A LIFE IN ART

Last year, something extraordinary happened in Ibiza.

At Café del Mar, I created and recorded “A Life In Art” — celebrating Australian art and my journey from Melbourne to London and Ibiza, with a tribute to Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue.

I grew up not far from Kylie in Melbourne. Neither of us could have known then that our worlds would eventually circle back through Battersea in London and Ibiza in Spain — two Australian stories united through music, art and performance.

For me, The Kylie represents an extraordinary full circle.

Burlesque icon Dita Von Teese has also inspired my journey. Seeing Dita painted on the side of a plane inspired my Australian flag corset and led me to reach out to Sir Richard Branson, whom I met exactly ten years ago today.

At my darkest point in my twenties, Café del Mar’s music became part of my recovery. Burlesque changed my life. Today, the pianist behind that music is my pianist, and together with my husband we created new music for Café del Mar at the very place that inspired my journey.

That song, “A Life In Art”, became an Official World Record — “First Music Tribute to Australian Art in Ibiza, Spain.”

If you've followed my journey for the past 20 years, you will know I am completely self-funded. Over the last 10 years, my husband and I have sacrificed a great deal to establish our festival in Spain. We have paid many people along the way, but we have not paid ourselves.

Now we want to release our album, and I want to return to Australia for Christmas.

When I saw Dita Von Teese at the London Palladium this year on my birthday, a gift from my family, my heart ached when she flew to Melbourne soon after — a journey I could not afford to make.

🌍 HELP ME BRING MY WORLD RECORD HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

I haven't visited my hometown for five years. I want to return to Melbourne, visit the hospital that cared for me during the darkest point of my life and present them with my book, Burlesque or Bust — my story of mental health recovery and how burlesque changed my life.

The book features a foreword by Erik Lee Preminger, son of Gypsy Rose Lee and filmmaker Otto Preminger, together with a special Marilyn Monroe Centenary note honouring one of my great role models.

I also need to relocate and upgrade my London studio, where we have a piano, costumes, archives and many precious creative items.

I set a World Record completely healed.

Now we need your help for the next chapter.

For years, my London home and creative studio has been much more than somewhere I live.

It has been the place where I have written music, created costumes, worked on books, taught, built international burlesque projects and developed the ideas that have taken my work from London to Ibiza and around the world.

It is where I launched World Burlesque Day, bringing the community together and teaching for free online during lockdown to lift morale. The initiative has since reached people in 151 countries.

It is where A Life In Art was developed.

It is where I have written music with Tonestepa and finally had space for a piano.

It is where costumes have been created, archives have been built and ideas for World Burlesque Day, the Ibiza Burlesque Festival and my wider Life In Art work have taken shape.

It has been my creative sanctuary.

Now I need to relocate that creative base — and I want to get home to Australia for Christmas.

I am raising £25,000 to help me relocate my London creative studio within Islington, and make my return to Australia for a Christmas visit possible.

The funds will help me:

• Secure a new multi-purpose creative studio

• Relocate my piano, costumes, equipment and archive

• Preserve the physical archive behind Life In Art

• Create a space for music, writing, teaching and creative projects

• Continue developing my international work

• Return to Australia for Christmas

Funds raised will be applied first to accommodation costs, followed by relocation and creative expenses, and then my flight home.

 OWN A PIECE OF THE STORY

To help make this possible, I am opening my Life In Art archive to supporters and collectors.

THE KYLIE

At the heart of the campaign is “The Kylie” — an original costume from my Life In Art archive, created in honour of Kylie Minogue and the story of Australian art travelling abroad.

I am offering this unique piece to a collector as part of the £25,000 campaign.

I am also offering a signed certificate commemorating my World Record, together with signed copies of Burlesque or Bust for supporters.

Burlesque or Bust features a foreword by Erik Lee Preminger, son of Gypsy Rose Lee and filmmaker Otto Preminger. I have also added a special Marilyn Monroe Centenary note in honour of one of my great role models.

Another full circle.

One archive.
One World Record.
One extraordinary Australian story.**

Here I am wearing The Kylie at my first London show in 2007