Full Circle Moment: Karen Jacobsen Returns to Royal on the Park for Broken to Brilliant’s 10-Year Celebration

Internationally recognised singer-songwriter and “The GPS Girl” Karen Jacobsen returned to the venue where part of her music journey began, for the 10-year celebration of domestic violence charity, Broken to Brilliant.

Karen is International Patron of the Australian charity founded and led by domestic violence survivors. On Sunday 24^th May, she helped them celebrate 10 Brilliant Charity Years with a full-day forum showcasing survivor programs, stories, recovery and change.

Karen’s connection to Royal on the Park began in 1988 when she moved from Mackay to Brisbane to study jazz at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Her piano lecturer, Viv Middleton, referred her for a regular singer and piano player residency at the hotel’s piano bar.

“I arrived for the interview and met Melody – this was really her name! – who was leaving and was looking for a replacement,” said Karen.

Karen went on to perform at Royal on the Park – then known as the Brisbane Parkroyal – two nights a week for two years, playing classics, taking requests and gently weaving original songs into her sets.

“I met Melissa Etheridge one day in the lobby; she told me to keep the faith and that this was how she started out. I shared an elevator ride with Kylie Minogue. I met the team for a world title boxing fight which led to my singing the national anthem at Boondall Entertainment Centre for 14,000 people live and to a television audience of millions.”

Now, decades later, Karen returns to Royal on the Park as a celebrated performer, known to many as the voice of Siri. She is also International Patron and a long-standing supporter of Broken to Brilliant.

Karen was the voice artist for the original Broken to Brilliant audiobook and has contributed her voice to the narration of all five Broken to Brilliant books, helping bring survivor stories of courage, resilience and recovery to life for listeners.

“The heartbreaking stories I recorded and the meaningful work of Broken to Brilliant compelled my ongoing involvement,” she said.

Her commitment to the charity has endured and deepened. “The practical, skill-based approach of Broken to Brilliant to empower survivors to rebuild their lives is one of the most important aspects of their work,” she said. “Having the books available for those in the thick of the most challenging time of their lives can be a lifeline.”

Broken to Brilliant Founding Director, Kate Crowley-Smith, said, “Karen’s return to Royal on the Park is such a beautiful full-circle moment. She began part of her Brisbane music journey here, and now she returns as our International Patron and as the voice who has helped carry survivor stories through our audiobooks. For many survivors, this event was also a full-circle moment – from isolation, fear and self-doubt to connection, voice, confidence and purpose.”

The 10 Brilliant Years of Rebuilding Lives Forum brought together survivors, supporters, domestic violence organisations, women’s services, elected officials, community leaders, police, health and legal professionals, philanthropists and change-makers.

The forum shared the practical and powerful ways Broken to Brilliant supports long-term recovery after domestic and family violence. The day showcased survivor-led programs across mentoring, financial literacy, legal literacy, police recruit education, creative therapies, equine-assisted recovery, survivor-authored books, advocacy and systems change.

Over the past decade, Broken to Brilliant has grown from the launch of one survivor-written book into a national survivor-led charity with more than 20 programs, four published books, a fifth book, titled Violence to Victory, was launched in the evening of the event, and thousands of people reached through recovery programs, education and advocacy.

For many attending, the forum was more than a celebration. It is a chance to learn directly from survivor-led practice; to understand the long-term impacts of domestic violence and to see how lived experience can be transformed into hope, education and practical support for others.

“People attended because they believe recovery matters,” Ms Crowley-Smith said. “This event was about hope, evidence, courage and community.”

Karen’s story mirrored the spirit of the day – a journey of voice, courage, persistence and possibility. From a young musician performing in the piano bar at Royal on the Park to an international voice artist and International Patron helping amplify survivor stories, her return marks a poignant moment in Broken to Brilliant’s 10-year celebration.

“To return to Royal on the Park, where I performed as a young musician finding my way and now stand with Broken to Brilliant as survivors find their voices and rebuild their lives, is incredibly meaningful,” Karen said. “It is a reminder that every journey has turning points, and sometimes we return to the places where something important began.”

The forum honoured the survivors, volunteers, authors, facilitators, patrons, partners, donors and community supporters who have helped Broken to Brilliant grow over the past decade.

The Ten Brilliant Years of rebuilding lives was sponsored by

Broken to Brilliant’s mission is domestic violence survivors mentoring fellow survivors to recover, heal and rebuild their lives.

Event details

Event: 10 Brilliant Years of Rebuilding Lives Forum

Date: Sunday 24 May 2026

Time: 9:00 am – 3:45 pm

Venue: Royal on the Park

Address: 152 Alice Street, Brisbane, Queensland

Contact: contact@brokentobrilliant.org