Foundation Impact Stories: A Cabaret Journey from Port Lincoln

Navigator College, Port Lincoln student Donella has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Nathaniel O’Brien Class of Cabaret Scholarship. 

Funded by Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation, the scholarship provides regional students with the opportunity to participate in Adelaide Cabaret Festival's highly sought after Class of Cabaret program, designed to nurture young performing arts talent.

The scholarship covers Donella’s travel, accommodation, and vocal tuition throughout the program. In addition, supported by Adelaide Festival Centre centrED Donella will work with a teacher from Thebarton Senior College, supporting her to earn accreditation towards her South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE). 

Donella’s journey to the Class of Cabaret began with a performance at the Mayor’s concert in Port Lincoln. The mother of Charlie Watt, a past Class of Cabaret participant and recipient of the Nathaniel O’Brien Class of Cabaret Scholarship was in the audience and later reached out to Donella’s family encouraging her to audition.  "Charlie’s mum was in the audience, and she contacted one of my parents and told him I should audition for the Class of Cabaret."

Being part of the Class of Cabaret has been a profoundly positive experience for Donella. "I'm surprised about how much I've actually learned and how much I’ve actually absorbed things from the mentors and from my classmates."

Cabaret mentors Mark Oates and Millicent Sarre, in particular, have made a significant impact. "They're really knowledgeable and supportive and they're really good at helping you know where you want to go with things and helping you discover yourself as an artist.” This supportive environment fosters growth and self-discovery, crucial elements for any emerging artist.

Developing their own cabaret show has been a rewarding challenge. "It was a little tricky at first, but once I got the ball rolling, I was able to come up with my set." Donella’s theme is deeply personal and universally resonant: Dreams. "Mine is about dreams of wanting to be a performer, but also telling the audience, don't be afraid to follow your dreams and to do what you want to do and choose your own path."

While writing parody songs came easily, the real test was crafting the "patter" – the spoken words that weave the performance together. "Writing the actual words, I have to talk to people. That's what's been the most tricky so far." Thankfully, a dedicated masterclass on patter writing during the initial four-day intensive provided essential tips and tricks, proving to be "really handy."

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Coming from a regional town like Port Lincoln, the Class of Cabaret has offered unique perspectives. "It's been a slight culture shock, honestly." The experience of being surrounded by 15 other like-minded individuals, all pursuing similar passions, is a stark contrast to the smaller arts community in Port Lincoln. "But it's been amazing, and I'm really feeling like I'm building a lot of strong connections and friendships in the community."

For regional students, opportunities like the Nathaniel O'Brien Class of Cabaret Scholarship are nothing short of transformative. Beyond exposure, these opportunities provide access to vital resources. "I have private vocal lessons with Rosie Hosking, and she's teaching me all of these different vocal techniques that are actually helping my voice. And protecting me, which wasn't available to me in Port Lincoln." These are the tangible benefits that can truly shape a career.

For those hesitant to apply, Donella’s message is clear: "Absolutely do it. Don't be afraid to put all your eggs in one basket, because if you do get in, it's absolutely worth it and you won't regret it at all."

One of the key hopes for this experience was to build connections, and that has certainly been achieved. "I definitely wanted to gain a lot of connections and getting to talk to other people about their experiences in the industry and getting to know other people my age who share the same interests and passions and driving things."

The Nathaniel O’Brien Class of Cabaret Scholarship is helping to launch creative careers. This wouldn’t be made possible without the support of Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation donors. Donations help turn artist’s creative visions into reality, by providing mentorship, resources, and a platform to bring their ideas to life.

Donella’s performance will take place in this year's Cabaret Festival on Saturday 21 June, at 2pm. Tickets are still available here.