Creative Awakening - 23/05-Sydney | 30/05- Sunshine Coast

Lineup

• More details about Lara Bianca Pilcher

  Lara Bianca Pilcher

  Lara is a performing artist, author, and ICF PCC-certified creativity coach who has spent more than 25 years helping dancers, actors, singers, writers, musicians, and visual artists reclaim confidence, clarity, and creative identity. Her book Audacious Artistry offers a bold new framework for thriving in a saturated world.

• More details about Hailey McQueen (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Hailey McQueen (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Hailey McQueen is a Sydney-based director, producer and educator whose work is shaped by the belief that that theatre offers a visceral, shared experience that reconnects us to what is fragile, beautiful and deeply human. She is the Artistic Director of Clock & Spiel Productions and has spent over two decades working across the independent theatre sector, directing and producing work that balances humour with emotional truth. She is particularly drawn to stories that are thought-provoking, using humour as a way to draw audiences into complex and often uncomfortable ideas, and inviting them to laugh, reflect and recognise something of themselves. Her recent directing work includes Instructions for Correct Assembly (2025), alongside productions such as Molly Sweeney, Wit, Metamorphosis and The Screwtape Letters, the latter touring nationally to sold-out audiences. Alongside her creative practice, Hailey has lectured in drama and theatre-making for over 15 years at Excelsia University College, where she is passionate about nurturing emerging artists and fostering thoughtful, skilled practitioners. At the heart of her creative journey is a desire to make theatre that reflects the messiness and complexity of real life, work that gathers people in a single space and, for a moment, shifts their perspective, reminding us what it is to feel, to notice and to be human.

• More details about River Bennet (Sydney Event - May 23)

  River Bennet (Sydney Event - May 23)

  River Bennett has a passion for the arts in all it's avenues, it is what sets her heart on fire. River has become a renowned Australian portrait photographer, artist and freelance photo journalist. She is also a company owner of the first hello project https://www.thefirsthelloproject.com/ and the daily hello project alongside her business partner Anabel Litchfield. For many years, she has invested into the lives of people through her photography, writing and speaking - inspiring them, motivating them, training them to see beyond their current reality. She is passionate about seeing people become successful using their unique gifts and talents.

• More details about Anabel Litchfield (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Anabel Litchfield (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Anabel Litchfield is a freelance art director and photographer, working in the creative field for over 20 years, with experience in art direction, brand/visual identity design, campaign creation, photography, and fine art. Whether she's building a brand, directing a campaign, or picking up a camera, she's drawn to stories that matter and the people behind them. She also co-founded The First Hello Project, a long-form birth photography collaboration that spans over a decade, documenting the most significant moments in people's lives. She lives in Sydney with her daughter, Sunday Violet, and considers sleep a legitimate creative practice.

• More details about Sarah Frost (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Sarah Frost (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Sarah is a highly versatile, award-winning visual artist based in the Northwest of Sydney specialising in oil painting, drawing and collage. Throughout her 10-year career Sarah has delved into various areas of interest including botanical studies, portraiture, murals and architectural documentation. Her current focus is a return to her life-long obsession with Surrealism, this time through narrative and figurative landscapes with the goal to capture and translate the mood, atmosphere and imagery of dreams and subconscious nostalgia. Sarah has been a finalist in numerous prestigious awards and was the recipient of the James Gleeson Surrealism Award, a category of the Fisher's Ghost Art Award. With over 200 sold artworks, commissions and commercial work, Sarah enjoys a busy creative life that allows her to continue to deepen her practice and share her visual voice with an international audience.

• More details about Nick Paton (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Nick Paton (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Nick Paton (PATØN) is a Sydney-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer across a multitude of genres including Pop, Indie Pop and CCM. Over the past several years he has co-written and produced records accumulating over 13 million streams, with credits including Moana, Dani Marchio, ELISHIA, Jude York, and Matt Evans, alongside strong editorial playlist and radio support.

• More details about Adrian Marchio (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Adrian Marchio (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Adrian Marchio is a commercial graphic designer, mixed-media artist and self taught airbrush specialist from Sydney. He studied graphic design and has had his own business for 35 years.

• More details about Glory Dance - Andrea and Cristina Tacuri (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Glory Dance - Andrea and Cristina Tacuri (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Cristina and Andrea Tacuri are award-winning dancers, choreographers, and educators with over 15 years of international experience across Latin America and Australia. Both hold Bachelor’s Degrees in Dance from leading universities in Cuba and Ecuador, graduating with high distinction. Their artistic excellence has been recognised through prestigious awards, including Best Female Interpreter and Best Choreographer, and they have performed and taught at major festivals and institutions worldwide. Now based in Australia, Cristina and Andrea continue to develop innovative artistic projects, combining performance, education, and community engagement. Their work is deeply rooted in using dance as a tool for transformation, connection, and social impact and commitment to accessibility and social inclusion in the arts. At its core, Glory Dance seeks to raise a new generation of dancers who are not only technically skilled but also driven by purpose and a desire to create meaningful impact. Andrea Tacuri is the founder and director of Glory Dance Australia, a ministry and artistic initiative established in 2011 (originally known as the Social Artistic Project SOI). The organization was created with the mission of bringing hope through art to underserved and remote communities in Ecuador and beyond. Through this initiative, Andrea has led multidisciplinary artistic outreach programs in hospitals, nursing homes, detention centers, and marginalised communities, integrating dance with humanitarian work. She has also developed inclusive dance programs for children and adolescents with autism, including the production “Beyond Words,” reflecting her strong commitment to accessibility and social inclusion in the arts. In 2018, her sister Cristina Tacuri, a dancer and teacher with a specialisation in Ballet, joined the initiative, strengthening and expanding its artistic vision. She is trained in and teaches a wide range of dance styles, bringing versatility and artistic depth to her work. Throughout her career, she has taught and performed in Cuba, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina. She is now the CEO of Glory Dance Australia, dedicated to inspiring excellence, creativity, and community through the art of dance. Together, they continue to lead Glory Dance Australia as a platform that merges artistic excellence with community service, inspiring lives through movement, creativity, and hope.

• More details about Dani Marchio (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Dani Marchio (Sydney Event - May 23)

  Dani Marchio is a songwriter, artist and performer who has a passion for bringing joy and hope through music. Growing up singing in church, she has found a passion for the pop industry and through just a year of releasing music has found a growing fan base and global recognition for her music.

• More details about Judd Field (Sunshine Coast Event - May 30)

  Judd Field (Sunshine Coast Event - May 30)

  Judd Field is one of Australia’s most accomplished vocalists, known for his extensive work across television, live performance, and recording. He has performed as both a soloist and backing vocalist on major Australian TV entertainment shows, and recently toured internationally with Tones And I, including performances in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and on US programs such as Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel. He has also toured with the Madden Brothers. Judd has worked with renowned artists including Kiss, James Blunt, Calum Scott, Westlife, Guy Sebastian, and Delta Goodrem, and performed a duet of The Prayer with Marina Prior. He is a lead vocalist for Dancing With The Stars and has contributed to The X-Factor and Australian Idol. His voice has featured in AFL and NRL parodies and the Gold Coast Suns club song. An accomplished songwriter, Judd has co-written over 100 songs, including several musicals. His co-write 1914: The Carol of Christmas reached the UK Top 40. He also spent 20 years as Choir Director of the Melbourne Gospel Choir and is a World Vision ambassador advocating against global poverty and child slavery.

• More details about Sandra Godde (Sunshine Coast Event - May 30)

  Sandra Godde (Sunshine Coast Event - May 30)

  Sandra Godde BA LLB(Hons) MA(Theo) GradCert(Research) Dip ABS Sandra Godde is an Australian performing artist, choreographer, academic, and author whose career bridges the worlds of dance, theatre, and Christian scholarship. Trained at the Australian Ballet School, Sandra began her professional career touring with The Dancers Company and performing with The South Australian Ballet Company. She later performed and taught internationally, including touring throughout the United States and Canada. Her performances have ranged from the Sydney Opera House to refugee camps in Central America. Sandra has also directed several Dance Schools and founded the Brisbane-based company Excelsia Dance, which produced and performed original works across Australia and internationally. She has taught widely, examined for Living Dance International, presented at many Arts Conferences, written articles about faith and arts; and participated in Project Dance events in Australia and London. Sandra was the featured dancer in the short Australian dance film “The Last Tango in Sunnybank” by Rosetta Cook, and in 2017 and 2018 won the World Salsa Championships (Masters Division) in Brisbane in tango duets with Jose Camean Bartolome . In recent years Sandra has expanded into theatrical performance and writing, acting in and directing productions such as Wycliffe’s Luke Drama Gospel, and writing dramatic works including The Testimony of Job: A Divine Contest and From the River to the Truth: A Dramatic Reading on The Israeli Palestinian Conflict. Alongside her artistic career, Sandra has been an academic theology lecturer, researcher, and author with degrees in Arts, Law (Honours), and Theology. Her book Reaching for Immortality: Can Science Cheat Death? (Wipf & Stock, 2022) explores the intersection of theology, technology, and the human quest for immortality. Sandra continues to combine the performing arts with Christian faith, using creative expression to communicate truth, inspire audiences, and equip the next generation of thinkers and leaders.

• More details about Elliot Bonser (Sunshine Coast Event - May 30)

  Elliot Bonser (Sunshine Coast Event - May 30)

  Elliot Bonser is a Gold Coast-based writer, director, and producer creating gritty, emotionally driven stories about family, redemption, and characters who refuse to let their dreams die. He is developing original feature films and series, including Bella’s Room, with a vision to build a bold Australian slate of stories for global audiences.