Nicci and Pru Wilson on the Gold Coast Eisteddfod’s 42nd birthday
If you’ve grown up in this city, chances are you’ve been part of this event. Here’s why it is about to get even bigger.
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This is the stage where stars are born.
It might be hard to see them now, dressed in little leotards, lugging around large instruments or clearing those precious vocal chords, but among the thousands of participants set to hit the stage for this year’s 42nd Gold Coast Eisteddfod (GCE), it’s almost certain that at least one will one day hit the big time.
Just look at the illustrious alumni: Cody Simpson, Alli Simpson, Sophie Monk, Dami Im and Ricki Lee Coulter.
And then, of course, there is Margot Robbie, who namechecked this event while taking to the HOTA stage in February to receive her Trailblazer Award at the AACTAs, an accolade she described as ‘mind-boggling’.
“It’s almost as mind-boggling as it is to be receiving this award here on this stage, where 20 years ago I was performing a vaguely inappropriate dance routine in our inter-school Eisteddfod. So this is a very full circle moment for me,” laughed the Barbie star.
If you’ve grown up on the Gold Coast, chances are you’ve been a part of this iconic piece of our cultural history.
While other eisteddfods have gone the way of the landline telephone, including the century-old Brisbane Eisteddfod, the Gold Coast Eisteddfod just keeps on growing.
Indeed, reading the sad announcement of the end of the Brisbane event back in 2021, mention was made that there had been ‘a noticeable loss of relevance’.
Fortunately for this city, that could not be further from the Gold Coast Eisteddfod experience.
Just ask general manager Nicci Wilson, busily preparing for the July 15 launch.
Despite Covid closing down the show in 2020, followed by restrictions and then the retirement of legendary eisteddfod organiser and now patron Judith Ferber OAM in 2021, Mrs Wilson was relieved when her big debut in 2022 was a success.
Although she said she was not necessarily surprised.
“I remember saying all I wanted was to break even. There were still restrictions on immunisations and that sort of thing so it wasn’t quite back to normal, but everyone pulled together and it was a real success,” she said.
“It was the first time we could have school groups together again and it was so heartwarming to see how much teachers and students had missed it.
“It’s such a community event and it gives so much to the participants – whether that’s teachers networking or students learning about sportsmanship and performance, plus all the proud parents and loyal volunteers … it’s just the Gold Coast at its best.
“I haven’t seen or heard of any other eisteddfod who does it quite like what we do, we’re the biggest and best of our kind.
“The seeds of the future are really planted here, and it’s lovely that so many of the organising team and volunteers are past competitors too. It’s a generational event now. It’s practically a rite of passage for every Gold Coast kid.”
With this year’s entries bigger than any post-Covid, Mrs Wilson said the future was brighter than ever.
The eisteddfod runs from July 15 to September 11 across five venues, with more than 5500 performances, more than 50 volunteers and just one day off for Father’s Day.
Despite the heavy workload, Mrs Wilson said she couldn’t wait.
“In many ways the hardest part is before it all begins, organising and scheduling it all – it’s like a giant game of Tetris,” she said.
“It’s so rewarding when it’s all happening, even if it does mean a lot of long days at the events. The best part is just seeing those kids up there — some may go on to great things while for others this may be the first and last time they’re ever on a stage, but it’s so great for them to have that experience.
“When it’s all over, it is sad, but it’s great to have a little break and then it’s right back to organising the next year.”
Mrs Wilson said, like so many on the committee, she first became involved in the eisteddfod when her own daughter was dancing at age four.
That child, Prue Wilson, is now 33 years old and is not only a producer for HOTA home company Everybody Now, she’s also the producer for the eisteddfod.
“It’s actually great working together, we’ve come a long way in 30 years,” she said.
“I think her dance school was looking for volunteers at the time and I had a drama background so I offered to compere.
“I kept volunteering even after she finished school and then became assistant manager under Judith Ferber, so I learned from the best.
“Judith set up such a fantastic foundation, it’s been an honour to keep it going.”
Now with a team of paid casuals, the role of part-time producer played by her daughter and her own job as general manager, Mrs Wilson said the support of the City of Gold Coast, as well as other corporate sponsors, was also what set the GCE apart.
She said the Gold Coast’s growing film and television industry was also feeding both the interest and participation at competitor and expert judge levels.
“The growth of film and TV has certainly been a great boost and the council has been a great supporter of that as well,” she said.
“We have university students who do placements with us and the city also sponsors an arts and culture professional placement program – we mentor them and they work with us over 30 days at the event and hopefully that kicks off something for them within the industry.
“Also the city’s reputation as a great place to raise families means the more our population grows, so too do our entries.
“The community spirit also draws people to volunteer. I have a lady who started volunteering a few years ago. She’s in her 70s and she hadn’t played the piano in years, but seeing all the kids performing inspired her to start playing again.”
With new categories in the eisteddfod this year, Mrs Wilson said the event’s popularity should only grow in the future.
She said many participants now travelled from out of town to compete after their local eisteddfods closed down.
She said this brought not just a cultural but economic boost to the city.
“We have some new categories this year like slam poetry in speech and drama and an open age choir. We’re also doing a musical theatre show-off, where they take part in a class on stage and then they perform a solo, all judged by an industry expert.
“We also have entrants coming from Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Port Macquarie and even Victoria. We have had international entrants before Covid and we hope to get those back soon.
“The great thing is that they often come with their families and make a little holiday of it, which is great for the Gold Coast during those quieter winter months.”
It seems only fair that staging the greatest show should allow this superstar city to shine.
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