COVER STORY
Getting back on
stage As the Australian performing arts and music industries continue their slow recovery from the effects of COVID, Eumundi local Katie Noonan is doing all she can to reconnect the community through music, with the second annual Sunshine Sounds Festival. WORDS: Candice Holznagel.
T
he past two years have pathed a rocky road for the arts sector. Deemed non-essential, the industry – like many others – took a substantial hit during the pandemic. The number of gigs cancelled is in the vicinity of 374,000, while arts and recreation industry employees’ work hours decreased by 21 per cent between the March and June quarters of 2022. This compares with the all-industry average of five per cent. The Parliament of Australia’s The Impact of COVID-19 report also revealed that it was the second hardest hit industry with regard to job loss, and its recovery has been deemed the slowest. Leading arts and culture think tank A New Approach (ANA) predicts, “It could be years before this industry division fully recovers, due to the public’s discomfort with being in shared spaces like live performance venues. Ongoing social distancing requirements and the risk of events and venues being shut down is likely to continue undermining both consumer and investor confidence in the sector.” Sadly, the cost to the nation has been more than a financial one, according to Sunshine Coast-based musician Katie Noonan. The five-time ARIA Award-winning artist believes the arts are essential to
12 My Weekly Preview | July 7, 2022
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Eumundi School of Rock
“being human” and denying people access to performance affects their wellbeing and mental health. “Music is the great connector, the great equaliser, the greatest maker of friends,” she tells My Weekly Preview. “I honestly believe there is nothing more powerful than music in order to bring us together and realise our commonality rather than our difference. “I believe music is the greatest tool for our collective wellbeing and my wish is to do what I can to bring the magic of music to young people’s lives and in particular people in regional Australia. “Having lived regionally for almost 15 years, I know the innate power of the arts in our communities and am passionate about ensuring world-quality programs are not just presented in our major cities.” This is exactly what Ms Noonan has ensured with the creation of the Sunshine Sounds Festival. To be staged at the Eumundi Showgrounds on July 29 and 30, the second annual family-friendly festival also marks a special occasion for Katie and her brother Tyrone Noonan who are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their former band george’s debut album, the award-winning Polyserena. “It is very special to be back making music with my big bro Tyrone and my son Dexter. Our band started in the lounge room of my uni share house in early 1996
“There is nothing more powerful than music … to bring us together and realise our commonality” Katie Noonan (with brother Tyrone)
in Brisbane with two sets of siblings jamming together. My bro had just returned from living in Europe and I had just started uni,” Ms Noonan says. “I was 18, so only a little older than Dexter is now. Twenty-six years later to be celebrating our debut album with my
17-year-old-son and two wonderful young musicians – Brandon Mamata on guitars and Steele Chabau on bass – feels like a wonderful full circle moment with multiple generations sharing music together. “This album was the soundtrack of me becoming a woman and trying to find my place in the world. It’s funny how songs morph with time and they come to mean something different. “That young Katie still has a lot to teach me and I look forward to singing her words in this very special concert with my big bro and my first-born son.” Sunshine Sounds features a varied line-up including ARIA Award-winning performer Clare Bowditch and band, Asha Jefferies, Lyndon Davis and the Gubbi Gubbi Dancers, Andrea Kirwin, Band of Frequencies and more. Presented by Ms Noonan’s production company, Kin Music, the festival centres on community and connection. “Sunshine Sounds is a truly special little festival that really brings people together,” she says. “There’s a real sense of community connection, welcoming music lovers, and indeed performers, of all ages and stages. “A lot of festivals are 18-plus or focused on heaving drinking and partying, whereas our festival is a welcoming space for all to come and have a great time together across multiple generations.” myweeklypreview.com.au
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