Creativity Australia News

Joyful festive wishes

December 19, 2013

From all the team at Creativity Australia, conductors, volunteers and choir participants… thank you for your support of the With One Voice program during 2013. We’ve had an amazing year.

In 2014, join us on the next chapter of our singing movement, which will see the launch of new choirs in Altona Meadows (VIC), Redfern (NSW) and Brisbane, our flagship choir in Queensland.

To continue and improve our programs, and ensure they are open to all people, we appreciate your continued support. If you can donate, bring a friend or simply spread the word… you are playing an essential role in the development of one of Australia’s top social innovations.

Let’s work together to empower individuals and build supportive communities nationwide in 2014 and beyond!

Wishing you and yours a magical festive season, filled with the joy of song.

Choirs will resume for 2014 in the first week of February.

Emotional sunshine

December 16, 2013

“I have been attending Melbourne Sings at the Sofitel for over a year but only on an irregular basis because of work commitments. I am now delighted to be retired and so can do all sorts of other things, one of which is to get to a choir at least once a week.

I wanted to let you and of course the wonderful Shaun and the Creativity Australia team know that being able to get to choir is incredibly important to me. I relocated to Melbourne from Brisbane a couple of years ago and after going to the concert at the Melbourne Town Hall, started coming to the choir.

What I realise is that I want and need to be part of something greater that myself and have searched around to see where I can fit and make a contribution. I am navigating this new chapter in my life.

Every time I have been able to come back to Melbourne Sings I am filled with joy and I have given this joy a name and I call it emotional sunshine.

So I  thank you and wish all of you the best for this festive season and look forward to an emotionally sunshine filled 2014 with lots of singing, of course!”

Ely

Beth & JD dream big

December 4, 2013

This year, Beth had one big wish… to stand up. Last night, Melbourne Sings choir was honoured to celebrate this achievement at their rehearsal.

Beth, one of Melbourne Sings’ oldest and most enthusiastic members, has cerebral palsy. Her infectious love of life bring us joy every week. We can’t wait to see what she does next.

This Saturday, the Moonee Valley City Council are launching a documentary featuring Beth, in celebration of the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD). Click here for details.

Also last night at Melbourne Sings, the wonderful JD, whose smiling face (below) graces our With One Voice postcards, played for the choir a song of his own composition, inspired by his love for Australia.

JD lived in China during the reign of Mao Zedong, and his stories inspire and fascinate his fellow choir participants.

Last night, JD thanked the choir, especially Shaun and Peter, for helping him bring this big wish to fruition. Click here to hear JD’s beautiful song.

Roar into Autumn… find your voice workshop

November 19, 2013

Choir participants often ask us how they can learn more about singing. Click here to view a flyer for an upcoming ‘find your voice’ workshop with Creativity Australia Founder and Chair Tania de Jong AM at the beautiful Amarant Retreat.

Back your choirs!

November 13, 2013

With a new year fast approaching the time has come to BACK YOUR CHOIRS! 2013 saw Creativity Australia’s With One Voice program named one of Australia’s top social innovations and we want to take it to the next level.

We need the help of our choirs, their communities and the public as a whole to double our membership this festive season and continue building the With One Voice program in 2014 and beyond.

Unsure of how you can help? Your contribution could be any of the following:

• BRING A FRIEND, family member or colleague to choir
• GIVE THE GIFT OF SONG… register someone special in a With One Voice choir for a year as a unique Christmas present
• SPONSOR SOMEONE IN NEED
• CELEBRATE STAFF WELLNESS… link your business to a With One Voice choir

The With One Voice program has a foundation on which something even more special can be created, but to make this possible we need you to raise your voice, crank up the volume and BACK YOUR CHOIRS!  

Click here to download the Back Your Choirs media statement.

Westpac Community Leaders Award Finalist

November 13, 2013

Creativity Australia Founder and Chair Tania de Jong AM is a finalist in the Westpac Community Leaders Awards 2013! The awards seek to identify those outstanding leaders who have made an impact on the community through their work in the social sector.

The annual Westpac Community Leaders Awards offers grants to those Australians who make a significant contribution to society through their service ensuring that the Not for Profit (NFP) sector delivers benefits to those most in need. Tania has been nominated as a Social Entrepreneur, an award open to leaders from any sector who are using innovative solutions to solve social problems, for the founding of Creativity Australia, specifically the scalable model used to bring our choirs to those who need it most.

Tania is pictured above with Westpac’s General Manager of Retail Banking Jason Yetton and Creativity Australia’s Executive Director Ross Maher. (more…)

TEDxMelbourne presents Seeing the Unseen

November 11, 2013

Creativity Australia Founder and Chair Tania de Jong AM will be presenting a TEDxTalk “How singing together changes the brain” at TEDxMelbourne presents Seeing the Unseen. The topic relates directly to our message at Creativity Australia and is something we hope to achieve through our choirs.

Hosted by former TEDxMelbourne speaker and well known MC Zara Grose, Seeing the Unseen will involve highly intriguing, thought provoking discussions lead by a panel of informed speakers, of which Tania is a part. There will also be a special performance by world renowned guitarist Tommy Emmanuel!

For more information and bookings please click here.

Where: Melbourne Recital Centre, 31 Sturt St, Southbank, VIC 3006
When: 3rd December 2013, 1pm. Registrations open at 12 noon

Make it POZIBLE for Sydney Sings!

October 31, 2013

An amazing documentary is being created about Sydney Sings, and we need your help to complete it! Albert Lecoanet, filmmaker extraordinaire and husband of Elizabeth Lecoanet – our vivacious Sydney Sings conductor – has been following the stories of several of the choir’s most colourful characters.

Sydney Sings is one big happy family and this film is a celebration of their spirit and community not to be missed.

The exposure of this wonderful film would help Creativity Australia expand its programs to reach more communities, and more people in need. So pledge now and share the joy of song.

Click here to watch the trailer and pledge your support to this terrific cause.

Come on Richmond, let’s sing!

October 16, 2013

Do you live near Richmond, or have friends, family or colleagues in that area? As an early Christmas gift, give them the joy of song by sending them along to Richmond Sings!

When: Mondays, 4.00 – 5.30pm (until 17 December 2013)
Where: The Factory, 19-21 Belgium Avenue, Richmond

Creativity Australia is running a short-term choir in Richmond for the next nine weeks. It’s a great chance to de-stress, be inspired, unleash your creative potential, improve your wellbeing, make new friends, learn new skills, open doors to new opportunities… and maybe even sing some carols!

• NO AUDITIONS
• NO SINGING EXPERIENCE NECESSARY
• FREE TO PARTICIPATE
• PROFESSIONAL CONDUCTOR
• FREE SUPPER PROVIDED
• EVERYONE WELCOME

If you wish to keep singing after the short term choir is over, we’ll help you find another local group.

Richmond Sings is proudly supported by Mission Australia!

Click here to download the poster for Richmond Sings.

Please vote in eftpos Giveback

September 26, 2013

Please vote for Creativity Australia in the EFTPOS Giveback by Saturday 12 October. The EFTPOS Giveback calls on Australians to help choose which worthy causes should receive a share of up to $2 million that will be donated to charity this Christmas.

This funding would be invaluable to the growth of the With One Voice social inclusion program. Thank you for your support.

What’s your Christmas wish?

September 26, 2013

For Christmas, Creativity Australia is creating together a special “I Wish…” video to capture the wishes of the With One Voice community.

This is in celebration of our wonderful Wish List, which inspires people to grant wishes for one another including work experience and employment opportunities, help with resume-writing, free singing and guitar lessons and much more.

Above is Beth, a much-loved participant of Melbourne Sings, whose wish was to work at the Royal Melbourne Show. The wish was granted by SKILLED and Beth is loving the job so much she’s extended her hours and is enjoying greeting show-goers with her incomparable enthusiasm.

Whether your Christmas wish is big or small, please share it with us for inclusion in the video. Be creative! You could make a video and share it with us, or just send your wish in an email to [email protected]

Click here to read wishes granted and pending online.

The Joy Of Song

September 19, 2013

On Sunday 15 September, the With One Voice choirs raised the roof of the Melbourne Town Hall, sharing the joy of song with more than 1,000 audience members. Moving stories were shared and inspirational songs performed by all thirteen choirs.

Singing is the language of the heart. For centuries, song has played a key role in community, culture and story-telling worldwide. Yet how many people dare to sing freely these days… apart from in the shower?

Community singing empowers voices that have been silenced, unleashes creative potential… and that’s just the start.

Every week, Creativity Australia’s 13 With One Voice choirs inspire people from more than 40 nationalities, aged 9 to 90, to sing side-by-side. Age, race, language, religion, disability and disadvantage fade away. Everyone is welcome.

Click here to read more about the With One Voice program, or join us in song at your local choir.

Photographs courtesy of Graham Denholm, Barbara March and Victor Dam.