Mandy Nolan, Steph Tisdell to star in comedy gala in support of Ballina Women and Children’s Refuge

Star comedians are throwing their support and jokes behind a crucial Ballina service after government funding dried up.

Comedian Steph Tisdell is headlining Women with Heart, a comedy gala being held online to support Ballina Women's and Children's Refuge. Picture: Monica Pronk

Lockdown has heightened concerns for the potential escalation of domestic violence situations, so it might seem ludicrous that funding for services would be lacking.

But a key government funding stream dried up for Ballina Women and Children’s Refuge in July.

Female comedians are throwing their support behind the service with the Women With Heart fundraiser on Thursday, September 16.

Earlier Covid-19 restrictions meant numbers were limited for what was to be an in-person event.

It had sold out for the 150-person capacity but lockdown has meant that event couldn’t proceed as planned.

So organisers have moved it online, opening up tickets to a broader number of people.

Mandy Nolan, a Northern Rivers comedian, domestic violence survivor and the Greens federal candidate for Richmond, will host the event.

Rather than a problem, Ms Nolan saw lockdown as an “opportunity to take the show online to raise more money”.

Supporting the Ballina refuge, run by Momentum Collective, is close to Ms Nolan’s heart.

Mandy Nolan is hosting Women with Heart, a comedy gala being held online to support Ballina Women’s and Children’s Refuge.

“It’s something I have experience of as a child and experience of as an adult woman,” she said.

“I know the importance of places like refuges to give women and children a chance to rebuild themselves.”

She said refuges were all the more important for communities with limited available accommodation.

“In lockdown, all the statistics show that women and children are more at risk, not less, so those services are more in need than ever,” she said.

She said they would work to fit as many people as possible on the Zoom platform where the event would now be held.

All proceeds will go to keeping support workers connected to the refuge.

“(They) enact a lot of the safety stuff that’s there,” she said.

Mandy Nolan takes part in a March 4 Justice event in Mullumbimby earlier this year. Picture: Liana Boss

“The idea of people that have been in trauma having no support there to assist them … it could easily end in a disaster for those at-risk people.”

Ms Nolan said it was “frustrating” the fundraising effort was needed at all in light of the government funding cut.

“It just shows you how unrelated, often, funding is to need in a community,” she said.

“I would be happy for them to de-fund women’s and children’s refuges if they had solved the issue of violence against women and children.”

While doing something to help some of the community’s most vulnerable, she said the event would be a chance to bring the community together – albeit virtually – to enjoy “amazing” female comedians.

Steph Tisdell, who will be headlining the event, said the comedy gala would be a powerful way to deal with something that’s “close to home” for her.

“Comedy and laughter it’s the best way to deal with hard things,” she said.

Steph Tisdell shares a photo at the red carpet for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival's opening Variety Gala at the Festival Theatre on Friday June 11 2021. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“Any time where we get to give a bit of love through laughter is great.”

Ms Tisdell said it was absolutely necessary for people to support services like the Ballina refuge.

“There are so many support services that have been really, really affected by Covid,” she said.

“There are a lot of people who are vulnerable at the moment.”

In a time when there has been a rise in division and a “hardening” of ideals and beliefs, the event might be a salve for the soul.

Ms Tisdell said it was heartening to know people were backing the event, the cause it will support, and that she and other comedians could bring people together to enjoy a night of laughs, even if that is through a screen.

“Whether they’re united in what they feel or not you have this one time where people are together or trying to achieve the same goal,” she said.

Women with Heart is being held online from 8 to 11pm on Thursday, September 16.

Other talents include Ellen Briggs, Katrina Davidson, Jenny Wynter, Fiona McGary, Ting Lim, Vanessa Mitchell, Alex Hudson.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased here.