Open Doors Youth ServiceOpen Doors Youth Service
This year marks 25 years of Open Doors Youth Service (ODYS) standing proudly beside LGBTQIASB+ young people in Queensland. For a quarter of a century, we’ve shared the highs, the heartbreaks, the breakthroughs and the battles. In a world that too often tries to silence queer and trans voices, our continued presence is powerful. Our joy is defiant. And our legacy is still being written.
To honour this milestone, we invite you to join us for a very special fundraising dinner and an exclusive preview of Shimmer — a groundbreaking exhibition by artist Gerwyn Davies, created in collaboration with trans and gender diverse young people. In partnership with the Museum of Brisbane, Powerhouse, and MELT Festival, Shimmer brings something urgently needed: a space where trans young people are celebrated in their full complexity — joyful, resilient, and unapologetically themselves.
Guests will enjoy after-hours access to Shimmer — a bold new exhibition by acclaimed artist Gerwyn Davies, created in collaboration with trans and gender diverse young people. Gerwyn will attend as guest of honour, offering sponsors unique alignment with a landmark cultural moment. Funds raised will help us keep our doors open for another 25 years, ensuring that future generations of queer and trans young people can access the safe spaces, support, and community they deserve. Together, we can continue building a world where every young person is seen, valued, and free to shine.
Enjoy an exclusive evening featuring a bespoke dining experience within his new exhibition Shimmer. Witness some high-energy drag performances and a live auction supporting the future of LGBTQIA+ youth.
About the Exhibition – SHIMMER
ODYS is excited to partner with artist Gerwyn Davies, Museum of Brisbane, Powerhouse and Melt to amplify the voices of trans and gender diverse young people through his new work, Shimmer. At a time when trans identities are under attack and too often reduced to headlines and politics, this collaboration brings something vital: the human stories behind the debate. Through Shimmer, Gerwyn creates a powerful space where trans young people can be seen and celebrated in their full complexity—joyful, resilient, and unapologetically themselves. Together, we hope to bring compassion, connection, and a deeper understanding to conversations that have been missing heart and humanity for far too long.
Open Doors Youth Service Inc. acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First people and Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters where we meet, live, learn and work. We acknowledge and celebrate the rich and thriving diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, the oldest continuing living cultures in the world.