Last week we gathered in Carrington for another Awesome Newcastle at the Young Street Hotel. We were there to hear three amazing finalists pitch their ideas. We welcomed returning guest board members Kara Sullivan of Guts Creative, Phil Jordan from Scenic, Scott McShane of Anderson Environment and Planning and first time board member Mick Wilson of LEVELUP.

Excitingly, we had two return finalists for this Awesome Newcastle, Mel O’dell of Steel City Malibu Club (who previously pitched a rollerskating idea in 2020) and James Chapman of Knock and Run Theatre who has pitched a number of times and was our very first Awesome Newcastle winner! Also on the lineup was Leala Darby of Orchestra Nova.

Mel went first. She is a surfer and the VP of Steel City Malibu Club, which was established in 1982 and has been running monthly social competitions since. She said it has always been a club that brings together those who love longboarding and for surfers to uplift one another. As memberships have dropped over the years and fees have increased, the club is hoping the local community can boost advertising efforts and improve their monthly comp set up and attract more members. They would use the money for a new gazebo with their logo. They would also like to build a better website, buy a new BBQ. and fund T-shirts for members.

Next up was Leala, violin player and the secretary of Orchestra Nova. Orchestra Nova is made up entirely of volunteers of around 60 musicians who come together because they love making music and sharing it with the community. She explained how they had an upcoming free public concert (which happened last Saturday). Called Beyond the Notes it celebrated new Australian music at the Newcastle Conservatorium. By removing ticket costs, it makes new music more accessible in the Hunter Region. She would use the $1,000 grant to cover the $550 of the venue hire, $250 would go towards conductor fees for the performance day, and $200 in accommodation for their Sydney-based composer. Every dollar helps keep the event free and accessible to everyone, and they often offer free concerts, so keep an eye on their website.

James was our final finalist. He explained that his theatre company is producing Play Date 2026, a one-day short play festival which celebrates emerging artists, new work, and creative collaboration. It brings together writers, directors, actors, and theatre-makers to create and present original short plays. He would use the money to assist in venue hire, marketing, promotional materials, technical, production and event administration costs. This would allow the ticket prices to be lower and more accessible to audiences.

As aways, the judges had a tough task at hand, but votes must be cast and decisions must be made, and at last we invited Kara to the stage to award the money. Kara handed the money to Mel! Congratulations Mel! We can’t wait to spot Steel City Malibu in the sand and watch you all in the waves!

Congratulations too to James and Leala for your great pitches and work to make our city even more vibrant than it already is. We’ll see you next time, at August Awesome Newcastle!