Louise King’s Journey from Cellist to Festival Founder with The Refinery 5.0
Cellist, Louise King, established Cello Dreaming in 2003 and since that time it’s had many iterations.
Louise came to The Refinery seeking a deeper understanding of how she could capitalise on her skills and experience to create impact in her local community. She wanted to reflect upon and understand the value of her previous accomplishments, what she now considers to be an apprenticeship for what the next 20 years could potentially hold for her practice.
For the previous three years, before commencing The Refinery, Cello Dreaming had been on pause while Louise fulfilled the role of inaugural Artistic Director of the Sunshine Coast Chamber Music Festival, followed closely by her taking a fulltime leadership role with an interstate regional music conservatorium. Her three years away from Cello Dreaming had been personally challenging and left her with low self-esteem.
The attraction to The Refinery was the offering – the intensity of the program and the variety of facilitators and themes. It was a vehicle for Louise to review her business and answer her questions: does it remain relevant; could she reconnect; could it be reactivated and play a role in serving and contributing to her community.
The program lived up to her expectations. It offered her the ability to renew her network, connect with local practitioners and, by immersing her back in the community, it gave her the sense of belonging she had lost.
Interestingly Louise had only just completed Scale Up, Sunshine Coast Council’s small business development program. She was the only creative in this program sitting alongside highly successful small businesses with up to 30 employees. The discussion in this program focussed on money and profitability and while this is important to her, it is not necessarily her driver. Scale Up opened her eyes to her capacity to lead small business and sizable teams, but it left her questioning what drives her and her definition of success and sustainability. This was a point of difference and if Cello Dreaming was to be reactivated, she needed to better understand it.
Louise says, ‘the first week of The Refinery with Alis Anagnostakis enabled me to understand my innate capacity and abilities. It took a phycological exploration of self to see my potential.’
With this foundation Louise was able to continue to build on this understanding, grow her confidence, understand what motivates her and where her value to the industry, community and region lies. ‘I have the qualities to lead; I have valuable networks both artistic and business; I have the capacity to create and deliver valuable experiences for audiences. Through the Refinery I rediscovered the confidence to step out and do it [present a festival] again.’
Louise points to a powerful moment during a pitch rehearsal meeting when she was told the region doesn’t want just one festival.
‘The was the moment when I could pivot and take the leap of faith and let go of my past experiences and move forward to take on the challenge to create another festival. My curiosity returned and I felt I had learned to trust myself again.’
In September 2023, Louise launched her new boutique music festival LONG LISTEN, that is designed for the community, in our community, artist-driven, and musician-led. The launch featured a three-day teaser program at Eudlo Hall for which many of the events were sold out. She is now embarking on a fundraising campaign for the inaugural festival in 2024.
Stay connected with Louise online or on socials.
Words by Liz Burcham, President, SCCA
Photo by Patrick Want
The Refinery Creative Business Incubator is presented as part of SCCA’s platform of professional development programs designed to support creative practitioners working at the intersection of art, technology, environment and design.
Learn more about The Refinery programs currently open for applications.