Creativity Australia Launch
3 November 2008 at 2:26 pm
Creativity Australia is a new Not for Profit organisation founded by social entrepreneur Tania de Jong, to develop sustainable and creative wellbeing programs in the workplace and in communities.
Creativity Australia will be launched in November as part of Australia Cares “Big Hearts Awards” event.
Its aim is to develop a network for wellbeing, social cohesion and connection, personal transformation, innovation, productivity and social change.
Founder Tania de Jong says the organisation will partner with business, educational, community and charity groups, government and philanthropists to encourage greater innovation and creativity.
She says she hopes to provide a new and exciting path to personal wellbeing, acceptance, social inclusion and happier and more productive members of the Australian community.
Some of the programs being offered and proposed include:
– Mind over Music – Music for wellbeing/positive mental health programs
– Australia Cares – partnership creative programs with employees of various organisations, immigrant communities and regionally disadvantaged areas.
– Corporate Choirs – With One Voice (Choirs will rehearse weekly over 12 months and perform for their company events, local hospitals, aged care centres etc.)
– The Battle of the Corporate Choirs – With One Voice
– The Brainstorm Series – one-off creative activities for conferences, retreats, board meetings etc.
– Creative Leadership/Mentoring Program – mentoring young leaders of the future in creative thinking/leadership skills – Commence 2009
– I Am Australian – National Creativity Awards Program and Creativity Summit – Bruce Woodley is keen to be Ambassador for this – 2010 and run biannually
– The Creativity Lobby – advocates and provides expert advice to government on creativity
– Evaluating Creativity – measure wellbeing of participants on commencement of programs and every 6 months thereafter. This will lead to groundbreaking longitudinal Australian research with leading researchers
– The Creativity Fund – this fund will raise funds to enable disadvantaged people and communities to participate in the programs and will fund innovative creative projects and partnerships.
Tania de Jong says the organisation will also carry out longitudinal research with leading research institutes and universities to measure the effects of the programs on wellbeing, employee retention, reduction in health issues and others.
Singer and entrepreneur, Tania de Jong AM is co-founder and artistic director of the internationally renowned singing group Pot-Pourri and Music Theatre Australia (MTA).
A graduate of the University of Melbourne (LL.B. Hons.), and the Victorian College of the Arts (Opera, Music Theatre and Voice), Tania is considered one of Australia’s most talented sopranos who has performed as a soloist with various opera companies and orchestras.
In 2006 Tania received the Ernst and Young Australian Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award for her work with The Song Room. The Song Room, a charity founded by Tania, has brought music and performing arts programs to over 100,000 disadvantaged children and communities throughout Australia.
For more information go to: www.taniadejong.com.au
