Gympie designer and event producer, Cindy Vogels, has told ABC Radio Sunshine Coast’s Drive program how ‘devastating’ bullying of her child prompted her to pivot her Space Girls Festival into a safe space for diverse communities.
Ms Vogels founded the Space Girls Festival in 2018 as a ‘celebration of female creatives and musicians’. The first event was held above Soma Soma café where it sold out.
Space Girls evolved into a festival of female and gender-diverse performers and production crews.
The event was a hit but Vogels was going through major challenges because in 2020 and beyond, her daughter experienced severe homophobic bullying at high school in Gympie.
‘It was devastating and the hardest period I went through as a parent of teenagers,’ Ms Vogels told ABC Radio Sunshine Coast.
There were a few tough years but Ms Vogels’ daughter, Elke Louie is doing fine now, with a budding music career, including releasing an EP as a solo artist and being a finalist for Young Artist of the Year at the Sunshine Coast Music Awards in 2026. Her band Hugo and the Hive. headlined the headspace national conference.
Ms Vogels said what her daughter went through has helped shaped the Space Girls Festival today.
‘My daughter impressed on me how important safe spaces are and to encourage allies. So the doors are swung open wide for all audiences.’
Listen to the full ABC Radio story, which aired on 18 June, here
Space Girls blends film and music in 2026
This year, the Space Girls Festival is collaborating with the Heart of Gold Short Film Festival to produce Space Girls ON FILM: a night of cinema, live music and community at the Gympie Music Hall on Channon Street on 26 June.
Sponsored by Gympie Regional Council and headspace: ‘The night promises to be equal parts celebration, storytelling and live original music with a femme punk crescendo,’ said Ms Vogels.
The Gympie Music Hall will transform into a pop-up cinema and performance space, offering short films turning the lens on identity and screen queens followed by live music from Lattes for MILFs, a Sunny Coast three piece grunge/punk/rock wrecking ball.
Twenty-year old Liz Wilkinson, who is interning with Heart of Gold, curated the film program which will include comedy, a musical, international animation and a local documentary.
Tickets are limited and $5 per person for under 25s. The event is 13+ or with a parental guardian.
Ms Vogels said the doors to Space Girls ON FILM were open to everyone.
‘We hope our audiences include grandparents and aunties and uncles because we all need to come together and realise everyone deserves a safe space to dance and take in music and art and film.’
Space Girls ON FILM is a one-night-only event on Friday, 26 June.
Doors open at 6:00 PM at the Gympie Music Hall, 26 Channon Street, Gympie. Buy your tickets here
IMAGE of Cindy Vogels at top of story: breamartinphotography.com.au
