A very excited twenty-six year old Brisbane artist, Carly Anita Scoufos, was announced as the winner of the 2008 Siganto Travel Scholarship at an award ceremony held in Brisbane, QLD on Thursday 21 August 2008.

Managed by cultural development agency Artworkers Alliance, the $10 000 Siganto Travel Scholarship is a biennial bursary providing professional development opportunities through travel, open to emerging Australian visual artists, craft practitioners and designers.

“Made possible through the generous support of the Siganto Family, this important arts scholarship offers emerging Australian artists the opportunity to develop new skills, engage with artists and arts contacts overseas, and expand networking opportunities – a priceless opportunity!” Artworkers Program Director Kevin Wilson said of the Scholarship.

With her $10 000 Siganto Travel Scholarship, Carly will undertake a two month residency at Youkobo Art Space located in central Tokyo, Japan.

Building incredible hand woven and embroidered sculptural works, Carly will explore Japanese sculpture and traditional calligraphy through 3D design during her residency in Japan.

A First Class Honours Fine Arts graduate from Griffith University, Carly has been involved in a number of exhibitions around Brisbane, and in 2007 was awarded a Griffith University Medal for outstanding academic excellence.

Carly said of winning the Scholarship: “This is an extraordinary opportunity for me to participate in an overseas residency program.”

“Through the generous support of the Siganto Family, I’m presented with an exciting and completely fresh direction for my art practice, and the chance to immerse myself in a country and culture that I have long admired and dreamt of visiting.”

“I plan to gain experience, broaden my knowledge and grow tremendously both professionally and personally at this early stage of my career.”

Carly’s artwork is viewable online via www.carlyscoufos.com

The most inspiring people are not the ones that are out the front, but they are the ones who lead naturally from behind, with the group. These are the leaders that live humbly for a cause and don’t feel the need to martyr themselves for a cause. I once was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend an inspiring time with one such person Norvan Vogt, called Olie by his friends. He was an Australian group leader from Canberra with the Youth Challenge International program in Costa Rica in 2003. He is the most inspiring individual I have ever met.

It was the first week into a 13 week long community development project to build a school in the remote Chiripo Mountains. There had been torrential downpour for two days. At about seven o’clock in the evening after everyone had finished their dinner; most of the team was going about their nightly tasks, when there came a knock at the door. The local doctor was standing there with a rain poncho on, soaking wet. He was quite anxious and explained to Norvan that we, the team of 15 volunteers, had to get evacuated because the town was soon to be inundated by a flash flood. The doctor explained that he would be back in the next five minutes with a truck and we were to be evacuated.

I don’t know if it was Norvan’s military training or scouting background but he swung into action immediately and told you exactly what to do. Gathering the team in the kitchen he explained exactly what was going to happen, he tasked everybody with a particular role, even though we had little time this really took the panic out of the group. Sending the female volunteers, the majority of the group, to go get their equipment first, he then divided up the other group tasks amongst the male volunteers. One of them was sent to the boy’s room to get all of the boys equipment packed. The other males were tasked with getting shelter and food and other equipment. Once the truck turned up he sent the other group leader Laura, onto the truck first so that she could coordinate things at the truck.

The girls were sent off to get onto the truck first followed by the boys. It was pitch black and water was rising fast but there was no sense of panic only a sense of urgency, this was because there was nobody yelling, and Norvan was telling people exactly what to do. Once the entire team was on the truck Norvan did a quick sweep of the building making sure nobody was left behind, he picked up the medical kit launched himself into the waist deep water had struggled his way out to the truck. As he got one hand onto the back tailgate of the truck, the truck sped off as the wheel arches were already under water. This caused Norvan to fall from the back of the truck, Eric, one of the volunteers, grabbed Norvan by his backpack strap and pulled Norvan onto the back of the truck.

The truck sped off at a great speed, when it came to crossing the bridge in the middle of town, the water was so high that you could barely make out where the edge of the bridge was. Once we had got through the middle of town we sped up the other side of town up a hill to safety. That was where we disembarked, getting out the shelter we stood around in the rain under plastic sheets. Just take the edge off the situation, Norvan began the lead us all in song, I guess that is where the Boy Scout training came in handy. It seems to be a little bit silly now but it was quite reassuring at the time. Eventually we found shelter in a chicken coop and that’s where we spent the rest of the night.

Unfortunately two nights later after we had been evacuated to another location we went through a second dramatic incident of the project. After we had spent the day helping out with an indigenous Christmas party for the children of the local indigenous reserve, we came home to find we have been robbed. Norvan, Laura and the boys went the missionary, whose house we were evacuated too, to go see if they could find who did it and get our stuff back. Norvan didn’t return until the next morning, he had taken watch by himself for the whole night until he was relieved by police from the neighboring city. Even though he looked incredibly tired, he also seemed to be something deeper that was wrong. That morning an investigation team showed up and took fingerprints in an effort to track down who it was. They never did catch the person or get any of our stuff back.

The situation further deteriorated as the following day Laura, Norvan’s only support, left the project, close to a nervous breakdown, under a lot of stress and fatigue she had decided to go home and rest. At the time we did know if she would be back on project. to make matters worse, later that night one of the other volunteers got really sick and after caring for her all night, in the morning Norvan had her evacuated by ambulance. He sent her sister and the only Costa Rican participant with her, just to make sure that they would be okay.

I can’t imagine how Norvan felt at the time, I know I would have been in pieces. There he was in a foreign country, where it only just begun to speak the language, with a project that had run off the rails due to there being no materials, all alone with his partner gone and his team split between two geographic locations, not knowing what would happen next. It must have been heartbreaking! Fortunately for our team, Norvan was not like many other people, he has a strong inner strength and strong character.

This is where the true inspiration comes from, Norvan just got on with the job. He got another group leader to come up from head office. He held a meeting with the entire team to see what we wanted to do, if we wanted to stay or go. When we unanimously decided to stay he went about organizing other activities, such as accompanying the local priest on an expedition into the jungle. We organized Christmas with the whole team. And when Laura came back, they organized with the community to build two extra classrooms for the local high school. This would allow the children of the town to finish high school and increase their chances of being able to go on to university.

You would expect someone who shows such strong personality and direct leadership to then dominate the team by being the central person steering the group. This is where Norvan is different. He slowly pulled himself back, while he supported Laura in becoming more of a leader. It was beautiful thing to see because in Latin America it is rare that women get the opportunity to be so supported and encouraged by their male colleagues. The relationship that developed between Norvan and Laura was unique, it was like they where brother and sister while on project.

Norvan helped the group make decisions for ourselves by being inclusive not exclusive. We organized a local market for the indigenous people of the reserve to trade their wares. The really inspiring stuff is the Norvan made us feel that we owned the project, I never really seen someone do it like he did, to create something from nothing.

Towards the end of the project Norvan became incredibly ill. The severity of how sick he was is something that we did not find out until after the project. In a conversation I had with him after project I asked him why he stayed on project, he simply said that even though he was sick he wanted to finish what he started and he had nowhere else to go, and he would rather be with family, the team.
 

Western Australia’s representative in the Green Faces comedy competition final at the Irish Club on September 4 will be 23-year-old actor and comedian John Robertson, announced the state winner out of over 40 entrants in five WA heats of the competition.

With his deep booming voice and mutton chops ("I grew them so I could look more like Mr Darcy… if his mum had been *****d by Wolverine"), Robertson has been entertaining audiences for the past year with his dark take on pop culture, presented with the ocassional help of his ‘pet’ ukelele.

Incidentally, Robertson tells The Word that "’ukelele’ is a Polynesian word meaning ‘underachiever’". The opposite is true of Robertson himself.

Fast establishing a reputation performing stand-up and character comedy at clubs, pubs, theatres and private functions in and around Perth, online comedy review site The Groggy Squirrel described Robertson in his 2007 Melbourne Fringe show as "commanding to watch", and he hopes to have the same impression on Canberra audiences.

"I’m looking forward to the trip to Canberra," he said, "a city I’ve been laughing at for years! …no really, some of the best science fiction conventions I’ve been to were in Canberra. They were good times. Funny times."

A national phenomenon to rival the Raw Comedy competition, in which Robertson was a 2007 finalist, Green Faces will see Canberra’s own Jay Sullivan compete alongside Robertson and other national finalists for over $3500 in prizes, in addition to gigs at comedy venues in Sydney and Brisbane.

Armed with the knowledge that previous competition entrants have included Tom Gleeson, Ahn Do, Charlie Pickering and Chris Franklin, competitors will not only be representing their states of origin, but trying to kick-start their own careers.

Robertson warns the rest of Australia not to underestimate how funny Perthlings can be. "We’ve got a fantastic comedy scene (in Perth)," he said. "Not everybody knows that."

Having already written and performed his own one-man show in Perth and Melbourne, Robertson comes to Canberra in the midst of preparation for the new show he plans to take to next year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe.

"Who knows," Robertson said, "The Capital may inspire me with some comedy nuggets of her own."

Catch John Robertson’s Canberra debut at the Green Faces National Final on Thursday 4 September at the Irish Club in Weston.

Successful Canberra Business Woman Sandra Moffat of ‘’The Walking Clinic’ celebrates 60th birthday by having her portrait painted by well known Canberra artist Barbara van der Linden

This weekend Sandra will celebrate her 60th birthday on Sunday 24th August with close friends and family. As a present to herself Sandra commissioned well known Canberra portrait artist Barbara van der Linden to paint her portrait. The portrait combines traditional and New Media and will be on display for the first time at Sandra’s home for her guests to view while sipping champagne. The Artist will be present.

Sandra met Barbara in 1966 when they were both studying Fine Arts at the first Canberra School of Art operating at the Kingston Bus Depot. Barbara went on to study Graphic Design at East Sydney tech, while Sandra changed her path and followed a successful career in podiatry. Sandra became a partner of The Walking Clinic formerly known as ACT Podiatry Services which was the first fully operational Podiatry Centre in Canberra bringing a whole new dimension of Podiatric Care to the ACT and surrounds. The clinic is one of Canberra’s success stories and has been operating since the early 1980s.

Barbara and Sandra have recently crossed paths again and as a result have come together on this project, which Barbara says was a labour of love and a great deal of fun. According to Barbara the painting portrays a strong woman who likes to balance her busy demanding life with a little fun with friends. The four portraits on the left of the painting show four sides to Sandra’s personality. The painting is strong and clean in no-nonsense colours that go well with the interior of her home. Barbara combines Traditional Media with New Media, which is made possible through her skills in Fine Arts and Graphic Design.

Contact details:

Address of event – Unit 3/2 Farrer Street, Braddon, ph 0418222565

Barbara van der Linden / email [email protected]
6262 5782ph or 0417 888 586
Sandra Moffat / email [email protected] 6249 1758

Personal development is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, especially those courses on health and wealth. How many of you have spent a lot of money going to a self-development course about how to create more wealth in your life?  

I attended one of those free weekends in June up in Sydney. It was Chris Howard’s Wealth Creation Weekend.  I decided that I would go up with open ears, mind and heart to listen and learn without judgement towards ‘my fellow American’ guest presenters.  Aside from the high-fives with friends I just met, cheering, and feeling like I was part of an evangelical mission (which is okay), the information that was delivered was awesome. 

There were nine speakers on wealth creation from creating your own business, investing in property and shares, and writing e-books.  Of those speakers, the one who resonated with me was three-time, bestselling author and Millionaire Maker, Loral Langemeier. She was not ‘over-the-top’; just told it like it was. If you wanted to increase your sales, ask for the money – 20 times a day! Stop focusing on debt; focus on creating money.  Create your own "Cash Machine"!  After listening to her and speaking with her personally, I chose to invest the time and money to attend her "Cash Machine Weekend" that was held at the end of July.

I attended that weekend and met approximately 100 like-minded people who seemed to be on the same journey to create more money in their life.  One of the activities we did was play her Millionaire Maker Game. It was great! While growing up, I had played Billionaire, King Oil, Masterpiece, and of course, Monopoly. This game reminded me of all those wrapped up into one – but better!

We were given accountability partners to keep us on track while creating our "Cash Machines’. Tom, a 15-year student in Sydney, is mine. He was a winner playing the game increasing his net worth to $1.2 million and had quit his J.O.B. (which is another way of saying Just Over Broke).

The Millionaire Maker Game teaches people real world application wealth building skills as they live the life of an entrepreneur- where big deals are done daily. Teachers can relate to the game for it would be similar to an educational simulation – where people learn by doing. Do you know that one of the quickest ways to learn about a subject is by playing games!? Today we see it with innovative computer programs. The Millionaire Maker Game, though not computer generated, provides interaction and learning for people of all ages.

Most recently, The WISE Academy showcased The Millionaire Maker Game at the Canberra Careers Market and had approximately 100 students play the game.  Now, anyone can attend Millionaire Maker Game nights for FREE over the next couple of months at The WISE Academy.  For more information about the game or to sign up for free game nights, contact 02 6162 0919. 

From an Australian photographic Society media release:

Second place in the Open Category of the 2008 Australian Digital Photography Awards (ADPA) has been taken out by a Canberran – amateur photographer Brian Rope AAPS of Melba. His image entitled Manvar Tableau 2 was taken on the desert sand dunes at Manvar in Rajasthan during a 17 day tour of parts of India in February of this year. It features a silhouetted camel and his driver before the setting sun. Two other Canberrans had images accepted in the competition: amateur photographer Jim Mason AAPS and professional photographer David Reid.

1165 entries were submitted to this second annual ADPA by 206 photographers from all over Australia and from members of the Australian Photographic Society living overseas. 727 of the entries were in the Open category (straight photography if you like), whilst 438 were entered in the Creative/Altered Reality category. The judging panel was Dr Albert Hoveling AAPS SSAPS (President of the APS), Janie News AAPS, and Jennifer Horsnell AFIAP FAPS.

Other winners were:

1st in Open category: ‘Rainbow Bee Eater’ by Wayne Eddy.

1st in Creative/Altered Reality Category: ‘ANZAC Remembered’ by Ron Willems, AAPS, AFIAP, FPSNZ, ARPS.

2nd in Creative/Altered Reality Category: ‘Broken Dreams’ by Andy Smylie.

The ADPA event was part of Vivid: National Photography Festival which is being held for the first time in the Canberra region from 11 July to 12 October 2008. Vivid celebrates photography in all its forms through 100 exhibitions at 50 venues. The APS is proud to have been a part of this ground-breaking collaboration.

“Very affecting…I couldn’t stop watching.”
– Alli Joseph, TNT’s Rough Cut

“You may walk into a screening of ‘I REMEMBER ME’ thinking you’re going to see a film about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but actually the film transcends the disease and speaks to something even more universal… anyone who has ever endured any difficulty will be forever touched by the experience.” –Elizabeth Karlsberg, Santa Barbara News-Press

On Sunday 31 August 2008 the ACT ME/CFS Society will be screening the award-winning documentary, ‘I Remember Me’, as a part of its fundraising movie event at Civic Dendy Cinemas. A raw depiction of the physical and social impacts of ME/CFS, the film provides a moving insight into the lives of those with ME/CFS.

Pre-screening canapés and drinks will kick-start a matinee screening of ‘I Remember Me’ an award-winning documentary about ME/CFS.

Where: Dendy Cinemas, Canberra Centre, Civic
When: Sunday 31 August 2008
Time: 2pm
Cost: $25 pp. Limited Tickets. Purchase before 26 August. Tickets available from Shout phone 02 6290 1984

Theme: Whether it’s a ribbon in your hair, a shirt, or a dress wear a touch of blue and show support for ME/CFS

Proceeds will go towards ME/CFS research and the ACT ME/CFS Society.

What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)?

In the past five years research by some of the world’s leading medical organizations has shown ME/CFS is a crippling physical condition affecting people of all ages. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians estimates that as many as 140,000 Australian’s suffer from ME/CFS and of those it is thought that some 25% are so seriously affected they are permanently bed or housebound. Though some people do recover from the illness the majority achieve a level of functioning well below that prior to onset and a significant proportion don’t recover at all. The disease affects all social, economic and ethnic groups and even children as young a 5yrs. About two thirds of suffers are women.

Patients in Australia have enthusiastically adopted the Canadian Clinical Guidelines for ME/CFS published in 2003 which more accurately diagnose the illness. To be diagnosed with ME/CFS patients must experience a persistent ‘flu-like’ illness that includes widespread pain, headaches, sleep disturbance, worsening of symptoms after exertion, significant persistent or recurrent fatigue and a variety of other neurological, immune, gut and endocrine symptoms. The disease isn’t just about fatigue. The new guidelines offer a much more advanced approach to treatment as well as being much clearer on understanding and diagnosing the illness. Copies of the guidelines are available free from the ACT ME/CFS Society.

You can get support.

The ACT ME/CFS Society provides support and help members, information to patients, medical practitioners and the public; and promotes research. For more information contact the Society, details below.

ACT ME/CFS Society Inc.
Web: www.mecfscanberra.org.au
c/o SHOUT, P.O.Box 717, Mawson, ACT, 2607.
Tel: 6290 1984, Fax 6286 4475, Email: [email protected]

—STOP PRESS—
Lucy Watson and Yvette McMillen are hosting screenings at Greater Union Manuka of the Serac Adventure Films documentary of the 2007 team: ‘3 Peaks 3 Weeks: For the People of Africa’.  This film is highly acclaimed, winning Best Adventure Film in its world premiere at the Boulder International Film Festival. The film is being screened on Thursdays September 4th and 11th. See later in the article for more details.
——-
Do you feel puffed just thinking about walking up Black Mountain?  What if you had to walk the equivalent of that 19 times each day, while carrying up to 15 kilos, looking out for leopards and guerrilla ambushes—for 16 days with 12 complete strangers?
 
These challenges are exactly what 30-year-old Australian Lucinda Watson will be facing in January 2009 as she participates in the 3 Peaks 3 Weeks (3P3W) challenge to raise money for, and awareness of, the three peak issues affecting Africa—the environment, health and education.
 
Ever since Lucy spent her toddler days at the feet of Kenyan nannies, she has felt the desire to return to Africa and to help at a grassroots level.  But why would a young woman—whose past ten years have involved working in New York with former UN weapons inspector Richard Butler, to gaining a Master of International Law, to her current role as an executive officer within the Department of Defence—want to spend all the time and effort required of 3P3W participants? Lucy describes how this dissimilarity is possible: “I like the physical, mental and psychological challenge of pushing myself, and I want to see change happen at a grassroots level, beyond policy papers.” 

The 3P3W Challenge

The 3P3W challenge is not just a walk in the park, nor is it an adventure safari—the challenge also involves the mammoth effort of fundraising, and raising awareness a year before any boot-clad foot steps upon African soil. The challenge was last run in 2007, which raised $370 000 from the 10 member team. The 2009 team comprises 13 women; eight from the USA and five from Australia.
Lucy gained entry into the 2009 team by demonstrating her commitment to the 3P3W causes by pledging to raise funds.  As with all participants, Lucy must fund her own travel and equipment costs outside of this.  As at June 2008, Lucy has raised $5000 of the $20,000 pledged, through direct donations and selling charity chocolates.

Three Peak Issues of Africa

She might need more than just the odd box of Freddo Frogs to fuel the whirlwind of trekking—at heights of over 5000m above sea level (Australia’s highest peak Mt Kosciuszko is 2228m) and long distances; Mt Kilimanjaro alone is 96 kilometres of trail. Between all this, the team will also visit the organisations that receive the 3P3W support. In Tanzania, the funds go to the School of St Jude focusing on education, and Support for International Change (SIC) Tanzania targeting HIV/AIDS issues. There is also Kenyan based environment conservation organisation called Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF), which promotes initiatives such as eco-tourism and bee-keeping to ensure that locals live sustainably rather than exploiting the environment.
 
The Journey

Accompanying the 13 women during the three-week journey, guides ‘Summits Africa’, will carry extensive equipment to get each team on and off the mountain safely. They are trained in First Aid, which is essential for the dangers ahead: altitude sickness, blisters and exhaustion, and the risk of becoming embroiled in tribal disputes.
 
The adventure begins on 7 January 2009, when all women arrive in Nairobi, then get straight into five days of climbing Mt Kenya to point Lenana, 4,895m (above sea level). On the way, the team will see ice caps, volcanoes, and barren rocky ground contrasted with lush forest.
With barely enough time to catch their breath, the next peak to climb in four days is Mt Meru; with its steep slopes, it is the second highest mountain in Tanzania at 4,566m.
Then after 12 days of bonding and testing their limits, the team faces the toughest peak of all—Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Over half of any climbers fail to reach a summit.  The 3P3W team will climb to Uhuru Peak, which is accessible to hikers.
 
Fundraising

Such a crammed itinerary is only a small part of the challenges Lucy must face—between now and January 2009 she must work around her demanding job, extensive training to get fit, as well as, raise funds to build on the $5000 she has raised so far for the 3P3W challenge. 
 
Lucy has events planned for the next few months including a trivia night and film screening of the Serac Adventure Films documentary of the 2007 team: ‘3 Peaks 3 Weeks: For the People of Africa’.  This film is highly acclaimed, winning Best Adventure Film in its world premiere at the Boulder International Film Festival. The film is being screened on Thursdays September 4th and 11th at Greater Union Manuka, 7pm for 7:30pm, tickets $25 per person. The evenings are co-hosted by P3W team member Yvette McMillen.
 
So why doesn’t Lucy just buy a couple of raffle tickets or some goatskin book covers from the Oxfam shop?  That’s what most of us Aussies do to help out—that ‘mateship’ that sets us apart.  But sometimes there are those people who literally go that extra mile to do something special; to push themselves physically, mentally and give their time and effort to help others. And that’s why, when most of us on Australia Day are munching on some snags at a lazy BBQ, we might think of Lucy, who, as she stands upon a peak of Mt Kilimanjaro, is step-by-step helping Africa’s three peak issues.
 
Donations:

Tax deductible donations to the 3P3W causes are collected via Save the Rhino International (SRI) accessed via the 3P3W website, and you can specify Lucy as the intermediary. See www.3peaks3weeks.org
To buy tickets for the film night, go to www.civictheatre.com.au  [Note, this goes to the Wagga Wagga City Council, don’t worry, this is supposed to happen!]]
Trailer for Serac film is at: www.seracfilms.com/projects/3_peaks/3_peaks_3_weeks.htm