Real stories, real people – Everybody Now!
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BEACON Festival Choir – Get Involved
Love to sing?! Come join our Festival Choir!
We’re looking for singers of all ages and experience levels to perform a special musical arrangement of best-selling author Holly Ringland’s poetry, commissioned as a part of Morag Myerscough’s large-scale installation, BEACON, for this year’s BLEACH Festival.
You’ll work with the highly sought-after choral director and vocalist Alex Van den Broek, joining a series of fun and inclusive workshops, before singing the artwork to life as part of the Opening of 2026 BLEACH Festival.
Free to join. All voices welcome!
This is a welcoming and inclusive space for all ages, genders, identities, backgrounds and experiences.
Singers under 14 years old need an accompanying adult.
What’s Expected? To participate, we ask that you:
- Arrive to the first workshop already familiar with your team’s songs. You’ll be sent a song book with the lyrics, recordings and sheet music in early August.
- Attend a minimum of 2 workshops in your chosen location. You are welcome to attend more than 2 workshops if you are available!
- Attend all of the following: an ‘all in rehearsal’, a Dress/Technical rehearsal, the opening concert and 1 additional performance across BLEACH Festival.
What To Expect:
- To have a really great time!
- To meet other singers and create something special together
- To perform in BLEACH Festival 2026 at HOTA, Home of the Arts (Lakeside Lawn)
- Showcase to your friends and family what you love
- Light catering at rehearsal & shows, show photos and a welcome and safe experience.
- Opportunity to perform the beautiful songs and perform them under the most magnificent art installation.
Registration: Complete this form here
Got a question? Email pru@everybodynow.com.au
Participation for the community choir is voluntary. If this sounds like you, register now!
Community Schedule
Central Gold Coast Workshop #1
Broadbeach Community Space Multipurpose Room
Time
Friday 4 September - 6pm - 7.30pm
Northern Gold Coast Workshop #1
Helensvale Library & Cultural Centre - Auditorium
Time
Saturday 5 September, 11am - 12.30pm
Southern Gold Coast Workshop #1
Tugun Community Centre - Main Hall
Time
Saturday 5 September,4pm - 5.30pm
Southern Gold Coast Workshop #2
Tugun Community Centre - Main Hall
Time
Saturday 12 September, 11am - 12.30pm
Northern Gold Coast Workshop #2
Helensvale Library & Cultural Centre - Auditorium
Time
Saturday 12 September, 4pm - 5.30pm
Central Gold Coast Workshop #2
Broadbeach Community Space Multipurpose Room
Time
Sunday 13 September, 11am - 12.30pm
Northern Gold Coast Workshop #3
Helensvale Library & Cultural Centre - Auditorium
Time
Thursday 17 September, 6.30pm - 8pm
Central Gold Coast Workshop #3
Broadbeach Cultural Centre Multipurpose Room
Time
Saturday 19 September, 11am - 12.30pm
Southern Gold Coast Workshop #3
Tugun Community Centre - Main Hall
Time
Sunday 20 September, 11am - 12.30pm
All in rehearsal
Broadbeach Cultural Centre, Albert Waterways Hall
Time
Sunday 27 September, 10.30am - 1.30pm
Dress/ Technical Rehearsal
HOTA Parklands
Time
Wednesday 30 September, time TBC
BLEACH Festival Opening Night
HOTA Parklands
Time
Thursday 1 October, time TBC
Festival Performances
HOTA Parklands
Time
Friday 2, Sunday 4, Thursday 8, Friday 9, Sunday 11 October - 5.45pm
Artists
Alex Van den Broek 
Alex Van den Broek is a sought-after Queensland arranger, vocalist, choral director and singer-songwriter known for creating vocal excellence within safe, nurturing spaces where every voice can shine.
Her work spans theatre, choral music, television and live performance, including music director roles for La Boite Theatre on shows including Congratulations, Get Rich and Fancy Long Legs, as well as various collaborations with The Little Red Company as arranger and choral/vocal director.
Alex was arranger and choral director for the nationally televised Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols (2021–2024), working with artists including Kate Miller-Heidke and Dami Im. She also arranges orchestral works, session sings (including on two Bluey tracks), and shares music with her 200,000+ online followers.
Alex will be gathering and inspiring a choir of hundreds as part of this special Beacon project in collaboration with Everybody NOW!
Holly Ringland
Holly is an international best-selling author and TV presenter for ABC’s Back to Nature. She is best known for her 2018 novel The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, which won the 2019 General Fiction Book of the Year Award, and was adapted into a television miniseries in 2023 starring Sigourney Weaver.
Holly grew on the Gold Coast and returned home in 2020 after living abroad. In addition to her best-selling fictions Holly regularly writes & speaks on topics of belonging & creativity. In 2023, she authored her first non-fiction The House The Joy Built.
Holly is delighted to be collaborating with internationally acclaimed Artist Morag Myerscough (UK), and Everybody NOW! to create a new poetry commission which will be woven throughout the artwork as well as sung by hundreds of voices in specially created festival choir.
Partners
BEACON is a project by Everybody NOW! featuring Morag Myerscough (UK), presented by BLEACH Festival and supported through the EGC Arts Fund and Australian Government through Creative Australia.
Everybody NOW! is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, and the City of Gold Coast, and are proudly a Home Company at HOTA Home of the Arts.
BEACON was originally devised as part of our 2025 International Residency Program supported by ArtWork Agency, Griffith University and HOTA Home of the Arts.
Credits & Billing
Project Lead
Everybody NOW!
Artist and Designer
Morag Myerscough
Writer and Poet
Holly Ringland
Choral Director & Composer
Alex Van den Broek
