Grants available to start your own choir

October 4, 2016

Would you like to make a MASSIVE difference in your community to change lives?

Creativity Australia welcomes all communities from across Australia to apply for seed funding to create a With One Voice community choir and be part of the solution to building stronger communities and reducing loneliness, isolation and disadvantage in their community.

Did you know?

• 8 in 10 Australians think our society is becoming lonelier, while 6 in 10 say they often feel lonely (Lifeline 2016).
• Lacking social connections is as damaging to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and people experiencing social isolation have an average of 29% increased mortality (Holt-Lunstad, 2010 & 2015).
• Mental health impacts ~27% of Australians.
• Real unemployment and underemployment continues to increase (~26% over the past 11 years) and approximately 1 million Australian households (nearly 3 million people) experience financial stress.
• Approximately 640,000 Australians (~5%) experience multiple and complex disadvantage leading to increasing levels of social exclusion.

The With One Voice program has been proven to enhance wellbeing, create greater social inclusion and increased community support with 98% of participants experiencing less stress, 91% improved social bonds and 66% less depressed. Furthermore, 79%  of participants have learned new things and gained new skills for work and life, and 60% have gained increased understanding & appreciation of diversity.  The program has also been named in Anthill’s SMART 100 social innovations in 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Deadline is Wednesday 23 November 2016.

Find more information and apply for a grant.

Download the media release.