Winter Warmer - Homelessness Relief Fundraising Cabaret

Lineup

• More details about Mandy Nolan

  Mandy Nolan

  Comedian, Author, Journalist, Keynote Speaker, Humour Therapist, Activist & Educator "If you want to see change, you have to enact it. Using my voice to amplify and to engage is how I step forward to be part of an active solution."— Mandy Nolan Mandy Nolan has never just been one thing. Comedian, author, journalist, political campaigner, humour therapist, activist — she is all of these at once, and entirely herself throughout. What ties it all together is a ferocious commitment to using her platform for something bigger than the spotlight. Up to 70% of Mandy's work is donated to the community. Women's shelters across NSW, homelessness support services, adolescent mental health programs, wildlife causes, community fundraisers for kids who need a leg up — if there's a worthy cause that needs a powerful voice in the room, Mandy is already at the microphone. ~$1M raised for community 5 books published 70% of work donated An award-winning comedian and mother of five, Mandy brings a rare combination of sharp wit and genuine warmth to every room she enters. She has a gift for transforming dry debate into something magical — for taking the complex, the uncomfortable, and the urgent, and making an audience laugh, think, and then act. As a regular columnist and political campaigner, she has never shied away from raising her voice where it counts. She ran for office, wrote the books, filed the columns, and kept showing up — every bloody day — for the communities and causes that need her most. YOUR HOST and MC Mandy takes the helm of the Winter Warmer Cabaret — and there is genuinely no one better suited to hold this space. She will make you laugh. She will make you feel the weight of why we're all here. And she will send you home reminded that a community that shows up for itself is a community that changes things. Welcome her warmly. She's already given more than most of us will ever know.

• More details about The Space Cowboy

  The Space Cowboy

  World Record Holder · Sideshow Performer · Artist "From swallowing seventeen swords to standing on a Tesla coil sending one million volts through his body — Space Cowboy has spent a lifetime turning the impossible into the extraordinary." It began with a mini straitjacket, hand-sewn by his mother, and a garden big enough to hold his imagination. As a boy obsessed with Guinness World Records and Ripley's Believe It or Not, he wasn't just reading about remarkable people — he was planning to become one. By seventeen he was already touring Australia, the UK, and the United States, honing a show built on stunts most performers would never dare attempt. In 2008, he set his first Guinness World Record — swallowing seventeen swords simultaneously — a feat later recognised as one of the top 100 records of all time. He didn't stop there. Sword Swallowing, Knife Throwing, Whip Cracking, Chainsaw Juggling on Unicycle, Blindfolded Arrow Catching, Tesla Coil · 1,000,000 Volts. Across more than forty countries, he shared stages and screens with the likes of Drew Barrymore, Sylvester Stallone, RuPaul, Johnny Knoxville, and Peter Dinklage. He performed alongside the world's tallest and smallest people, and — in perhaps his most jaw-dropping promotional stunt — completed the world's first underwater sword swallow in a shark tank at Manly Aquarium ahead of his third season at the Sydney Opera House. Together with his partner Zoe L'Amore, he created the Deja Voodoo Freakshow Cabaret — a touring spectacular that drew acclaim across multiple Adelaide Fringe Festivals and London Wonderground on the Southbank. Then came COVID, a quiet floor, and a moment that changed everything. Sitting beside his young daughter — paints out, no agenda — something clicked. He wanted to paint every single day. So he did. He opened the Space Cowboy Gallery in Byron Bay, began appearing at The Other Art Fair in Sydney and Melbourne and at New Zealand Art Shows, and quickly proved that the showmanship that made him a world-class performer translated directly into making him a sought-after artist. He became a consistent top seller, earning multiple People's Choice Awards along the way. His work now sells through televised art auctions in America and the United Arab Emirates, and aboard luxury cruise ships around the world. From his Byron Bay gallery and studio, every chapter of his life converges — the risk, the wonder, the play. His paintings carry the same electric energy that once lit up arenas. At Winter Warmer, he brings that same spirit to our stage in both performance and artist exhibition modes.

• More details about Kinship Doobai Dancers

  Kinship Doobai Dancers

  Kinship Doobai Dancers are a contemporary women's dance group based in Murwillumbah, on the beautiful lands of the Minyungbal people. The group brings together women and daughters from Minyungbal and the broader Bundjalung, Wiradjuri, Gamilleroi, and Wakka Wakka nations — a living expression of the deep connections that stretch across Country. Woven together through family, kinship, and a shared love of culture, the Kinship Doobai Dancers are committed to keeping culture alive and strong for the next generation. Through traditional and contemporary song and dance, they tell the stories of their peoples — stories of Country, of ancestors, of resilience, and of joy. The group carries a wealth of shared cultural knowledge, guided and nurtured by local Elders who provide wisdom, grounding, and direction. In this way, the Kinship Doobai Dancers honour the responsibility to care for Country, to strengthen community, and to uphold Culture — not just as a performance, but as a way of living and being. More than a dance group, the Kinship Doobai Dancers are a powerful reminder of what it means to belong — to each other, to their communities, and to the ancient, enduring cultures they carry forward with pride. The Kinship Doobai Dancers are kinship in action.

• More details about Aunty Jackie MacDonald

  Aunty Jackie MacDonald

  Auntie Jackie MacDonald: A respected local Elder and Aboriginal Cultural Heritage stakeholder who has collaborated with the NSW Government and the local Aboriginal Advisory Committee.

• More details about Jade Ross - Case Worker, Fred's Place

  Jade Ross - Case Worker, Fred's Place

  Jade grew up in the Tweed Heads area and has spent her career driven by a single purpose: helping people through their hardest moments. She began working in aged care at 17, completing her Certificate III in Health Service Assistance while still in high school. She went on to support young people through a holistic employment and skills program, helping those facing homelessness, addiction, and difficult family circumstances to gain qualifications, find employment, and build confidence. Seeing those same young people go on to complete apprenticeships and secure meaningful careers remains one of the most rewarding parts of her journey. Three years ago, Jade joined Fred's Place as a Support Worker before stepping into a Case Worker role — a service that supports up to 130 people each day, offering practical assistance, referrals, and connection. Her commitment to this work is deeply personal. At 19, Jade experienced homelessness herself following family violence, struggling with her mental health and addiction while sleeping in her car and couch surfing alongside her dog, Marlah. One of the greatest barriers she faced was being told she would need to surrender Marlah to access accommodation — something she couldn't do. After adopting Marlah from the pound in the aftermath of a suicide attempt that left her in intensive care, the dog became her reason to keep going. This September, Marlah turns 15. That experience shapes everything Jade brings to her work, particularly her understanding of how vital companion animals can be as a source of comfort and hope during crisis. Jade has seen firsthand what becomes possible when people are met with compassion and dignity rather than judgement — and she shows up to Fred's Place every day to make that possible for others.

• More details about Anne Goslett - Founder and Clinical Lead for The SHIFT Project

  Anne Goslett - Founder and Clinical Lead for The SHIFT Project

  Anne Goslett brings more than 30 years of experience across psychotherapy, domestic violence, addiction recovery, sexual assault counselling, psychiatric nursing and community services. Through this work, she developed a deep understanding of the complex pathways that can lead women into homelessness, as well as the gaps that often remain after immediate crisis support has ended. Anne founded The SHIFT Project in response to these gaps, with a vision for long-term, relationship-based support that recognises the whole woman, not just her circumstances. Her approach is grounded in safety, dignity, trust and continuity, reflecting her belief that sustainable change happens when women are supported over time, within community, and with practical pathways toward independence. Her professional insight and long-standing commitment continue to guide SHIFT’s model and its impact across the Northern Rivers.

• More details about Letechia Lucas - Community Capacity Worker - Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre

  Letechia Lucas - Community Capacity Worker - Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre

  Letechia is a dedicated Community Capacity Worker with experience across various services and programs at Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre (PBNC). Letechia commenced her paid position over four years ago, after first volunteering at PBNC. Letechia is balancing her studies (Bachelor of Social Work) with providing support for individuals and families from a range of demographics and circumstances, through PBNC’s Assisted Referral and Material Aid (ARMA) service and the Budgeting Made Easy (BME) tool. In her ARMA role, Letechia uses a person-centred, culturally-safe and trauma-informed approach when assisting people to identify beneficial options to address their needs. She prioritises the needs of people who are sleeping rough and those who are experiencing barriers which put them at risk of homelessness. Additionally, Letechia provides valuable assistance in PBNC’s Services Australia Agent and Access Point (formerly known as the Centrelink Agency), where she assists people to access essential services and conduct their business with government agencies.

• More details about Bec Robinson - Relationship Manager - Fletcher Street Cottage

  Bec Robinson - Relationship Manager - Fletcher Street Cottage

  Bec’s role see’s her working across the Byron Community Centre with a strong focus on Fletcher Street Cottage. Here she shares stories of transformation and hope from the frontline team with supporters and the wider community. As a Byron Shire resident of nine years, she has witnessed the area's changing landscape firsthand and is passionate about telling the real stories of resilience and inspiring a small community like ours to realise the true potential impact they can have.