Cultivate the Chaos

03/09/2026

Nurture Festival is celebrating their 5th birthday this Saturday 5th September and it's going to be a fabulous day.

I'm particularly looking forward to hearing the incredible young musicians lined up by Eumundi School of Music, we've heard most of these bands and for those of us who like to dance, you'll be up and grooving as soon as they start.

Looking forward to taking Cultivate the Chaos and STUFFit Student Film Festival to Nurture Festival. Hope to see you there.

🎊🎈SATURDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER 11am-4pm Mooloolaba Foreshore.

Come on down, enjoy the vibe, sun and live music with Nurture Festival!

Big thanks to our major youth pathway partner ETC | Employment & Training & sponsors and partners Community Bank Sunshine Coast endED Sunshine Coast Council 91.9 SEA FM Sunquest Signs | Your Trusted Sign-makers Mooloolaba Rotary Coastline BMW Event Management Australia ⫷ Narelle ⫸ Schoolzine & My Weekly Preview

31/07/2026

That's the end of Day 1 of Shortlisting. Brilliant work by Lincoln for an outstanding spreadsheet.

Thanks to Stephen Walker for talking through the process with our team of teens who took the role of judging very seriously. With several filmmakers in our crews it's important that we honour the time and effort all the filmmakers have put into their work.

We watched 22 International Scripted, 18 Experimental and 4 International Animation. Nearly five hours of films created by young people in 8 countries and there were some absolute standouts.

More to watch next Wednesday.

28/07/2026

Last week we welcomed 23 students from Nambour State College to play and create in our Chaos Media studio while we prototyped a new product.

I invited Chris from McLoughlin Media & Communication Solutions and young filmmaker Dorian Locke to work with me to provide a 'studio experience' where the students could write and record pieces to camera that reflect their thoughts, ideas and challenges.

Students were split into two teams: one developing ideas, writing and presenting, while the other worked on cameras, set design, and editing.

Our goal was to produce three original 45-second news pieces. The writing students were given creative control over their topics. They wrote wonderfully honest insights into what is important in their lives.

Nambour's reputation
No AI in schools
AI is destroying the Arts

This is the prototype we’re working towards at Cultivate the Chaos:
A one-day, hands-on broadcast experience where students step into a studio environment, learn how it all works and create content that reflects their experience of the world.

Great response from their teacher Angela:
“Thanks for a great day, the students were buzzing when we returned to school and they were very happy with the experience.”

My challenge now will be setting the price for this experience. What can schools afford and what is a reasonable fee so the product is financially-viable?

Thanks Chris and Dorian for your enthusiasm and flexibility.

(and there are a host of funny moments and Plan B challenges that are best regaled over a cuppa)

13/07/2026

Still time to enter your short film to STUFFit Student Film Festival.

04/07/2026

At Cultivate the Chaos, learning doesn’t sit in a classroom it happens in a cool studio and out in the real world.

Our students are planning and producing their own projects, managing an international film festival, connecting with industry professionals, supporting live events with Screen Collective, QuEvents and other local organisations, and using our broadcast studio to interview people and tell real stories.

Cruise through the photos to see what a day in the life looks like when education meets experience.

We currently have only 3 spots left in both:
- Certificate III in Events
- Certificate IV in Leadership and Management

Courses begin in the first week of Term 3 at our Nambour studio in Howard Street. Leadership is every Wednesday and Events is every Friday.

If you’re looking for a senior pathway that builds confidence, real skills and genuine industry experience for your teenagers, this is a creative and interesting opportunity.

High school is only compulsory until the end of Year 10. Bust them out and let your teen curate their final two years of education with Cultivate the Chaos and Learnivation RTO 45570.

Our crews are inclusive, build friendships and support each other. Can you see your teen here?

Spots are limited, contact us to secure a place or learn more.

27/06/2026

Entries are extended for the STUFFit Student Film Festival

27/06/2026

Are your teens looking for education and work pathways into the creative industries?

We offer a SIT30522 Certificate III in Events where students aged 15 to 19 are attached to the STUFFit Student Film Festival, Heart of Gold Film Festival and provide event support to multiple other events. This course is run in both Nambour and Gympie.

Our BSB40520 Certificate IV in Leadership and Management students work on their own projects, develop our Chaos Media broadcast studio and are placed in various work environments. This course is run only in Nambour.

Courses offered in collaboration with Learnivation RTO 45570.

Our next student intake for both courses is July. These 12-month courses run one day a week 9am to 3:30pm during school terms.

Check us out online at Cultivate the Chaos and STUFFit Student Film Festival and you are welcome to visit our studio in Howard St Nambour.

19/06/2026

Good things take time. At Cultivate the Chaos I'll often lob out an idea and watch where it lands. For a very long time we've needed a video resource that helps people to submit their films to STUFFit Student Film Festival.

Thanks to our Deputy Festival Director Rae we now have that resource.

If a young person in your life has a film to enter, here is the how to.

Need a helping hand to submit your film to STUFFit? In this video, ...

13/06/2026

So much mindful fun yesterday at my first pocket-book (zine) workshop at the gorgeous Caloundra Library.

The main challenge for those attending was to let go of their own expectations, concepts of perfect and to allow their hands to guide them to interesting and beautiful materials to create these exquisite pocket-books.

There are some spaces available at all Sunshine Coast Library locations except the Kawana which is sold out.

Come along and enjoy the process. Vision boards are not only about material things you want, rather, they can speak about any aspect of your life.

You'll need a library membership and the booking link https://library.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/whats-on/at-the-library/vision-board-pocket-books

08/06/2026

There’s a reason the Sunshine Coast is known as one of Australia’s premier regional event destinations.

From the audience's side, a well-managed event will feel welcoming, well-catered and effortless. Behind that experience is usually a very small core team, often supported by a collective of volunteers who step in and make it happen.

Events (unsurprisingly) are always on my mind, especially when I see all the photos online. Congratulations to White House International, Rob Steffler and the fab team of the recent Forward Fest, I wish I could have been there.

Cultivate the Chaos Pty Ltd is (gratefully) regularly approached by organisations looking for young people to step into event-support roles: Aura - City of Colour's Aura Youth Fest, BiG Day In, Forward Fest, Sundale Ltd, Heart Of Gold International Short Film Festival, Sunshine Coast Screen Collective, Noosa Alive Gympie Gold Rush Festival and more.

Some opportunities we take on immediately and lock in our annual calendar. Others we have to pass on, simply because we don’t yet have enough young people ready to step into these incredible opportunities to work with the teams that create some of the best events in our wider region.

And that’s one part of our story worth sharing.

From what I’ve seen, pathways into creative industries are built through four things: enthusiasm, experience, proximity, and relationship. You show up. You stay curious. You get asked back.

These aren’t just volunteer roles, they’re real work pathways for creative young people beyond the usual hospitality route where many young people have their first jobs. It’s where they learn how events actually run, find their feet in fast-paced environments and are seen by industry professionals.

If you’re a parent of a creative teenager looking for something practical, social, and connected to real pathways, a jump into the world of events is an exciting option.

Our next intakes for Nambour and Gympie are July, September and February.

My sincere thanks to QuEvents, Sunshine Coast Screen Collective and Liz Boyd in particular for continuing to open doors and trust young people in meaningful roles.