Awareness Shows
Donation protected
"Music changes people,
people change the world"
$8 is all it takes to give a young person the inspiration to turn their life around.
"It really spoke to me in a way that nothing really has."
Cardiff High School student
"I haven't been coping. But your show today taught me that I have people there to support me."
Hunter School of Performing Arts student
"I know that I was meant to be inspired to hopefully turn some aspects around in my life."'
Hunter School of Performing Arts student
Based in the Byron shire, Awareness Shows are in-school music performances focusing on emotional, social and environmental education that have played to over 30,000 secondary students. Through music, one of the most powerful ways to create emotional engagement, the shows tackle the tough issues: bullying /cyber bullying, self esteem, peer pressure, drug and alcohol issues, mental health, grief, positive choice making, drink driving, etc.
The shows were born out of a miracle. In 2010 Rich Latimer's younger brother was in a drink driving accident and ended up in a coma in Nepean Hospital, Sydney. The doctors held little hope, the brain injury that he had sustained, was likely too severe. However Rich camped in the ICU room, determined to call his brother back through a song "Hearts Embrace", he had co-written with chords from his keyboard player Wes (who had lost a friend not long before in a similar way) and some words from an elder and mentor Elly. He held the faith that he would hear the message and fight his way back. His brother started to respond in the times Rich would sing to him and returned to full consciousness over a period of 9 weeks, a certified inexplicable medical miracle, leaving Rich knowing that his path was to use music to reach struggling young people to inspire them to change their lives.
A few weeks later Hearts Embrace was found on YouTube and Rich was invited to tour US schools by one of the largest educational programs in the States. He found himself playing in auditoriums of two and a half thousand young people, telling real, raw, emotional stories that inspired and touched the hearts of his audiences, and Awareness shows were born.
http://www.awarenessshows.com
Previously Rich's childhood had been filled with traumatic experiences, he was surrounded by substance abuse, domestic violence and family breakdown. He was constantly moved around the NSW countryside, spent time in the Witness Protection Program and faced ever-new step-parents as well as different gangs of bullies at each new school. Countless times he faced his own death and saw things that no child should ever have to see. What kept him sane through all this was music and songwriting: "Music was my safe place where I could remember that, with faith and grace, I could face any challenge.”
For his own safety he left home at 15 and put himself through the last three years of high school, then went on to complete a Bachelor’s in Educational Multimedia. Throughout all this, with the help of his music, he had nothing but forgiveness and compassion in his heart for his family and those who, through their own pain, had hurt him. Wanting to help other young people who were facing similar issues he went on to become a student social and emotional wellbeing support worker at Evans River High School, while playing live most weekends in his rock band, Very Unique Existence.
The songs and stories in Awareness Shows draw from all this; real stories about real people, designed to encourage, to give hope, to let our young people know that they are not alone and that help is out there. In addition to the actual performance, Awareness Shows have a follow up program that includes an online survey, where students who are in need of assistance but who have not yet been able to speak up, are often inspired by the show to take the first momentous step to seek help. Further we offer a cutting edge social and mobile media post-show engagement network to keep the inspiration alive among the students. They are invited to become part of the Awareness Warriors Network, a peer and leadership support and training program aimed at helping students support each other, on and off line, within the school and their communities.
In a time where suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians, Rich and the Awareness Team are wanting to bring these life-changing shows to more schools, to prevent such tragedies, and to intervene at the early stages before feelings of isolation and sadness lead to more serious mental health issues. All of us know a young person who is struggling, and too many of us know a young person who has chosen to take their own life, leaving devastation and confusion, and tragically at times, giving rise to ‘copy-cat’ suicides.
These shows are a chance to reach young people directly, on a core emotional level, using the power of music, to get beneath the most cynical teen façade. The shows also inspire those students who are lucky enough not to be facing difficulties to look around them and be aware of their peers who are struggling, and to reach out with a helping hand. Awareness Shows are known to unite the student body in a new way where they start to look out for each other more, and compassion becomes more important than 'being cool'.
To show our appreciation for your support we are offering:
$40+ Certificates of Appreciation from the Awareness Team on behalf of 5+ students
$60+ A signed copy of Rich Latimer’s recent album Dreamer
$100+ A signed copy of Rich Latimer’s recent album Dreamer with a specially written biography of the stories behind the songs, a journey of awareness through music, lyrics and synchronicity.
$600+ we approach a specific secondary school as requested by the donator.
Your $8 per student will cover the cost of the show, pre- and post- production, training other musicians and further developing the follow-up program, including Awareness Eco-Camps in the Byron Bay region where teenagers can explore social, emotional and environmental awareness through art, music, writing, drama, dance and other physical activities (eg: surfing), health, nutrition and sustainable living, from syntropic gardening to the latest in ecotechnology. Your donation will also help us to secure more sustainable funding and DGR status (tax deductible donations) so that together we can work towards the target of 0.
"We were truly blessed! .... I can't express enough that what you do, truly touches me! and I’m sure that everyone else going through a tough time, that today hopefully had made them think twice towards their actions, dangerous thoughts and steering away from negative substances...There should be more wise people like you in the world! God Bless you."
Hunter School of Performing Arts student
Thank you for your support,
Rich Latimer and The Awareness Team
The Awareness Team acknowledges the Original Custodians of Country throughout Australia and in particular of this land, the Northern Rivers, on which we live. We recognise the continuing connection of the Indigenous People of Australia to Land, Water and Culture. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging.
people change the world"
$8 is all it takes to give a young person the inspiration to turn their life around.
"It really spoke to me in a way that nothing really has."
Cardiff High School student
"I haven't been coping. But your show today taught me that I have people there to support me."
Hunter School of Performing Arts student
"I know that I was meant to be inspired to hopefully turn some aspects around in my life."'
Hunter School of Performing Arts student
Based in the Byron shire, Awareness Shows are in-school music performances focusing on emotional, social and environmental education that have played to over 30,000 secondary students. Through music, one of the most powerful ways to create emotional engagement, the shows tackle the tough issues: bullying /cyber bullying, self esteem, peer pressure, drug and alcohol issues, mental health, grief, positive choice making, drink driving, etc.
The shows were born out of a miracle. In 2010 Rich Latimer's younger brother was in a drink driving accident and ended up in a coma in Nepean Hospital, Sydney. The doctors held little hope, the brain injury that he had sustained, was likely too severe. However Rich camped in the ICU room, determined to call his brother back through a song "Hearts Embrace", he had co-written with chords from his keyboard player Wes (who had lost a friend not long before in a similar way) and some words from an elder and mentor Elly. He held the faith that he would hear the message and fight his way back. His brother started to respond in the times Rich would sing to him and returned to full consciousness over a period of 9 weeks, a certified inexplicable medical miracle, leaving Rich knowing that his path was to use music to reach struggling young people to inspire them to change their lives.
A few weeks later Hearts Embrace was found on YouTube and Rich was invited to tour US schools by one of the largest educational programs in the States. He found himself playing in auditoriums of two and a half thousand young people, telling real, raw, emotional stories that inspired and touched the hearts of his audiences, and Awareness shows were born.
http://www.awarenessshows.com
Previously Rich's childhood had been filled with traumatic experiences, he was surrounded by substance abuse, domestic violence and family breakdown. He was constantly moved around the NSW countryside, spent time in the Witness Protection Program and faced ever-new step-parents as well as different gangs of bullies at each new school. Countless times he faced his own death and saw things that no child should ever have to see. What kept him sane through all this was music and songwriting: "Music was my safe place where I could remember that, with faith and grace, I could face any challenge.”
For his own safety he left home at 15 and put himself through the last three years of high school, then went on to complete a Bachelor’s in Educational Multimedia. Throughout all this, with the help of his music, he had nothing but forgiveness and compassion in his heart for his family and those who, through their own pain, had hurt him. Wanting to help other young people who were facing similar issues he went on to become a student social and emotional wellbeing support worker at Evans River High School, while playing live most weekends in his rock band, Very Unique Existence.
The songs and stories in Awareness Shows draw from all this; real stories about real people, designed to encourage, to give hope, to let our young people know that they are not alone and that help is out there. In addition to the actual performance, Awareness Shows have a follow up program that includes an online survey, where students who are in need of assistance but who have not yet been able to speak up, are often inspired by the show to take the first momentous step to seek help. Further we offer a cutting edge social and mobile media post-show engagement network to keep the inspiration alive among the students. They are invited to become part of the Awareness Warriors Network, a peer and leadership support and training program aimed at helping students support each other, on and off line, within the school and their communities.
In a time where suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians, Rich and the Awareness Team are wanting to bring these life-changing shows to more schools, to prevent such tragedies, and to intervene at the early stages before feelings of isolation and sadness lead to more serious mental health issues. All of us know a young person who is struggling, and too many of us know a young person who has chosen to take their own life, leaving devastation and confusion, and tragically at times, giving rise to ‘copy-cat’ suicides.
These shows are a chance to reach young people directly, on a core emotional level, using the power of music, to get beneath the most cynical teen façade. The shows also inspire those students who are lucky enough not to be facing difficulties to look around them and be aware of their peers who are struggling, and to reach out with a helping hand. Awareness Shows are known to unite the student body in a new way where they start to look out for each other more, and compassion becomes more important than 'being cool'.
To show our appreciation for your support we are offering:
$40+ Certificates of Appreciation from the Awareness Team on behalf of 5+ students
$60+ A signed copy of Rich Latimer’s recent album Dreamer
$100+ A signed copy of Rich Latimer’s recent album Dreamer with a specially written biography of the stories behind the songs, a journey of awareness through music, lyrics and synchronicity.
$600+ we approach a specific secondary school as requested by the donator.
Your $8 per student will cover the cost of the show, pre- and post- production, training other musicians and further developing the follow-up program, including Awareness Eco-Camps in the Byron Bay region where teenagers can explore social, emotional and environmental awareness through art, music, writing, drama, dance and other physical activities (eg: surfing), health, nutrition and sustainable living, from syntropic gardening to the latest in ecotechnology. Your donation will also help us to secure more sustainable funding and DGR status (tax deductible donations) so that together we can work towards the target of 0.
"We were truly blessed! .... I can't express enough that what you do, truly touches me! and I’m sure that everyone else going through a tough time, that today hopefully had made them think twice towards their actions, dangerous thoughts and steering away from negative substances...There should be more wise people like you in the world! God Bless you."
Hunter School of Performing Arts student
Thank you for your support,
Rich Latimer and The Awareness Team
The Awareness Team acknowledges the Original Custodians of Country throughout Australia and in particular of this land, the Northern Rivers, on which we live. We recognise the continuing connection of the Indigenous People of Australia to Land, Water and Culture. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging.
Organizer
Elizabeth Rose
Organizer
Mullumbimby NSW
