Kate Baggerson is a bold arts leader and cultural strategist known for creating large-scale, participatory projects that connect communities through storytelling and creativity. As Co-Founder and Executive/Artistic Director of the award-winning organisation Everybody NOW!, she’s led its national growth and delivered powerful community-driven arts experiences across Australia.

With a career spanning MONA FOMA, Woodford Folk Festival, Bleach* Festival, and HOTA, Home of the Arts, Kate blends creative vision with strategic leadership. Her work lives at the intersection of art and community, where audiences, artists, and everyday people collaborate as co-creators.

Kate brings people together, builds meaningful partnerships, and uses storytelling to transform spaces and spark connection. Her approach is inclusive, ambitious, and deeply people-focused.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
Since a kid. We moved to Palm Beach from Cronulla when I was 8, so while I still am genetically obliged to wear blue at State of Origin, I am a Gold Coaster through and through.

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
Firstly, I’ll go the predicable and say the natural assets. How can you go past our incredible beaches and hinterland. Last school holidays we decided to have a ‘staycay’, and every day was filled with some kind of incredible outdoor adventure. Bushwalks in Springbrook, a beach day at Talle, rock hopping at Mt Cougal National Park and bike rides along the oceanway. It is just so easy to be out with your family and surrounded by beauty.

Secondly, I’d say community. I’ve grown up on the Southern Gold Coast and I love being an active part of my community, knowing its history, people and story and having relationships that are embedded in place.

Also, in my work with Everybody NOW! we engage across the Gold Coast and it’s that hyper-local sense of community I love seeing right across the City. It’s something we need to treasure and nurture as the City continues to grow.

Tell us a little bit about yourself
I live in Currumbin with my little family. My kids are five and almost ten. I love cooking, camping, and being in nature. I have worked in the arts for 20 years and have been fortunate to work within some incredible organisations and cultural institution across Australia however I was very happy to move home 15 years or so ago and be a part of the cultural evolution of the City that we have seen over the last decade, and in that time become the founder of Everybody NOW!

We get the 1990’s vibe of C+C Music Factory’s Everybody dance now but what is Everybody NOW! the arts organisation?
We do dance a lot at Everybody NOW! and we do love the 90’s, but as you say, we are an arts organisation based on the Gold Coast. We create large-scale artistic projects with, for and by communities in collaboration with amazing artists.

The best way to get to know us is to take a look at our videos or socials because the work we make is really very diverse and covers lots of different art forms, whether that’s theatre, dance, music, visual arts and writing.

What is at the heart of all our creative projects is amplifying individual stories and celebrating place. We believe that through participating in the arts we can have more connected, healthy, vibrant communities.

What inspired you to start Everybody NOW!?
It started organically as three creative collaborators who just loved working together. My Co-founders and I created a show for Bleach* Festival in 2015 which we thought would be a one-off project, but then we discovered a pretty special artistic synergy between us, and a way of working that we thought could be of great service to communities as well as result in great art.

Following some early natural momentum, the inspiration for me then turned to creating a sustainable organisation that could make a strong cultural, artistic and social contribution to my community on the Gold Coast and for the communities we are invited to work with across Australia.

The inspiration continues to be; accessible, joyful, artistic and cultural experiences that tells local stories and ignites creativity and change.

Everybody NOW! has worked with over 78,000 people across Australia and you’ve scored yourself an Impact Award for your work Everybody NOW!. What’s been one of your proudest moments along the way?
Recently our organisation turned 10 and that was a pretty proud moment. Getting a not-for-profit organisation up off the ground and building a team of artists, collaborators, partners, funders, and communities that all share in our vision and purpose has been an amazing, fast-paced, roller coaster of a journey.

I’m really proud that we can hand-on-our-hearts say that our organisation has delivered on its mission to Move Communities through Transformational Arts Projects.

I love it when people tell us that they felt seen and heard for the first time when they were a part of one of our projects, or you see that spark of creatively switched on for someone that didn’t think it was for them, or simply the collective joy of creating something that didn’t exist before. I am really proud of the significant impacts our work has made to individuals and to communities over the last decade and we’re so excited about our next decade ahead.

What does collaboration mean to you and how do you keep it genuine when working with so many different communities and creatives?
Great question! You keep it genuine by truly respecting what everyone can bring to the table, by calling out any bias, and by being curious in people’s stories and experiences.

I work by the ‘better together’ and ‘sum of our parts’ philosophies.

So much of my work is being a mobiliser of great people and great ideas. While Everybody NOW! is a multi-arts organisation, we are theatre-makers first which is an inherently collaborative artform and informs everything we do from day-to-day operations to actually ‘making a show’. We only exist in collaboration, so for me collaboration means everything.

The CLOUD PLAY Wonder installation sounds like a showstopper. What can you tell us about your involvement in this project?
This is a great example of collaboration! Cloudplay is a massive temporary art installation to be a part of Wonder Festival coming up at HOTA. The Artwork consists of 10,000 messages from Gold Coasters written on specially created white ‘Sky Ribbons’.

Our role was to collect the messages through a City-wide community engagement program which is what we do best. Our artists took the sky ribbons into schools, the hospital, cultural groups, youth meet ups, we set up in the park, shopping centres and on the street and asked Gold Coasters why they were grateful to call the Gold Coast home.

We love these kinds of projects, and are often invited by local governments and cultural institutions to get out-and-about in communities, and engage people in the arts in ways that are super inclusive, accessible and fun.

What excites you most about the year ahead for Everybody NOW!? Any top-secret projects you can hint at?
It’s not top, TOP secret but it is pretty exciting and we haven’t really started sharing it with the world just yet but for you Inside GC, here’s the scoop!

This year we are so excited to embark on our first International collaboration with global design sensation Morag Myerscough from the UK.

Morag creates big, bright and bold temporary installations that optimistically speak to belonging and happiness. Her work has been experienced by millions of people worldwide from Coachella to the Paris Olympics, to Shanghai, Cape Town, India and right across the UK. We’ll be bringing her to the Gold Coast in November for an exclusive Artist Residency where she’ll run public workshops and talks. The outcomes from the workshops will lead to a new commission especially for the Gold Coast in the following years.

What are your Gold Coast Favourites:
Café: Custard Canteen
Restaurant: Our offices are at HOTA and as a team we love going to Fu Manchu Oriental Kitchen across the bridge at Chevron Island
Bar: Controversially, perhaps but anywhere that sells a Heaps Normal (or the likes). The Christmas before last I picked up a book at the local library on their ‘curated Christmas table’ which made me laugh, called Love your year of Sober: A Seasonal Guide to Alcohol-Free Living. It was written by women for women and after 40, drinking wine just did not agree with me so I gave it a crack for 12 months. It was so good, and while I do drink on occasion now, being able to go to a bar and not drink but enjoy the vibe and company has been a revolution.
Beach: Currumbin Creek

How do you choose to spend your days off?
Ummm …..food prepping for the week ahead – kids lunches, dinners, treats. Something in nature and a family movie or games night. “Let’s play actors” as my son says which means a night of charades is ahead. (That’s maybe when I need a wine!)

She’s the Gold Coast songwriter and musician making waves in the music world and earlier this year Ella Fence received rave reviews for her performance in the Bleach* Festival production, Hotelling.

On Saturday (April 14^th), the talented gal will perform alongside Kate Miller-Heidke as part of Festival 2018.

We sat down for a chat about performing with one of her music idols and creating live music venues inside hotel rooms.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I’ve lived here my whole life, I was born in Pindara Hospital. I’ve travelled a lot and have some family in Melbourne so I’m back and forth between here and there but the Gold Coast is such a beautiful place, I love coming home.

What do you love most about our city?
I love the people, being able to walk on the beach and say hello to everyone. There’s such a friendly culture on the Gold Coast and I love being able to feel connected to everyone. You can meet new people and everyone is always really open, kind and generous.

How does it feel to be performing at the Commonwealth Games?
It’s a dream come true. I watched Kate (Miller-Heidke) perform at HOTA (Home of the Arts) five years ago and admired her so much. This was before I was touring and I saw the live show and it was a huge driving force for me in understanding what I wanted to do. I met her afterwards and it was such a fan girl moment. To be playing such an incredible event on the Gold Coast for the Gold Coast and supporting someone I admire, who has such talent and showmanship is incredible, I’m very excited.

How did the gig come about?
Bleach* Festival have been hugely supportive of me for quite a few years.
Last year I created a show I took to Sydney, Melbourne, Byron Bay, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We took over motel rooms and made a live music venue, like a private party, with champagne and revealed all my new songs. Bleach* was invited, and so were all my fans, and we’ve done a few things together since then, including performing with them in Hotelling – a production that took place in the Penthouse of the Soul building in Surfers Paradise. It’s really just about getting out there and getting to know amazing people.

What do you think of Festival 2018 so far?
It’s been incredible. In terms of culturally for the Gold Coast, I think it triggers ideas for other people. They’re activating spaces that aren’t normally utilised for the arts plus it’s all free and it’s such high calibre programming. They have really been engaging with local artists and putting local people in front of international crowds.

The Gold Coast is very much a holiday destination for people to come to the beach but the more art we can offer in the city, the more we can make it a destination for that kind of thing too.

What’s do you have on for the rest of the year?
I’ll be working on new music. I have a single coming out within the next month, which is exciting. It’s called Hurricane and I’m completely wrapped about it. Other than that, we’ll just be working on the stage show and writing heaps of music. I plan to tour mid-year and hopefully travel, write and play some shows overseas.

How would you describe your music?
It’s an electro, pop rock project that’s ever changing. There’s huge bass and crazy, dirty synthesizer sounds and the guys in my band sing too so there’s a beautiful vocal melody with some edgy, glam, electro sounds.

Tell us your favourites on the Coast…
Beach: My friends and I always go to Burleigh to hang out and have a drink but on the Coast we’re also so close to beaches down south where there aren’t that many other people so I love it down there too.
Cafe: Third Base Espresso in Palm Beach. Shout out to Reis, my favourite barista of all time.
Restaurant: One of my favourite cuisines is Turkish food and if I could eat pita all day every day I would. There’s a place in Harbour Town that’s incredible called Real Adana Chargrill, that’s my favourite.
How does your weekend usually look? My life in general revolves around music so I’m normally rehearsing, writing or performing. On days where it doesn’t look like that, I love going and finding new places and doing things that are a bit different. I like to travel different places and explore to find inspiration. I also love to go out dancing and see live music, or spend the whooooole day at the beach.

Bobby Alu is back with not one, but two exciting tours to soundtrack both sunrises and sunsets across Australia!

After the massive success of last year’s Breakfast Tour, which saw cafes buzzing and his album Keep It Tropical hitting #1 on AIR’s Independent Label Albums chart, Bobby returns with 42 free morning shows nationwide. This time, he’s bringing even more brekky vibes, with support from macamilk, Harris Farm Markets, and Sanremo Coffee Machines.

But that’s not all – 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of his beloved track My Style, and to celebrate, Bobby will switch things up with the My Style Tour, delivering intimate, full-band evening shows in nine cities. Before heading off for an international run across North America and Europe, this is the perfect chance to catch him live, whether you’re sipping a piccolo or a margarita!

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I was born at the Southport Hospital. I went to Coomera Primary School, Trinity Lutheran College and Griffith university. I live in the Northern Rivers these days however I still spend a lot of time with friends and fam on the GC.

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
For me it’s the land – the beach meeting the hinterland. So many different pockets and beautiful places. It’s so different from Coomera to Cooly. Even though it’s growing so quickly it still feels so small compared to the likes of LA, Berlin, London or Montreal, which I like.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I like to cruise. I like to appreciate what’s happening in the present moment. Even though sometimes it might not be a great moment, I trust that it’s a stepping stone to something amazing. I like adventure, I like discovering new places and people, which almost always has a role in me appreciating the friends and family I have and the place I live.

Tell us about the Breakfast Tour.
I’ve always wanted to play music in the morning, it’s a whole different experience. People are just waking, still in a dream state. Life is busy, so playing chill music for people in the morning feels like I’m setting them up for a good day. I developed the idea of doing a tour with my friend Mark who has a business called Breakfast Shirts. We love breakfast culture in Australia so a cafe tour seems perfect.

Performing 42 free morning shows is an impressive feat! What’s the wildest or most memorable breakfast gig you’ve played so far?
Honestly they are all pretty memorable. It’s fresh and new and I’m constantly surprised at what happens. We’ve had people dancing in the street at 9am in the morning on a Wednesday. We took the breakfast tour to Europe last year. Playing in Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg and Zurich have been definite highlights.

You’re used to playing in both intimate cafes and larger evening venues—how does your approach to performing change between the two settings?
They are completely different. I believe that if you choose music you choose all the types of gigs. I’ve played to 20,000 and I’ve played to 20 and honestly there is beauty in both. Breakfast shows are wayyyy more chill. It helps me connect at the most basic of levels. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rocking venue shows too. It’s just different and I really like both.

Your tours are backed by some delicious sponsors like macamilk. and Harris Farm Markets—what’s your ultimate breakfast spread before a show?
I like to try things while visiting all the cafes on the breakfast tour, but right now my go to is pretty simple. Avo on sourdough, lemon, salt and pepper with a drizzle of olive oil. A piccolo with macamilk of course, and a glass of coconut water. I also love a good toasty.

Your music has such a laid-back, feel-good vibe. Who are your biggest influences?
I like music with mood. Music that makes you feel. Bob Marley, Bill Withers and Fat Freddy’s Drop influenced my music however these days I’m listening to Cleo Soul, Yussef Dayes and Thee Sacred Souls. So much good music out there.

For fans coming to your Gold Coast show at Whyld Coffee – what can they expect from the experience?
I seriously think all you need is some good food, good coffee and good music to brighten your mood. That’s exactly what we are offering.

What are your Gold Coast Favourites:
Favourite café: Whyld Coffee of course, also Lovestreet Cafe
Favourite restaurant: Franc Jrs Famous Pizzeria in Cooly
Favourite bar: Precinct Brewing Co, Burleigh
Favourite beach: Rainbow Bay

How do you choose to spend your days off?
Morning coffee and breakfast out. A rainforest walk. An arvo nap. A sunset swim, drinks and dinner with my favourite people.