Violette’s in bloom for Open Streets Festival

IN the lead-up to this weekend’s Open Streets Festival, one of its youngest performers, Violette Hyland, and her puppy Muse, met with News Of The Area to talk about her achievements and plans.

Despite being just 15-years-old, the down-to-earth Nambucca High School student already has an impressive string of achievements and memorable performances under her belt.

Readers of NOTA may recall that Violette performed onstage in 2024 at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Mimosa Festival celebrating youth performers from across the state.

Others may remember her as one of the host band members performing up to twenty songs onstage at Nambucca Valley’s well-attended Showtime school concerts in 2025 and 2023 or Nambucca High School’s 2024 musical production.

For Eisteddfod-goers, she was the Coffs Harbour Vocal Championship winner for the 14 years and under category in 2024 and 2025.

The last of these achievements led to her receiving a scholarship which allowed her to attend a National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) workshop in Sydney over the summer school holidays.

Violette’s real passion lies in Musical Theatre, which she describes as a “bunch of things that I really like doing”.

“This year, I’m playing the lead role of Mary Poppins in the rural schools 2026 NSW Combined Schools Musical and I’m looking forward to that,” she told NOTA.

This August in Murwillumbah, The Arts Unit – a division of the NSW Government’s Education Department – will stage the musical Mary Poppins using a regional cast of young people chosen from across the state.

Add to this a busy schedule of her own school’s musical, and dance practices and performances as part of Macksville’s Valley Performing Arts Centre (VPAC) Show Group and the Encore Performing Arts Academy in Nambucca Heads.

Violette also attends weekly practice sessions with her band ‘Rhetorical?’, which is also performing at Saturday’s Open Streets Festival.

“There are four of us that make up the band. We met at school, but some have left that school so now we practice at a friend’s house in Nambucca heads,” Violette explained.

“Only two of us can make it this weekend (to the Open Streets Festival). Our drummer is away so we are playing an acoustic version of some of our original songs,” she said.

Violette is an accomplished pianist, singer and a largely self-taught guitarist.

It was clear from an early age that her future lay in performing, according to her supportive parents.

“If there was a stage, she would be on it,” Violette’s mum Kerrie told NOTA.

“Front and centre,” said her dad Trent, a teacher at Nambucca High School.

As for a hero, not surprisingly, Violette chose Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“He’s amazing. He writes his own musicals and performs in them,” she said of the American singer, songwriter and performer.

It is difficult to imagine how busy the teenager and her family are with the challenges young regional artists face including travelling vast distances and the availability of teachers.

Violette’s achievements, and those of other young regional artists, would not be possible without the ongoing support of family and community members.

While she has become well known to many in the field across the state, Violette says she jumps at the opportunity to perform close to home.

“I performed at the Back to Bowra Festival last year and I’m excited to have another great opportunity (at Open Streets) to perform in my community because I feel like I am always far away,” she said.

By Ned COWIE