Media Release: Debut performer wins Urban Quest

It may have been his first-ever live performance on the big stage, but that didn’t stop Tevita Moala from singing his way to Urban Quest success over the weekend.

The 16-year-old Darwin High School student outperformed 10 other finalists to win the Mission Australia talent competition at the Darwin Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.

The singing pianist brought many in the sold-out crowd to tears with his rendition of John Legend’s I won’t complain.

The young Kiwi national introduced the gospel song as a dedication to a friend in New Zealand who has muscular dystrophy.

Guest judge Deni Hines described Moala’s touching performance as better than that of John Legend’s.

“I want it on CD, ‘cause I’d buy it now,” the soul songstress said.

An overwhelmed Moala was lost for words at the win, scoring for himself 12 months mentoring from Music NT, cash and studio recording time.

“My friend Jeanie entered me in the competition, so if it weren’t for her I wouldn’t be here now,” Moala said.

“I was really nervous - this is the first time I’ve done something like this - but I just felt the music and am so happy.”

The Michael Buble and Temptations fan will now put his winnings to work as he pursues his musical dreams.

Jack and Sam Weaver and Peter Rautoka were equal runners-up in the competition, which raised funds for youth homeless across the Top End.

Australian pop idol Mark Holden awarded all three acts a “touchdown”, as well as 13-year-old Shiane Hawke with her collaboration of Amazing Grace and Duffy’s Mercy.

Beatboxer Kane Bishop was awarded Best Composition of the night.

Mission Australia Operations Manager Brad McIver said the night was a huge success and lifted the profile of youth homelessness.

“The money raised will support us to develop new accommodation for homeless youth in the NT and expand our current services and programs,” Mr McIver said.

“Every little bit helps and if we can make a difference in one of the 5,000 homeless Territory kids lives, then that’s what this event was all about.”

Urban Quest will become an annual fundraiser on the Mission Australia NT calendar.

For more information and interviews contact Domonique Young on 8941 9169 / 0433 447 255 or email domonique@creativeterritory.com.

View recent coverage of Urban Quest here

Media Release: Tough call at Urban Quest semi-finals

Eleven acts are through to the Urban Quest Finals Concert on Saturday night after the judges struggled to choose just 10.

Former Australian Idol judge Mark Holden delivered three touchdowns through the 20 performances, including opening rock duo Jack and Sam Weaver. More than 1000 people turned out to support the young performers , aged between 11 and 18, at Casuarina Square.

The youngest finalist Kaiyah Chadwick, who’s in Year 6 at Marrara Christian College, wowed the audience with her rendition of ‘Hallelujah’ without backing music, while beatboxer Kane Bishop reverberated through the crowd.

Mark Holden will now work with the young singers in mentoring workshops to polish their performances ahead of the big night.

“It’s fantastic being up here,” Mark Holden said.

“But what I really looking forward to working with each of the finalists and improving their performance.”

Organised by Mission Australia, Urban Quest hopes to raise awareness of youth homelessness in the Top End and expand homeless accommodation services.

In the Territory, up to 5,000 people are homeless and more than a quarter are young people aged between 12 and 18 years.

The Urban Quest Finals Concert, which includes a performance by Deni Hines, starts at 7pm at the Darwin Entertainment Centre this Saturday, 2 April.

Tickets cost $17.50 per person or $50 per family of four, with all proceeds supporting Mission Australia to develop homeless services for young Territorians.

The 11 Urban Quest Finalists are:

• Kaiyah Chadwich, 11, Leanyer
• Peter Rautoke, 17, Palmerston
• Casey Glennon, 16, Malak
• Shaine Hawke, 13, Stuart Park
• Gabrielle Wright, 16, Palmerston
• Jianynne Anastacio, 16, Katherine
• Tevita Moala, 16, Darwin
• Kane Bishop, 15, Darwin
• Leighton Kay-Mick, 13, Karama
• John Micairan, 18 Palmerston & Floyd McDonald, 18, Karama
• Sam and Jack Weaver, 17 and 14, Wagaman

For more on each of the performers visit facebook.com/MissionAust. To purchase tickets to the Urban Quest Finals Concert visit www.darwinentertainment.com.au.

For interviews and images, please contact Domonique on 8941 9169 or email Domonique@creativeterritory.com

Urban Quest finals in their sights

Twenty young Territorians are getting ready to score a place in the Top 10 at next week’s Urban Quest semi-final to be held at Casuarina Square, Darwin.

The singers hope to impress guest judge Mark Holden and Hot 100 FM radio host Amanda Pernechele for a spot in the Urban Quest Finals Concert on Saturday 2 April.

The acts include a brother duo from Wagaman who are into hard rock, a Palmerston hip-hop pair and an apprentice electrician from Katherine who dreams of “making it big and going to Nashville”.

The event, sponsored by Mission Australia, hopes to raise awareness of youth homelessness in the NT, where more than a quarter of the almost 5,000 homeless people are aged between 12 and 18.

The Urban Quest semi-final gets underway at Casuarina Square, Darwin, at 3.30pm on Tuesday 29 March. Everyone who can make it is welcome to come along and show their support.

The semi-finalists:
Rebekah Ainslie, 16, from Darwin; Jianynne Anastacio, 16, from Katherine; Kane Bishop, 15, from Darwin; Kaiyah Chadwich, 11, from Leanyer; Taylor Fishlock, 18, from Katherine; Casey Glennon, 16, from Malak; Kimberly Harding, 16 from Darwin; Shaine Hawke, 13, from Stuart Park; Leighton Kay-Mick, 13, from Karama; Veronica Maxwell, 17, from Palmerston;.John Micairan, 18, from Palmerston and Floyd McDonald, 18, from Karama; Tevita Moala, 16, from Darwin; Jessica and Katheryn Pickworth, both 18, from Stuart Park; Peter Rautoke, 17, from Palmerston; Sam and Jack Weaver, 17 and 14, from Wagaman; Jason Woodward, 15, from Palmerston and Gabrielle Wright, 16, from Palmerston.

Good luck next week and thanks to all the young performers who have taken part in Urban Quest 2011.

For more information visit facebook.com/MissionAust

Goverment Media Release: New sobering up shelter opened in Katherine

The Federal Minister for Indigenous Health and Member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon today officially opened a new sobering-up shelter in Katherine today.

The construction of the new $1.5 million facility in Giles Street has been funded by the Australian Government, with the Northern Territory Government providing ongoing operational funds.

“The new Yarrlalah Shelter replaces and upgrades an outdated facility in Katherine and will offer rehabilitation and treatment services to up to eighteen people.

“We know that excessive alcohol consumption is closely associated with a broad range of health, social and economic problems in all populations and has a particularly harmful impact on Aboriginal Australians, their families and communities.

“This upgraded facility will continue to be a valuable asset to the community because it will continue to operate as a safe place for people heavily influenced by alcohol who would otherwise remain on the streets, at risk of being harmed or of causing harm to others,” Mr Snowdon said.

Named Yarrlalah after consultation with Dagaman, Wardaman and Jawoyn people, the facility’s new accommodation, cooking and living areas, will encourage clients to return to a healthy lifestyle. The name Yarrlalah translates to feeling good and being safe and reflects the purpose of the facility.

Health Minister Kon Vatskalis said the NT Government will fund Mission Australia to run the facility.

“Mission Australia will help provide improved access towards rehabilitation and treatment services, which can help clients address substance misuse and other health issues.

“I am confident that this service will continue to support the valuable work being undertaken in the Katherine region to improve the treatment of alcohol misuse. It will also help reduce anti-social behaviour in the community.”

Mr Snowdon said the Australian Government is also providing $1.6 million for the construction of a new sobering-up shelter in Tennant Creek, with the NT Government providing operational funds.

The Australian Government is committed to working with the Northern Territory Government to Closing the Gap In Indigenous health outcomes by providing better access to a range of health and emergency and community services, particularly in remote and regional areas.

In 2010-11, the Australian Government is providing more than $16.3 million across the NT for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drug and alcohol rehabilitation and treatment.

Media contacts:

• Alice Plate 0400 045 999 (Snowdon)
• Maria Billias 0401 119 746 (Vatskalis)

Media Release issued by Warren Snowdon MP, Federal Member for Lingiari and Minister for Indigenous Health, and Kon Vatskalis MLA, Northern Territory Minister for Health

Binjari residents help Clean Up Australia

Up to 80 residents of Binjari in the Northern Territory transformed both top and bottom camps on Sunday under the leadership of Mission Australia.

Mission Australia Youth Service Coordinator Ruth Cardier said that by midday the whole township looked amazing, with all four skip bins full of rubbish.

“This initiative gave the community an opportunity to show that they are willing and able to rise to the occasion and help themselves to have a better outcome,” Ms Cardier said.

“The Government Business Manager, Nigel Povey and the local council were also very supportive of the initiative,” she added.

Katherine Town Council provided the skip bins and clean-up packs for the town camp.

The Katherine Times reported that Wastemaster collected “520 kilograms in Katherine and a staggering 1,000 in Binjari” – a community of less than 300 people.

All participants then joined in a celebratory barbecue cooked up by the Mission Australia team.

Clean Up Australia is the nation’s largest community-based environment event. Now, in its twentieth year, it attracts hundreds of thousands of volunteers from communities, schools and businesses to help clean up, fix up and conserve their environment.

Photo courtesy of The Katherine Times

Spirit of adventure

Cally Faithful describes herself as fun-loving and adventurous. Not just for parachuting solo, but also for moving to Darwin to become Mission Australia’s Northern Territory Chaplain.

Cally is passionate about serving God. This passion has seen her pursue chaplaincy work in Melbourne hospitals before feeling the call to move north. When Cally saw the advertisement for the position of NT Chaplain her “heart did a flip” and she felt called to go.

The focus of Cally’s role as a Chaplain is to build positive relationships with Mission Australia staff and encourage the expression of our values. This means regular one-on-one conversations with our employees; visiting services across Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs; leading reflections at staff meetings and writing regular inspirational pieces for the Territory team.

Developing relationships with such a great team with flexibility and autonomy is a highlight of the job. Such flexibility allows Cally to be available to those who need her at the drop of a hat, enabling genuine relationships to be built.

During her year in the Northern Territory Cally has seen the need for reconciliation for Aboriginal people as well as changes in attitudes. Through our Reconciliation Action Plan, she believes Mission Australia can be advocates for change in the community and engage with the government, police and justice bodies.

Cally continues to be inspired by what the NT team is doing in the community and feels blessed to be able to support and encourage them in the work that they do.

Cally is one of Mission Australia’s 14 full-time Chaplains who work across the nation – five in New South Wales, three in Queensland, two in Western Australia and one each in the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. They are joined by three volunteer Chaplains.  For more information please visit www.missionaustralia.com.au/about-mission-australia/chaplaincy