William Barton is Australia’s leading didgeridoo player as well as composer, instrumentalist and vocalist. 

William first learnt the instrument from his uncle, Arthur Peterson, an elder of the Wannyi, Lardil and Kalkadunga people and was working from an early age with traditional dance groups and fusion/rock jazz bands, orchestras, string quartets, and mixed ensembles.

Throughout his diverse career he has forged a path in the classical musical world, from the London, Berlin and Bremer Philharmonic Orchestras to historic events at Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day 2019, at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli and for the Beijing Olympics.

William holds honorary doctorates from both Griffith University and the University of Sydney, and has released five albums on the ABC Classic label. 

William was named Queensland Australian of the Year for 2023, was an Australian of the Year nominee and received the Don Banks Music Award from the Australia Council in 2021.

In 2022 he was recognised for his work with the Australian Chamber Orchestra for the multi award-winning soundtrack from the film “River”.

William is part of the legacy of the landscape and working with Véronique Serret and his mother Aunty Delmae, on developing a new musical language which is epitomised in "Heartland" as well as participating in community outreach programs when possible so that knowledge of the Didgeridoo is expanding to younger communities.

In 2023 William with his QSO family along with Aunty Delmae Barton and Véronique Serret launched Warrma Piipa at a special ceremony on Kalkadunga country to find and embrace the next generation of story tellers and custodians of culture legacy and music.

Pamela Burnard is an Australian Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK. She is presently in the middle of her third phased career. The first phase saw her working as a professional musician in the Creative Industries. The second phase involved working across Early Years, Primary and Secondary sectors as a music educator. In her third phase, she has kept herself very busy publishing widely with 25 books and over 120 articles which advance the theory and practice of pluralising creativities across education and industry sectors including early years, primary, secondary, further and higher/further education, through to creative and cultural industries. 

Current funded projects include ‘Choices, Chances and Transitions around Creative Further and Higher Education’ (funded by The Nuffield Trust). Three of her most recent books include: Eruptive Research: Changing Landscapes on Research in Teaching and Learning (Brill-i-Sense, 2025); Music for Inclusion and Healing in Schools and Beyond: Hip Hop, Techno, Grime and More? (Oxford University Press, 2023); and The Routledge Companion to Creativities in Music Education. (Routledge, 2023).  

She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), the Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) in the UK, Professor-in-Residence and Governor at the University of Cambridge Primary School and newly appointed Co-Editor of Music Education Research.

Topology is an award-winning quintet and arts organisation who is a recognised leader in contemporary music. Topology has a legacy of nearly three decades of creative excellence, community engagement, and educational leadership. Central to its identity is the belief that everyone is inherently creative and deserves access to high-quality, affordable artistic experiences. This ethos informs and unites all of Topology’s programs and initiatives, shaping its mission to make creativity accessible to all, regardless of location, age, skill level, or artistic interest.