On Giving Tuesday: I think every day is a giving day.
On Giving Tuesday: I think every day is a giving day. I'm a monthly donor to three different charities and a yearly donor to two. I am privileged enough to spread my income to support my beliefs while scraping by on the poor side of Sydney's economy.
When my youngest daughter found $50 on the ground, she asked "should we keep it dad? It's not ours." We donated to her favourite arts charity. This weekend we donated time, our bodies and voices to Rising Tide to stop coal ships in Newcastle harbour.
The place where my efforts make the most good is in running Word Travels. We employ a team of diverse people to create and produce story sharing activities particularly in country towns, where being a person of colour or speaking your mother tongue can feel incredibly isolating.
Through our program, Australian Poetry Slam, First Nations people, new migrants, LGBTQA+, young people and people from remote communities bypass all the gatekeepers. They command a room with their words.
APS2025 Cairns Heat MJ photo credit Cristina Bevilacqua
Young people typically go unheard. Kids have no power. They can’t vote or legislate. They’re not making the movies, tv, shows or books. Not writing the “news”. Yet they can pick up a mic if we create space, inspiration and support for the ideas that come out.
Where can you see people who aren’t being represented? How can you amplify their voices? How are you handing the mic to the person next to you, listening and creating pathways for new diverse cultural leaders?
I do it with a passionate team; creating story sharing programs that are immediate and accessible. You can do it through supporting Word Travels, a charity that spreads your privilege across all levels of community. Because Australia needs all of its stories to be shared; not just those told to us by politicians and the powerful.
Get in contact with our Development Coordinator, Dai Moret, to explore how you can support poets and young storytellers in finding their voice and driving change.