Creating Connections - WCEI QLD210523

Louise Bezzina is Artistic Director of Brisbane Festival, Brisbane’s international arts festival and Queensland’s largest annual arts and cultural event. An innovative and visionary arts leader, Louise is renowned for her significant contribution to the Queensland arts industry over the past 20 years.

In 2020, Louise defied all the odds and delivered one of the only live performing arts events to take place globally in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Brisbane Festival program was curated under the banner of Boldly Brisbane and saw the commissioning of 28 new works, a record number of local artists employed and a Festival that reached all 190 suburbs of Brisbane. Across her tenure as Artistic Director, Louise has commissioned 66 new works for the Brisbane Festival, including the acclaimed Boy Swallows Universe, as well as the creation of Brisbane’s Art Boat.

Prior to Brisbane Festival, Louise founded Bleach* Festival on the Gold Coast in 2011 which she Directed until 2019. Under her strategic and artistic vision, Bleach* became a maker of contemporary Australian art and a major annual event.

In her role as Artistic Director for Bleach*, Louise was also part of the creative lead team for Festival 2018. This work saw her named as one of 11 inspiring women of the Commonwealth Games.

Susannah George

Susannah George is an award-winning entrepreneur and founder of Urban List — an indie media house launched from her bedroom in 2011 that has grown to become the #1 destination for culture seekers in Asia Pacific.

Today, Urban List connects a community of 3M+ with quality experiences to buy, book, eat, stream and do, serving 30,000+ recommendations an hour across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. The company's proprietary formula blends social influence and tech, pairing brands with an audience actively in market, ready to convert. And their reputation for high-value content gives consumers confidence in the buying and booking choices they make.

In 2021, Urban List was awarded Australian Media Brand Of The Year, celebrating their influence on the media landscape and commitment to having a positive cultural impact — on people and the planet — working to shine a light on underrepresented voices and perspectives, and proving the good life can mean living more sustainably.

Susannah was named QUT inaugural Outstanding Entrepreneurial Alumnus (2021), was recognised as a national finalist in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards (2019), and listed among the most influential voices in media as B&T’s Media Woman Of The Year (2015).

Alongside her founder journey, Susannah plays a leadership role in the George family group of businesses, including the role of CEO of Plate Impressions — the world’s first plate marketing company.

She is passionate about contributing to the wider community through her roles as board director for Queensland Ballet, entrepreneurship mentor at QUT, ambassador for The Hunger Project’s Unleashed Women initiative; and membership of Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) and Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO).

Kate Miller-Heidke

Kate Miller-Heidke is an award-winning singer-songwriter who effortlessly traverses the worlds of contemporary pop, folk, musical theatre and opera. She has released 4 albums in Australia, achieving multi-platinum status and appearing in the top 10 album and singles charts numerous times. Her album O Vertigo! debuted at number 4 on the Australian album charts, broke Australian crowdfunding records and was nominated for an ARIA award. Her previous albums include Nightflight, which reached number 2 on the ARIA chart, and Curiouser, which reached double platinum sales in Australia and spawned the multi-platinum hits Last Day On Earth and Caught In The Crowd. In 2009 Kate became the first Australian to win the grand prize in the International Songwriting Competition for Caught in the Crowd.

Trained as a classical singer at the Queensland Conservatorium, Kate recently appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in John Adams' The Death of Klinghoffer. She has performed several roles for the English National Opera, and in Jerry Springer The Opera at the Sydney Opera House. Her debut opera as a composer, The Rabbits (based on the book by Shaun Tan and John Marsden), was commissioned by Opera Australia and premiered at the Perth Festival in February 2015, followed by sold out seasons in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. It won 4 Helpmann Awards including Best Score and Best New Australian Work.

Her work has been nominated for other ARIAs in categories as diverse as Best Pop Release, Best Adult Contemporary Album, Best Classical Album, Best Comedy Release and Best Australian Live Act. With her collaborator Keir Nuttall, she has written the music and lyrics to Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical, which premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company and played throughout 2019 in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It won five Helpmann Awards, including Best Original Score.

After competing at Eurovision - Australia Decides on the Gold Coast in February, Kate was unanimously chosen by both the jury and public votes to become Australia’s representative at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. Kate’s heartfelt performance and the out-of-this world staging of her original song ‘Zero Gravity’ won her first place in her semi-final and a top ten placing at the Eurovision Grand Final in May 2019.

Marisa Vecchio AM

Marisa is owner and “Chief Executive of Everything” at beautiful Hanworth House, one of Brisbane’s oldest residences. Previously Marisa was a national CEO, business leader and company director for nearly 20 years, winning the 2004 Queensland Telstra Business Woman of the Year.

In 2012 Marisa took on her biggest challenge, the restoration of historic Hanworth House which was tragically attacked by arson only weeks from opening. Like a phoenix, it rose from the ashes to open on its 150th birthday and now offers boutique accommodation and events. Hanworth has been accoladed in winning the 2014 Qld Heritage Council Gold Award, the John Herbert Memorial Award for most outstanding nomination and 2015 Premier’s Sustainability Award.

Marisa relates to all things philanthropic. Having been a member of Zonta International for over 20 years, she has been President and Committee Chair. Hanworth raises money annually for the Qld Ballet, Women's Legal Service Qld, Mater Foundation benefiting breast and ovarian cancer. All these causes are close to her heart. In 2017 Marisa took out the Dancing CEOs Fundraising Award benefiting Women's Legal Service Qld. In the same year, Marisa was recognised for her corporate and philanthropic works in being awarded both an Order of Australia as well as the Qld Community Foundation Community Philanthropist of the Year. In 2019 QUT awarded Marisa an Honorary Doctorate of the University for her services to the university and broader community.

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