HEIDI GUN
PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
NOMINATED FOR
Craigmore
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How would you describe yourself or your work in one sentence?
Heidi Gun is a plus-size queer burlesque performer bringing bold queer art, community connection, and visibility to stages across Australia and into rural communities.
Tell us a little about what you do
Heidi Gun is a plus-size queer burlesque performer who loves creating spaces for people to feel confident, seen, and celebrated. She performs around Australia, produces shows featuring queer and diverse performers, and brings burlesque to rural communities that don’t often get to experience queer art. Heidi also teaches classes that focus on confidence, creativity, and making dance accessible to everyone.
What impact or achievement are you most proud of this year?
Through Heidi Gun’s work as a performer and producer, queer performance has reached audiences in regional South Australia that rarely get to experience LGBTQIA+ art and representation. Heidi has produced community events such as Cabaret Capers in Peterborough for Feast Festival and Heels and Haybales in Peterborough, bringing queer performers and inclusive entertainment to rural towns. Heidi has also performed at Port Augusta Pride for two consecutive years, supporting the growth of Pride celebrations and queer visibility in regional communities. These events have helped create spaces where LGBTQIA+ people in smaller towns can feel seen, celebrated, and connected. Heidi has also used her events to support important causes, including raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities, while continuing to provide opportunities and platforms for queer performers.
Why does your work matter to the community?
Heidi Gun’s work matters because it creates spaces where LGBTQIA+ people feel safe, visible, and celebrated. In many rural communities, opportunities to experience queer art and connection are limited, so bringing performances and shows to these areas helps people feel less isolated and more included. Heidi’s events give queer performers a platform while also showing audiences that LGBTQIA+ people belong everywhere, including small towns.
Some of these rural events also faced backlash, including online hate and threats that made performers feel unsafe. Even with that pressure, Heidi believed it was more important than ever for the shows to go ahead, because visibility and representation matter. Continuing to create these spaces sent a clear message that queer people deserve to be seen and celebrated in every community.
Through teaching and mentoring, Heidi also helps individuals build confidence, explore self-expression, and connect with others in a supportive environment. For many people, these spaces are more than just classes or shows, they are places where they can be themselves without fear of judgment. By uplifting diverse performers and creating opportunities for queer artists, Heidi’s work helps strengthen connection, representation, and pride within the community.
What would you like voters to know when voting for you?
Heidi Gun represents the power of queer visibility and community. Through performing, producing shows in rural towns like Peterborough, and supporting events like Port Augusta Pride, Heidi has worked to make sure LGBTQIA+ people feel seen and celebrated beyond the big cities. As a plus-size queer performer who creates opportunities for others and safe spaces through teaching, voting for Heidi means recognising someone who actively builds stronger, more visible queer communities