The Shake Up Gala: Bringing People Together to Change the Future

Tuesday, 29th September 2026

When Shake It Up founder Clyde Campbell AM was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s at 44, he began looking for a way to accelerate the research that could change the future.

In 2011, that determination led to the creation of Shake It Up Australia and a partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation —giving Australians a way to support globally competitive Parkinson’s research here at home.

Now, 15 years later, Clyde’s daughter Zoe is on the same mission – to shake things up in the quest for a future without Parkinson’s. Through her family’s journey and the work of Shake It Up Australia, she has seen both the impact of Parkinson’s and the hope that research can create. Together with her co-host Evelyn Labrum, Zoe has launched the Shake Up Gala, a black-tie cocktail evening at the Art Gallery of NSW on 14 November 2026. The event aims to raise awareness of Parkinson’s and the work of Shake It Up Australia, while generating vital funds to support their mission: to slow, stop and cure Parkinson’s.

We caught up with Zoe to learn more about this deeply personal event and how people can get involved.

What first inspired the idea of the Shake Up Gala?

Evelyn and I have always had such a love for bringing people together, and we wanted to put that towards something with real purpose.

Parkinson’s has been a part of my life since I was eight, when my dad was diagnosed, and Shake It Up followed soon after, so this cause has always been personal to me.

A black-tie night at the Art Gallery of NSW felt like the right way to bring our community together, celebrate, and open up the conversation about Parkinson’s a little more.

What can people expect when they attend the gala event?

A night to remember at the Art Gallery of NSW that’s as much fun as it is meaningful. Flowing drinks and food, a live auction and raffle, a jazz band into a DJ set, and a packed dance floor by the end of the night.

We want people to walk away having made new connections, feeling inspired, and having learned a bit more about Parkinson’s and the work of the Foundation.

We are really looking forward to seeing a room full of people brought together for a cause that means so much, all in support of Shake It Up, building awareness for the Foundation and Parkinson’s research. Every person in that room is helping push things forward.

Find out more & secure your spot at the event.

Events like this help to raise community awareness. What is something you wish people better understood about Parkinson’s?

I wish more people understood how much Parkinson’s affects every part of daily life. It’s so much more than the tremor most people picture. It can affect mood, sleep, movement, energy and so much more, and people living with it are constantly finding ways to manage all of that while still doing the things they love. That resilience is something I think deserves far more recognition.

Parkinson’s also seems to carry more stigma than other conditions, and many people don’t feel they can be vocal about it. I’d love for events like the Shake Up Gala to help break down those barriers, so people feel more comfortable talking openly about it.

What does the Shake It Up mission to ‘slow, stop and cure Parkinson’s’ mean to you?

For me, slowing, stopping and curing Parkinson’s means hope, and it’s deeply personal.

My dad was diagnosed when he was 44, and it’s something I’ve lived alongside for most of my life. It’s always been an open topic in our family, alongside the work Shake It Up does. What I love about the goal is that it’s really three parts. While we work towards a cure, there’s just as much focus on finding ways to slow the progression and manage symptoms in the meantime, and learning how differently it can present for different people.

Growing up so close to it, I’ve seen firsthand the different ways Parkinson’s can affect a person, along with the profound impact it can have on the families, friends and carers walking that journey alongside them.

That’s why this goal means so much to me.

The Shake Up Gala is a black-tie cocktail evening proudly supporting Shake It Up Australia.

Set against the historic backdrop of the Art Gallery of NSW on the 14 November 2026, each ticket will include flowing drinks, delicious food, live entertainment, meaningful connections and the opportunity to help move Parkinson’s research forward.

Gather your friends, secure your tickets and don’t miss out on what promises to be a truly special night.

Final release tickets are now on sale.

Get Your Ticket