Dave Burton is a Brisbane-based playwright, counsellor, and arts educator with over forty professionally produced plays and two decades of experience working with young people in schools, theatres, and community settings. He brings both disciplines to every session — the counsellor's ability to hold a room with care and honesty, and the playwright's instinct for what makes an audience lean in.
These programs are available as standalone bookings or as part of a broader wellbeing calendar.
What's available
Under Pressure — 40-minute assembly talk A practical, high-energy session on stress management. Not a lecture — a genuine conversation, built around tools students can pick up and use the same day. Suitable for whole-year-group or whole-school delivery. $350–$450
In the Room — 2-hour workshop (up to 30 students) A participatory workshop on social anxiety, connection, and community. Students explore what makes belonging feel hard, and leave with concrete, low-stakes strategies for easing social unease and building genuine connection. $600–$750
Camp and Retreat Facilitation — flexible duration Dave works with your school to design and facilitate camps or retreats built around your students and your goals — fun, fellowship, respect, goal setting, resilience, or any combination. Shaped around what your school needs, not an off-the-shelf package. From $1,200 per day
The Front Row — full-day retreat for school leaders (groups of 8–15) A focused day for captains, prefects, and high achievers. Covers leadership identity, managing pressure and overwhelm, self-care that actually works, and what it means to lead well. Can be delivered on school grounds or at an external venue. $1,500–$2,000 per day
David catered for our audience well. He was engaging and entertaining. The students have provided feedback expressing their enjoyment of the visit.
Palmview State Secondary College - August, 2023
We recently held a Literature & Arts Festival at St. Catherine's Catholic College, The Whitsundays for our Secondary students. All the authors that attended were entertaining, engaging and inspiring. I have had so much positive feedback from students, staff and library colleagues. The students have all been raving about how excellent the festival was, and they were disappointed at the thought of returning to classes for the rest of the week. I have had reluctant readers coming into the library to borrow books, more students are writing stories. I would definitely recommend David Burton, Josh Donellan, Kathy Hoopmann, James Moloney, Giulio Saggin, and Edwina Shaw to anyone looking at having authors present for their Secondary students.
St Catherine's Catholic College Literature and Arts Festival - May 2018
Dave Burton was fantastic! We received very positive feedback about Dave’s talk, and the question and answer session. He was very inspirational.
Gold Coast City Council, Writer
David was very good catering to our requests, well organised and really good with the kids. He was able to adapt to the kids and their moods. He used his experience in theatre to inspire the kids and would be fantastic for playwright workshops. I would highly recommend him to other schools.
Woodcrest State College, August, 2015
Your keynote presentation and the way you interacted with the students was outstanding and I was so pleased with what you did on the day. Wonderful! We cannot wait to buy your book!
It is not easy to put together an event such as this and with your support and help it was extremely successful.
Positive Leadership Student Conference, Aquinas College, May, 2015.
Get in touch to discuss your school's needs, check availability, or request a one-page overview of all offerings. Dave is based in Brisbane and available to travel.
