This is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible people who are making real change in their community, and improving the lives of at-risk youth. These stories need to be told and the award winners deserve to be celebrated.

I start by meeting all award winners – in person if possible or virtually if they live in a remote area. Their bio only tells me so much, but I get so much more of a sense of who they are by meeting them in person.

I then craft multiple media opportunities for each of the 11 award winners and proactively pitch individual story concepts to appropriate media outlets across all platforms – TV, radio, print, online, and podcasts.

I knew in order to be able to write for the Annual Appeal that I had to experience, first-hand, the sensory wonder that is opera in the outback. The productions in Winton and Longreach were true once-in-a-lifetime events. I’ve never felt more moved by a cultural performance. Exquisite, soaring voices touched my heart, gave me goosebumps, and extended through the night sky to reach the blanket of stars. The Royal Opera House is no match for opera in the outback.

I met school children who were the excited beneficiaries of remote classes with OQ’s artists and composers. I spoke with happy business owners and tourism operators whose takings tripled as a result of OQ’s tour of the outback. I met the incredible artists, generous donors and families whose hearts and minds had been impacted by a single opera performance in an iconic Australian cattle paddock.

My Annual Appeal campaign copy was used in CEO Patrick Nolan’s video and distributed to tens of thousands through social media, EDMs and the OQ website.