Upbeat Arts engages, educates and empowers adults experiencing any form of mental illness (or any disadvantage or marginalisation) in Queensland by offering access to tailored arts programs which assist in creating pathways to well-being, education and employment.

In Queensland, we hold 5 arts programs per week:

• Three in South Brisbane - choir, creative writing and song writing
• One choir in North Brisbane
• One online creative writing program for residents of Queensland.

Click on the PROGRAM INFORMATION button below to head straight to information about each program currently available.

COVID-19

Upbeat Arts is committed to continuing to provide our arts programs in Brisbane. With changing health directions, we may have to amend the way we deliver our programs. Our members are kept up to date at all times. 

Please note any interaction with the general public poses an elevated risk of being exposed to COVID-19 and we cannot guarantee that you will not be exposed while attending our programs. You should seek your own medical advice prior to attending, and consider your individual situation.

MEET OUR QUEENSLAND TEAM

Our Queensland Operations Manager, Susan Gilmartin and the team have a deep commitment to empower disadvantaged Queenslanders through engagement in our proven arts education and performance programs which are about connection, acceptance and personal transformation. 

We are proud to be supported by the Queensland Government through the Department of Health (MHAODB), and our Queensland Patrons, Dr Christian Rowan MP, past president, AMA Queensland and Member for Moggill and Joan Pease MP, Member for Lytton. 

We are happy to introduce Susan and our Queensland team of professional program leaders to you - scroll down to meet the team.

Operations Manager

Susan has a wealth of experience in project, event, travel and volunteer management. Alongside her professional knowledge, is a lifetime passion for and involvement in the arts through singing and performance. This combination of skills lends itself perfectly to the role of Operations Manager of Upbeat Arts Queensland.

Her work entails managing the day to day operations of the business to deliver five arts-based classes each week. She coordinates the venues, program leaders, members and volunteers and loves the collaboration between all involved to ensure the success of the Queensland programs.

The opportunity to produce concerts and events for Upbeat Arts is a welcome challenge and creates wonderful performance experiences for those involved. Major concerts have been held at Brisbane's Concert Hall at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), The Edge Auditorium at the State Library of Queensland and the Events Centre in Caloundra. Susan also coordinated the 2016 Brisbane International Singers Festival, a two day festival for over 200 singers with an interntional guest conductor. Special projects like taking the Brisbane choir to Melbourne to perform in 2017 are all part of a day's work.

Before working in this role, a career highlight for Susan was working at World Expo 88, where she played a pivotal role in the planning and development of events at the Piazza. World Expo 88 was an iconic Australian event and in today's industry terms was a 'mega-event each day for 180 days'. The Piazza venue had 10 - 12 events each day of those 180 days!

Program Leader - Choir

Melissa Gill is a versatile singer, and passionate choral conductor with an undergraduate degree in Jazz and Popular Voice from Queensland University of Technology and a classical singing certification from Trinity College, London.

Melissa's career includes performances as a featured soloist in music festivals (Brisbane Biennial, Brisbane Jazz and Blues), in music theatre (Into the Woods Moonlight Theatre, Stepmother / Baker's Wife cover, Pirates of Penzance Deseret Theatre, Edith), and in concert (Gospel at the Symphony, Queensland Symphony Orchestra). Melissa has sung everything from Jazz with Australian icon James Morrison, to gospel with American conductors Isaiah Jackson and the Reverend Alvin Paris III, and the soprano solo in the Australian premiere of British composer Havergal Brian's 'Symphony No. 1 in D Minor, The Gothic' under the baton of John Curro AM MBE. Melissa has also lent her voice to the Queensland Ballet's 'King Arthur and the tales of Camelot' and the soundtracks for award winning Australian playwright Sven Swenson's works 'A Night in the She-Devil's Salon' and 'The Siren's Kiss'.

In recent years Melissa has become a passionate advocate for community choral singing. Melissa is the Program Leader for the Absolutely Everybody Choir for Upbeat Arts in Brisbane, she is the founding musical director of Brisbane based community choir, Musica.

Program Leader - Brisbane and online Creative Writing

Claire Christian is a storyteller; a writer, theatre maker and facilitator. She has four plays published by Playlab, including Lysa and The Freeborn Dames which debuted at La Boite in 2018. She has had the great joy of directing Michelle Law's smash hit comedy Single Asian Female since 2017. Her debut novel Beautiful Mess won the Text Prize in 2016 and was released in 2017. Her second novel It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake, a contemporary adult fiction romance, was released in 2020 through Text Publishing. 

Accompanist - Choir and Music Theatre

Richard Thayil, Melbourne born, Brisbane freelance multi-instrumentalist, composer/arranger, music educator and accompanist.

Richard studied the Piano, Saxophone and Trombone in his schooling years in Melbourne. He has been accompanying since 1993 and began working professionally as a performing musician, composer/arranger and music educator in 1997.  Richard moved to Brisbane in 1999, completed a Bachelor of Music in composition at QUT.  He teaches multi instrumental music in primary and high schools and currently lectures in aural studies and arranging at QUT.  Richard is often called upon as a brass and woodwind clinician.  As a conductor he has been MD for various musicals and shows - Les Misérables, Fiddler on the Roof and other local productions.  Richard enjoys regularly performing locally, nationally and internationally.  He loves to be in the studio recording music for various artists. Richard's eclectic skill set has afforded him the privilege of working with many and varied artists, such as James Morrison, Pete Murray and Gerry Connelly. He is the founder, director and arranger for his big band The Empty Chair Project.  Richard has a deep passion for musicians, especially his three beautiful children.

Richard is currently the accompanist for Upbeat Arts in Queensland with the Absolutely Brisbane Choir and the music theatre program Rhythm of Life.

Program Leader - Song School

Mandi Geary is an active Brisbane-based Contemporary and Jazz Vocalist and Songwriter who works with a various talented musicians on creative projects and performances of Jazz standards. 

Her experience includes performances of both originals and cover music in the London and Sydney pop culture scenes and tertiary studies in Music Theatre at the Central Queensland Conservatorium, Contemporary Music at JMC Academy and Jazz Music at the renowned Jazz Music Institute. Mandi has made a solo EP with well-known producer - Eric J (Art Vs Science, Chet Faker) and has been a session vocalist on numerous local and interstate acts' albums. 

Mandi was a dedicated backing vocalist with the established, Soul/Jazz band - Ladi Abundance Project - with whom she toured and regularly performed festivals and larger venues including the Hifi, The Bearded Lady, Woodford Folk Festival, Earth Frequency Festival and Manifest. Immersion in this talented group of Jazz musicians, ignited Mandi's passion for Jazz which soon became the forefront of her music career pulling her towards completion of tertiary studies - Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance) from The Jazz Music Institute. Mandi's most recent notable performances include the QPAC Green Jam where she performed her own original arrangements and DooBop Jazz Bar where she performed alongside renown Jazz singer Belinda Monroe.  

Mandi is passionate about sharing the joy of music to others and regularly teaches Music, Voice and Songwriting to children and adults of all ages and musical ability. She is now furthering her scope as a Music Educator through the Upbeat Arts programs facilitating workshops in songwriting. 
 

Upbeat Arts in Queensland works in collaboration with representatives from the health, welfare, homeless, business, government, arts and corporate sectors.