Katie Cooper-Wares doesn’t just make art—she engineers joy, mischief, and meaningful connection in equal measure.
An Australian interdisciplinary performance artist based in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Katie is the creative force behind The Contagious Joy Effect (@thecontagiousjoyeffect), a bold, socially engaged platform where dance, theatre, storytelling, and comedy collide. Her work lives at the intersection of the playful and the profound—crafting immersive, site-specific experiences that invite audiences not just to witness, but to participate, disrupt, and belong.
Neurodivergent and proudly so, Katie brings a fiercely inclusive lens to everything she creates. Her participatory works celebrate all bodies, all ages, and all the beautifully complex ways we move through the world. From themed dance workshops set to iconic albums, to large-scale interactive installations and absurdly delightful public interventions, her practice is as expansive as it is deeply human.
But beneath the sparkle is substance. Following the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, Katie emerged as a leading voice in arts-led recovery—using creative practice as a form of collective care. Through collaborative projects, workshops, and her founding of the Creative First Aid Alliance, she champions the role of art in processing grief, rebuilding connection, and restoring agency in times of crisis.
A collaborator at heart, Katie has worked alongside organisations including Sprung!! Integrated Dance Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, NORPA, and regional galleries, consistently advocating for d/Deaf and disabled artists and audiences. Whether she’s directing a festival takeover, facilitating a community workshop, or mentoring emerging creatives, her approach is grounded in curiosity, responsiveness, and a refusal to make boring art.
‘Professional yet playful, rigorous yet rebellious—Katie Cooper-Wares creates spaces where people can feel, move, laugh, and heal. And if you leave one of her experiences feeling lighter, braver, or unexpectedly joyful… well, that’s entirely the point’.
“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
―Howard Thurman