Steven Hopwood has always dreamed big but never imagined staging a cabaret performance in his home town.

The Armidale School student from Gunnedah was this year recruited for the Horizons Creative Industries career program.

Aimed at 16 to 27 year olds across regional NSW, the performing arts program provides mentoring and career development.

Steven plans to use skills gained from the Horizons program to stage a Gunnedah-based cabaret performance next year – featuring all local performers.

“I think we have great potential and talent in Gunnedah,” Steven said.

“I want to see the local talent come together and help promote the performing arts here.

“It’s important we come together as a community.”

Such is his motivation, Steven has already written a short script for the performance.

Earlier this month he also assembled a small cast for a music theatre and cabaret workshop in Gunnedah.

Steven was assisted by Horizons mentor and fellow creative, Tim Hansen – a multi-disciplinary artist with a professional career spanning 20 years. Tim said Steven already possessed many of the attributes required to succeed.

“He has the ambition, goals that exceed his age for sure,” Tim said.

“He knows what he wants to do and has a plan to get it done.

“Lots of young people have aspirations in the creative arts industry but not many have figured out the steps they’re going to take to get there.

“It’s quite remarkable.”

The career artist said the Gunnedah workshop offered participants an opportunity to hone their skills in theatre’s fundamentals – singing, acting and dancing.

He also offered a cautionary reminder that aspiring young artists do not necessarily need to be the best at everything.

“There is a misconception that to have a successful career you need to be brilliant at it all – it certainly helps – but at the core of what music theatre is about is storytelling,” Tim said.

“We’re hoping to work with participants as to how they use those skills to tell a story because ultimately that’s what the audience wants to see. They might not know that – they might think they’re just here to see a show – but what the audience wants is really good storytelling told by someone who knows how to use their skills.”

He also urged performing arts students to follow their instincts and pursue their goals.

“If you want to do it, you will always find a way,” he said.

Steven and his fellow Horizons students are due to perform in the program finale next week at Coonabarabran.

Grease and rehearsals

If staging a self-produced cabaret performance was not enough, Gunnedah’s Steven Hopwood is also busily preparing for a school musical.

The Armidale School student from Gunnedah is playing Jonny Casino in a rendition of the iconic American musical comedy, Grease.

This all before Steven tours New Zealand with the school’s rugby side in the week leading up to his performance in Grease.

The school performance is not for another six months but already the rehearsal schedule is well underway.

“We have a five hour rehearsal on Sunday, a two hour dance session on Wednesday, two hour dance session on Sunday too, plus rehearsal on Tuesday and Thursday,” Steven said.

“It’s a pretty packed scheduled but I like being busy.

“You just need to work hard, that’s what it’s all about. Keep doing it and you get results.

“We’ve already completed act one in six weeks.”

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