Spring Speaker Series - Lou Blackwell

*Back by popular demand

Join us for our 2026 FREE Spring Speaker Series — An inspiring line-up of guest artists and creative practitioners sharing their stories, insights and experiences.

Through engaging Q&A sessions, you’ll explore a diverse range of art forms, hear behind-the-scenes perspectives, and connect with the people bringing creativity to life.

Lou Blackwell began her career as a performer in Geoffrey Rush’s MAGPIE Theatre Company, starring in the original production of The Small Poppies at the 1986 Adelaide Festival. She subsequently joined the Victorian Irish vocal group Friends and Relations, performing alongside Irish legends in the Guinness Festival of Irish Music at Dallas Brooks Hall. Awarded a scholarship to France, Lou studied French and earned a cinema degree while immersing herself in the Paris jazz scene to study jazz singing. A decade later, she returned to Australia to establish Lou Blackwell and the French Set. Acclaimed for their interpretations from the Great French Songbook—featuring works by Charles Trenet, Jacques Brel, Barbara, Juliette Gréco, Yves Montand, and Edith Piaf—the ensemble is backed by renowned Adelaide jazz musicians Mark Ferguson (keys), Thomas Pulford (saxophone & clarinet), and John Aué (double bass).

Lou has performed at major venues and festivals including the Adelaide Fringe, JAZZLAB, Melbourne's The Paris Cat, and the Brisbane French Festival. Other projects include Love on the Left Bank - Juliette Gréco, the muse of Saint Germain des Prés at the 2022 Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and A French Romance at the 2026 Adelaide Cabaret Festival alongside Mark Ferguson.