, she brings a rare generosity of spirit and an innate ability to connect deeply with people from all walks of life. Her artistic journey is a vibrant fusion of disciplines, reflecting her boundless curiosity and commitment to creative expression.
A graduate of Swinburne University’s Small Companies and Community Theatre program (2007), Nicolette has been a dedicated performer, theatre-maker, and arts facilitator ever since. Early in her career, she co-created and toured Billie’s Backyard, an acclaimed Theatre in Education production with performance troupe Theatre on Toast.
Since then, she has performed at Melbourne, Adelaide, and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals (2013–present), and has worked in creative support roles with Rag Theatre, City of Voices Theatre, Y-GLAM Youth Theatre, Polyglot, SPARC, and All The Queens Men (2011–present). Her community arts projects have been in collaboration with organisations such as Port Phillip Community Group, Stonnington Council, City of Port Phillip, and Sacred Heart Mission (2015–2019).
For over a decade, Nicolette has been a teaching artist at St Martins Youth Theatre (2015–present), facilitating theatre programs for young people aged 5–18, with a focus on outreach initiatives in Dandenong, Frankston, St Albans, and Prahran. Her ability to empower emerging artists and changemakers underscores her commitment to fostering the next generation of storytellers.
“Nicolette is a dream to work with - her enthusiasm, musical talent and creative ideas are an asset to any team. She listens to the children and teenagers she works with and they respond by giving their trust and respect, which all makes for a wonderful collaborative atmosphere in the rehearsal room…”
-Nadja Kostich
Artistic Director and CEO
St Martins Youth Arts Centre
Nicolette also founded and hosted Forte Jam, a thriving open mic night that ran weekly across various venues from 2011 to 2014. This platform allowed her to refine her skills as an MC while nurturing a strong sense of community through live music and storytelling.
Beyond the stage, Nicolette is a passionate advocate for inclusion, diversity, and community-driven art. Her lived experience as a queer, neurodivergent, big brown babe informs her practice, fostering safe and uplifting creative spaces for people of all abilities and backgrounds. Whether through performance, mentorship, or community projects, Nicolette’s ethos shines through in everything she does—celebrating connection, self-expression, and the power of storytelling.
As a musician, Nicolette’s debut EP Rescue Me (2012) received national airplay on Triple J, PBS, and Joy FM, following a sold-out launch. She has since performed at major festivals and venues across Australia, including St Kilda Festival (2011, 2012, 2015), Moomba Melbourne (2013), ChillOut Festival Daylesford (2010–2015), Out in the Open Shepparton (2014), and Pako Festa Geelong (2012). Her international performances have taken her to The Bedford (London), Madame Claude (Berlin), and a residency at God’s Own Country Kitchen (Varkala, India). A career highlight came in 2013 when she was invited to perform for Her Majesty Sultanah Haminah Hamidun, the Honorable Queen of Malaysia.