The Great Debate

Daniel Evans is the Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre, and a celebrated director, playwright, and theatre-maker. With a career spanning over 20 years, Evans began his journey at Queensland Theatre at age 16, winning the Young Playwrights Award. He has since established himself as a trail-blazing theatre-maker with acclaimed works such as Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Drizzle Boy and Vietgone. Daniel has also been a driving force behind Queensland Theatre’s Door 3 program, supporting independent creatives. His leadership is shaping a vibrant future for Queensland’s theatre scene, fostering local talent and delivering compelling productions.

Jenny Woodward is a seasoned weather presenter for ABC TV News, widely recognised across Queensland. With 25 years in the industry, she holds multiple diplomas, including in Creative Arts, Speech and Drama, and Interior Decorating. Jenny’s career began at Channel 10 in Toowoomba, before moving to Channel 7 in Brisbane, where she contributed to the children’s show Wombat. Since joining ABC News, she has presented weather across the state, known for her lively reports, often surrounded by animals at events like the Brisbane Ekka. Jenny is also a sought-after guest speaker, compere, and the winner of a 2004 Queensland Media Award. 

Rachel Burke is a practicing multidisciplinary artist, designer, and author based in Brisbane, Australia. Known for her vibrant, tactile wearable artworks and iconic tinsel creations, her work is inspired by a love for naive craft materials and transforming the mundane into the magical. Rachel has exhibited her work in many gallery spaces across Australia, including Side Gallery, The Museum of Brisbane, Walker Street Gallery, Saint Cloche Gallery, and The Australian Centre of the Moving Image. She has also published six books: Make It Up (March, 2025), Fancy Long Legs (2024), Craft Roach (2023), Pla Pla: Gather, Make, Play. (2023), Be Dazzling (2018), and Daphne & Daisy (2017).

Neridah is a choreographer, performer and theatre maker. She's toured her work to The Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, USA, England and extensively throughout Australia with Lala Parlour, Common People Dance Project, The Brides of Frank and The Escapists. She's worked as an actor/choreographer for La Boîte, Queensland Theatre, Imaginary Theatre, DeBase, Metro Arts, Brisbane Powerhouse, PlayLab, Flipside Circus and NORPA. She's choreographed large-scale community projects for Queensland Music Festival and QPAC's Out Of The Box Festival. Neridah runs her own company called the Common People Dance Project where she runs various community dance projects including the Living Room Dance Party, the Socially Distanced Dance Party and the Eisteddfod with a regular outcome each year at Brisbane Festival, The Horizon Festival in the Sunshine Coast, the Spark Festival in Ipswich and Wynnum Fringe. She performed Boyle and Waters in LEOTARD at Metro Arts and toured through Queensland. Neridah performed in Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club at the Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane Comedy Festival and has recently returned from a tour from outback Queensland.

Loretta began her radio career at 17 and has worked across scheduling, production, promotions, news, and presenting. She spent seven years at Stereo Ten completing a newsroom cadetship, then 16 years at Triple M as News Director and co-host. At Radio 4BH and 4BC, she hosted various programs including Breakfast and Afternoon shows. Beyond radio, she’s worked in television, PR, and marketing, hosting lifestyle and music programs, and is a sought-after MC and moderator. Since 2015, Loretta has been with ABC Radio Brisbane, presenting across all programs and hosting the Regional Drive show in 2016.

Carolyn Vincent is a dedicated Philanthropist. She setup the Ubuntu Foundation in 2019.

Her passion for philanthropy comes from her childhood experiences of being impacted by the injustices she saw all around her in India and always questioning why she had what she had and others didn’t.

She is also passionate about building community and calls herself The Connection Ninja! Her Passion is a direct result of her own life's journey of growing up in a strong connected neighbourhood in Mumbai, India and then getting inadvertently disconnected over her 22 yr marriage in Australia. Having experienced both sides of being connected and supported to being disconnected and unsupported she believes a lot of the issues we face as a society today can be alleviated by focusing on rebuilding authentic connections with each other.

Prior to her philanthropy work she started and ran a very successful business, Luggage Direct in Brisbane, Australia. She has 3 beautiful children and 3 grandchildren and she values her family time and one on one time with each of them very much.

Craig is an award-winning broadcaster with over a decade of experience sharing stories across Queensland, now waking up Brisbane each weekday morning alongside co-host Loretta Ryan. Known for his adventurous spirit, Craig has broadcasted live from locations like the top of Brisbane's Story Bridge and Queensland’s Gulf Country cattle stations. Originally from Rockhampton, he studied engineering and business before discovering his love for radio. When not on air, Craig is an avid adventurer, musician, and Sunday night TV weather presenter for ABC News. His passion, energy, and local knowledge make him the ideal companion to start your day.