Marta Kaczmarek

Actor, poet and performer Marta Kaczmarek awarded a Cavalier Cross by the Polish government for her efforts to spread Polish culture in Australia. She has appeared in Shine and Underbelly.

Marta Kaczmarek trained at the Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Krakow, Poland. Her debut as Natasha in Dostoyevsky’s War and Peace preceded roles such as Aglaya in Idiot and Viola in Twelfth Night, and more recently in film and television in Shine, Underbelly and The Circuit.

In 1982, with a young family, she arrived in Perth and worked as a dancer, waitress, real estate agent, actor, director, and lecturer at Edith Cowan University. Her book of poems, Ziemia Przybrana (Adopted Earth) was published in 2004.

Following her daughter, Marta has made Melbourne home, directing community projects in Glenroy and Albion as well as a production for the 2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

In 2004 Marta was awarded a Cavalier Cross by the Polish government for her longstanding efforts in the cultivation of Polish culture in Australia. She is currently developing a WWII commemorative project with the Polish community and completing a Diploma of Community Services.