TURN UP

Happy Birthday to our incredible Creative Director, Andrea Smith! 🎂🥳❤️

Solbar has been such an important part of the Turn Up story. We proudly held our 2018 and 2019 Turn Up Sunshine Coast Music Industry Conferences there, with 2019 being our biggest one yet — an incredible day featuring our keynote speaker Michael Chugg and a packed room full of artists, industry and music lovers.
Melissa and the entire Solbar team were nothing short of amazing to us. So generous, so supportive, and always willing to go the extra mile — even opening the room for us in 2020 so we could film Turn Up Online during such an uncertain time.

Beyond our conferences, the Turn Up team has attended countless great gigs at Solbar over the years. So many unforgettable live moments shared in a venue that was set up right - a proper live music room where you could experience something special, then hang around, talk music and drink your night away.

This is going to be a huge loss for the Sunshine Coast. Another venue gone means fewer places for people to go out, fewer stages for artists and bands to play on, and fewer rooms for promoters like us to book shows into. We know how tough it is -live music is expensive to run, and we need punters buying tickets to make it viable - but it really does feel like we are slowly losing more and more of the spaces that allow our live music culture to thrive.

Thank you, Melissa and the Solbar family, for everything you have given this community over the past two decades. You created something truly special.

It’s the last night tomorrow - Saturday 28th February - so if you can, get down there and help tear the roof off one last time ❤️🤘

David, Eloise and Andrea

We enjoyed Bill’s farewell so much!
The saddest thing is that he would have too, and he couldn’t be there with us!
So long Bill, you legend, and thank you for the music ❤️

Thank you, Woodford Folk Festival 💛

We’re incredibly grateful to Woodford Folk Festival for welcoming Turn Up Music Conference into the program and for the care, generosity and respect shown to our team throughout the festival.

A huge thank you to Amanda, Chris, Courtney, Gina, Emily, and the entire Programme Team, especially Eleea - we were so well looked after at every step, and it truly showed in how smoothly and thoughtfully each session was managed and marketed.

Special thanks to Jo and Shanteya from Saije for their generosity, openness and artistry in the Songwriting Workshop. Sharing space, songs and stories with you - and with everyone who participated - was a genuine highlight. Thank you to every artist who joined the session, contributed, asked questions, and leaned into the conversation with curiosity and courage.

And a special thank you to Joel Orford (Lagerstein, Maxcapacity Marketing) for contributing his deep expertise to the Making Noise: Promoting Yourself and Your Shows panel. Your practical insights, real-world experience and generosity in sharing what actually works were invaluable to the artists in the room and added real depth to the conversation.

We’re also deeply appreciative of the engaged audiences across all our sessions, everyone who asked a question, shared an experience, or connected with us afterwards. And to the many artists, workers and thinkers we met along the way: those conversations are why we do this work.

Alongside our songwriting, funding and promotion sessions, we were proud to see Turn Up Executive Director David Dean participate in the panel Innovation and Inclusion of People with Disabilities in the Creative Industries.

Woodford continues to be a place where big ideas, generosity and community meet — and we’re grateful to have been part of it.

With thanks,
David, Eloise, Andrea Smith - Turn Up Team

To our incredible speakers, artists, panellists and partners — thank you for sharing your knowledge, stories and generosity this year. Your voices are what make Turn Up such a powerful space for learning, connection and change.

To our audiences and community — thank you for showing up, asking thoughtful questions, supporting one another, and backing Australian music and creative practice with such passion.

We hope this Christmas brings you rest, inspiration and time with the people who matter most. May your 2026 be full of bold ideas, sustainable careers, meaningful collaboration and plenty of music.

See you at Woodford Folk Festival on the 28th and 29th December, turned up and ready to go. ✨🎶

— The Turn Up Team

Turn Up Music Conference Takes Over Woodford 🎶

The team behind the Turn Up Music Conference are bringing their industry insight, lived experience and straight-talk advice to Woodford Folk Festival 2025, running workshops and panels designed to support artists at every stage of their journey.

Andrea Smith, David Dean and Eloise Brock will be leading conversations that dig into songwriting, funding and promotion — practical, honest sessions created by artists, for artists.

🎼 Songwriters Workshop
Sunday 28 December | 9:00–10:00am (Public Program)
📍 Library Space

This intimate workshop invites artists from the lineup to join Eloise Brock in song and conversation, exploring what inspires, shapes and sustains an artist’s songwriting practice.

✨ Special Guests: Jo and Shanteya from Saije
Expect live insight, shared stories and a rare opportunity to reflect on the creative process with peers.

💡 Fuel Your Music: Funding Your Project
Sunday 28 December | 2:00–3:00pm (Programmed artists only)
📍 Committee Room

Dreaming big but not sure how to pay for it?
This session lifts the lid on grants, sponsorship and creative fundraising, led by Andrea Smith, Turn Up team member, and grant writer behind the annual Turn Up conference.

Artists will gain:
A clearer understanding of what funders are really looking for
Practical tips for writing stronger funding applications
Confidence to pursue support for creative projects

📣 Making Noise: Promoting Yourself and Your Shows
Monday 29 December | 2:00–3:00pm (Programmed artists only)
📍 Committee Room

Learn the essentials of self-promotion with the Turn Up! team, joined by Joel Orford (Lagerstein, Maxcapacity Marketing).

From social media and posters to press and word-of-mouth, this session delivers practical tools to:
Build buzz around your music
Attract an industry team
Reach audiences and grow your presence

Whether you’re writing songs, seeking funding or learning how to cut through the noise, these sessions offer grounded, actionable insight from people who know the music industry from the inside out.

🎶 Find Turn Up Music Conference sessions at Woodford Folk Festival, 28–29 December 2025

😢 Today we say goodbye to a true giant of the Australian music community, and a man who held an extraordinary amount of heart, vision and generosity.

Bill Hauritz AM – visionary founder of the Woodford Folk Festival and Woodfordia – was not only a cultural leader and creative force, but also a deeply valued friend and unwavering supporter of Turn Up. From our earliest days, Bill shared his time, wisdom, encouragement and that unmistakable spark of optimism that lit up every room he entered. His belief in the power of community, storytelling and the arts didn’t just inspire us, it helped shape who we are.

Bill had a rare gift for seeing the good in people and for championing ideas long before they became reality. His kindness, his curiosity, and his fierce love for creativity and community combined with his relentless positivity made every conversation richer.

Our team will miss him immensely. His warmth, guidance and gentle humour have left a lasting imprint on Turn Up and on each of us who were lucky enough to know him.

Our love and thoughts are with Ingrid, Tom, Jack, Mel, Elke, Stellan and the entire Woodfordia family as we hold them close in our hearts.

Tonight, we’ll raise a beer in his honour and remember the joy he brought into the world.

Rest easy, Bill. Thank you, for the music, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for everything!!!!! 🙏❤️😢🤗💪

We love you 🥰

Happy birthday to the amazing Turn Up Director and MC Eloise Brock! 🎂 🎼🎤 🎊🎉

🏛️ A Big Shout Out to Our Venue – The Presynct, Nambour!

Thank you to The Presynct for hosting Turn Up Sunshine Coast 2025.

💜 Thank You to Our Amazing Turn Up Audience!

A massive thank you to everyone who came along to Turn Up Sunshine Coast 2025 — artists, managers, festival directors, students, and music lovers. Your energy, curiosity, and engagement made the night truly special.

We hope you left inspired, connected, and ready to take your music journey to the next level. 🎶

Tag yourself in the photos.

📸 Photos:

🎉 A Huge Thank You to Our Sponsors!

We’re so grateful for the ongoing support that makes Turn Up Sunshine Coast 2025 possible:

🎫 Oztix – for their continued partnership and commitment to the live music scene.
🎸 Infinite Music – for donating amazing door prizes and backing local musicians.
🎪 Mark Pico (Big Pineapple Music Festival) – for generously supporting our conference with door prize contributions.

📸 Photos:

Your support helps us create opportunities, connections, and inspiration for emerging and established artists alike. 🙏

One of the highlights of Turn Up this year was the roundtable networking — where artists, managers, and industry professionals connect directly.
The sessions were buzzing with new collaborations, shared ideas, and plenty of “let’s make it happen” moments.

🎶 Real conversations, real opportunities — that’s what Turn Up is about.

Tag yourself in the photos.

📸 Photos:

📍