IT IS an exciting time for the arts in the Whitsundays, as the fourth annual Whitsundays Songwriter Festival prepares for an ‘open to the public’ Concert & Conversation evening, and the Emerging Songwriter Workshop, both due to be held on Saturday, June 7.
Hear outstanding songwriters and recording artists share stories about their careers and their creative process, in an intimate one-off concert, in a private event venue at Whitsunday Sailing Club, Airlie Beach.
Each songwriter will be interviewed, then perform a song, before members of the faculty take to the stage to share a song they wrote literally the day before.
This is as behind the scenes as you could imagine!
“We are so fortunate such noted creatives are joining us in the Whitsundays for this night to remember,” festival co-founder Karen Jacobsen said.
The Whitsundays Arts Festival is thrilled to welcome The Voice winner Chris Sebastian, Golden Guitar winner Brad Butcher, sensational talent ZIPPORAH, APRA Award Winner Mark Sholtez, Los Angeles Music Award Winner Francesca de Valence and The GPS Girl® Karen Jacobsen.
The Whitsundays Songwriter Festival comprises a Professional Songwriter Residential Retreat (June 5-10), a one-day workshop for Emerging Songwriters, on Saturday, June 7, and an evening performance by the Professional Faculty, at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, on Saturday, June 7, from 6pm.
Festival co-founders Karen Jacobsen and Francesca de Valence said: “We were energised by the feedback of previous festivals, with memories of Toni Childs wowing the audience at our Concert and Conversation event, and we are over the moon to be able to continue this life-changing arts program in regional North Queensland, and to fulfill our mission to develop the next generation of songwriters.”
Mackay-born Karen Jacobsen – international performer, recording artist, songwriter and original Australian voice of Siri – is President of the Whitsundays Writers Festival and performed and presented on multiple occasions throughout the recent writers festival events in early September.
In 2022, Karen co-founded the Songwriter Festival with Francesca de Valence as part of their commitment to promote the art of songwriting in Australia.
Emerging songwriters will experience a full day learning about song craft, writing songs, and being mentored by professional songwriters on Saturday, June 7, at Whitsunday Sailing Club, accessed through application on the Whitsundays Arts Festival website.
Led by the founder of the revolutionary online songwriting club I Heart Songwriting Club, Francesca de Valence, this inspiring workshop offers practical tools for overcoming songwriters’ biggest blocks and barriers, once and for all.
Francesca de Valence said: “As a young songwriter, I struggled to find support and mentorship for songwriting, which led me to create I Heart Songwriting Club and lead workshops across the world.”
Previous participant 20-year-old Mackay-based singer-songwriter Tiffany Grace has attended every one of the emerging songwriter workshops.
She says, “Being in a regional area, it’s extremely hard to get this experience at such a high level. I really hope this workshop will continue.”
Participant Pe Le wrote his very first song ever at the 2023 workshop, with the support of Linda Bull, of Vika and Linda, and went on to continue writing 10 songs in the months that followed, demonstrating the transformative power of the festival’s mentorship and guidance.
President of the Whitsundays Arts Festival Jessica Begun, said: “We are thrilled to facilitate the continuation of this significant and important event in the Whitsundays, which will have a lasting impact on the lives of our local songwriting talent and promote Australian stories through song.
“These kinds of events thrive when our local community supports them by inviting friends, buying tickets and attending. We are also grateful to the many local businesses and individuals who have sponsored and donated to make the events possible”
Professional Australian songwriters of diverse music genres have been invited to attend the 2025 Whitsundays Songwriters Festival and Residency as part of the mentorship program, including The Voice winner Chris Sebastian, Golden Guitar winner Brad Butcher, Sensational Talent Zipporah and APRA Award winner Mark Sholtez.
Over five days, the faculty will co-write songs, network, and share their personal experiences in the music industry.
Previous festivals have showcased Wendy Matthews, Jude York, Toni Childs, Vika & Linda, Graeme Connors (country music legend and the most successful songwriter to hail from the region) and certified Platinum artist Tia Gostelow, a Queensland Music Award winner.
The 2025 Whitsundays Songwriter Festival is presented in partnership with I Heart Songwriting Club, Sea Star Apartments, Whitsunday Sailing Club, Airlie Beach Music Centre, Aussie Mackay, Think Real Estate Mackay, Amanda Camm MP, Whitsunday Regional Council and the Whitsundays Arts Festival, which is proud to be auspicing arts events such as the Songwriter Festival, in the region, in 2025.
This project was made possible by the Australian Government Regional Arts Development Fund, which supports the arts in regional and remote Australia.
Concert & Conversation tickets available at www.whitsundaysartsfestival.org.
