Karen Jacobsen The GPS GiRL®

The Whitsundays Songwriter Festival (WSF) is fast becoming one of Airlie Beach’s most loved festivals, where six world-class songwriters and artists are invited to the region to mentor a new generation of local songwriters, create new work, deliver an emerging songwriter workshop, and perform in an intimate concert and conversation event for the community. Co-founded in 2022 by Queenslanders Karen Jacobsen and Francesca de Valence, together with the Whitsundays Arts Festival, WSF has hosted songwriters including Wendy Matthews, Toni Childs, Vika & Linda, Graeme Connors, Jude York, Tia Gostelow, and Mark Sholtez.

We are proud to present our festival on Ngaro and Gia land, in regional North Queensland.

Concert & Conversation features six invited professional songwriters, interviewed on stage and performing live. Writing new songs as part of the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival and Residency, co-founders Karen Jacobsen and Francesca de Valence will take you behind the scenes as all songwriters are interviewed and share insights about their creative process and careers. This is a not-to-be-missed inspiring opportunity to get up close to some of the world’s most dynamic songwriters and artists in the Whitsundays in North Queensland.

HEY S!RI – HOW DID YOUR VOICE END UP IN 7 BILLION DEVICES?

Go behind the scenes and hear the story and award winning original songs behind Karen Jacobsen’s speaking voice becoming the original Australian voice of Siri. In the USA premiere of her new one woman show at Hollywood Fringe Festival learn how she overcomes chronic anxiety and financial disaster along the way, in this part concert, part motivational experience. A ‘one woman and piano force of nature’, with the ‘never seen a cigarette in her life voice’, be inspired by the story and songs of the voice with an answer for everything. Written by Karen Jacobsen with additional dialogue by Jonathan Mill.

Music. Big Dreams. Resilience. Struggle. Courage – Donna Mackay QLD

HEY S!RI – HOW DID YOUR VOICE END UP IN 7 BILLION DEVICES?

Go behind the scenes and hear the story and award winning original songs behind Karen Jacobsen’s speaking voice becoming the original Australian voice of Siri. In the USA premiere of her new one woman show at Hollywood Fringe Festival learn how she overcomes chronic anxiety and financial disaster along the way, in this part concert, part motivational experience. A ‘one woman and piano force of nature’, with the ‘never seen a cigarette in her life voice’, be inspired by the story and songs of the voice with an answer for everything. Written by Karen Jacobsen with additional dialogue by Jonathan Mill.

Music. Big Dreams. Resilience. Struggle. Courage – Donna Mackay QLD