Hello dear friends, some words from Deb. At the beginning of last year, I began working on a new show inspired by my feelings of ‘home’ and what that means to me and others. In August, after months of solo writing, I was extremely fortunate to bring two multi-talented musicians into the process - Craig Johnston aka Delsinki and Rod Gilbert. Craig is a musician, writer, producer and promoter who was introduced to me by my dear friend Dion Hirini. Rod, who I have known and loved for decades, is a drummer, vocalist and well-respected member of the arts and entertainment industry. The new show, Feels Like Home, features original new songs, self-penned stories and a handful of carefully chosen covers that we have lovingly re-arranged. As I approach my 68th birthday, I need your support to take Feels Like Home from page to stage in May this year. Feels Like Home has been a beautiful show to create and I am extremely grateful to everyone for their support and encouragement. I am genuinely excited to perform again. Over the past few years, we’ve seen far too many Australians lose their homes to devastating natural disasters. Others battle with the increasing cost of living, rising interest rates and the inevitable housing crisis that follows. We’ve witnessed human suffering in real time through social and mainstream media and watched as millions of innocent people have been displaced through political conflict and devastating wars. Meanwhile, closer to home, far too many women and children have suffered from the scourge of spousal abuse and domestic violence, often left homeless with insufficient accommodation available for those fleeing imminent danger. Many of these victims have never known what it’s like to have a safe place to call home. Others simply want to return to the safety and security of a home where they share past memories and create new ones. Sadly, for many, transience is a way of life – forced to pack up and move from one place to the next, never to return – simply to survive. I was 52 before I could drive past our family home without crying. My greatest desire is to have a safe place to call home, a place I never have to leave. I hope to shine a light on all these feelings through the lyrics I have written and the songs we will perform. My grandson Aaron will celebrate his 18th birthday this December, marking an exciting new chapter in his life. I have been Aaron’s primary carer since his birth, and I am immensely proud of how he has overcome many personal challenges to become the beautiful young man he is today. Aaron receives a disability pension and is very keen to enter adulthood and join the work force. As Aaron’s primary carer I have often needed to prioritise his needs over mine and retreat from performing except for a few rare opportunities that didn’t impact our daily routines. While I receive a carer’s pension, you can imagine how difficult it is to squirrel away enough moolah to self-fund my work. To take Feels Like Home from the page to the stage, I need to raise funds for the final phase of show development. This includes paying an accompanist to set keys and write arrangements, at least four days of rehearsals with musicians in a suitable space - Wick Studios in Brunswick, Melbourne is my personal favourite - as well as engaging a sound and lighting engineer, arranging a photo shoot, posters to promote the show and an excited publicist to engage the media. I am asking for your support to raise the funds needed (we are aiming for $10k) to make Feels Like Home a reality with all the elements in place to make it a successful venture. At the end of rehearsals, we are planning to perform a private invitation only show in Melbourne. Feels Like Home is a timely passion project for me. While it is deeply personal and from my heart, I believe its themes and messages are universal. There’s no place like Home. Home is where the Heart is. Whatever ‘home’ means to you I hope you will see it in your heart to support Feels Like Home. The first 40 people to contribute will receive a ticket to an exclusive preview rehearsal. With love Debra xxx Debra Byrne | Feels Like Home