Patrick Francis - Art Awards
Lesley & Patrick Francis won 4 awards on Dec 4, 2015 from Maribyrnong Deputy Mayor - Cr Catherine Cumming at the Maribyrnong Town Hall:
- MIRA Group Award for Arts - Absolutely AWEtistic Arts
- MIRA Highly Commended Awards for Arts - Individual, Youth and Volunteering.
MIRA Award Winners 2015
The 2015 MIRA awards were presented by the Deputy Mayor, Cr Catherine Cumming and Director Community Services, Lynley Dumble at a celebration coinciding with International Day of People with Disability on Friday 4 December 2015 in the Town Hall.
The 2015 MIRA awards were presented by the Deputy Mayor, Cr Catherine Cumming and Director Community Services, Lynley Dumble at a celebration coinciding with International Day of People with Disability on Friday 4 December 2015 in the Town Hall.
- Arts Award (Individual) Winner - Margherita Coppolino
- Arts Award (Group) Winner - Absolutely AWEtistic Arts
- Inclusive Business Practices Award Winners - Dimmeys
- Recreation and Sports Winner (Individual) - Marilyn Luck
- Recreation and Sports Winner (Group) - Rob Sneddon
- Volunteer Award Winner - Jonathan Baker
- Youth Achievement Award Winner - Amani Matthews
2015 Winner Profiles
Arts (Group) Winner - Absolutely AWEtistic Arts
Lesley Steff and her brother Patrick Francis established Absolutely AWEtistic Arts which is a youth-led, non-profit community group promoting positive awareness on multiculturalism, autism and intellectual disability through art. They have a huge body of work developed through Absolutely AWEtistic Arts. They have exhibited at The Splash Gallery in Footscray, The Incinerator Gallery and Clocktower Gallery in Moonee Ponds, the Coburg Town Hall and Moonstone Art Gallery. The Athlete and Artist Exhibition promoted multiculturalism and disability awareness; Achieve Your Dream Exhibition celebrated the Special Olympics in Melbourne; and the Expressions Exhibition promoted awareness of autism.
- See more at: http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/mira#sthash.boosmjyD.dpuf
Arts (Group) Winner - Absolutely AWEtistic Arts
Lesley Steff and her brother Patrick Francis established Absolutely AWEtistic Arts which is a youth-led, non-profit community group promoting positive awareness on multiculturalism, autism and intellectual disability through art. They have a huge body of work developed through Absolutely AWEtistic Arts. They have exhibited at The Splash Gallery in Footscray, The Incinerator Gallery and Clocktower Gallery in Moonee Ponds, the Coburg Town Hall and Moonstone Art Gallery. The Athlete and Artist Exhibition promoted multiculturalism and disability awareness; Achieve Your Dream Exhibition celebrated the Special Olympics in Melbourne; and the Expressions Exhibition promoted awareness of autism.
- See more at: http://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/mira#sthash.boosmjyD.dpuf
MIRA shines a light on Maribyrnong’s heroes
DECEMBER 24, 2015
Maribyrnong News - LIFE IN THE CITY OF MARIBYRNONG
http://cityofmaribyrnong.com.au/2015/12/24/mira-shines-a-light-on-maribyrnongs-heroes/
In the City of Maribyrnong, everybody is a somebody, everybody has a voice.
Council readily recognises that wellbeing is achieved when everyone has – and truly feels that they have – the ongoing opportunities to reach their full potential in community life. This is particularly important for people with disability, their families and their carers. Council recently hosted the MIRA (Maribyrnong Inclusive Recognition Awards) ceremony. It was an incredible day to recognise and celebrate people with disability, inclusiveness and the ongoing efforts towards the best possible quality of life for ALL members of our diverse community.
MIRA award winners
Community awards, regardless of whether they are for people with disability, volunteers, childcare workers or others, are a hugely important way that we – as a Council, and we as a community – can say thank you and acknowledge the work well done.
The range and quality of nominations for this year’s MIRA was exceptional and every nominee is truly deserving of an award.
Below is the list of successful award recipients.
Arts Category – Individual Award
Margherita Coppolina is an accomplished photographer and her documentation of women, youth, Indigenous people and other communities is extraordinary.
Arts Category – Group Award
Absolutely AWEtistic Arts is a highly productive and prolific company that generates a wealth of information and artistic outcomes.
Inclusive Business Practices Award
Dimmeys has proven to be a business that encourages and supports young people with the support of a workplace partner to have a successful work experience placement.
Recreation/Sport Category – Individual
Marilyn Luck is a world class Ten Pin Bowling champion with a unique technique and a winning game.
Recreation/Sport Category – Group
Rob Sneddon and Yarraville Special Developmental School.
Rob is a highly regarded coach who has volunteered his time at Yarraville SDS to work with a team of budding footballers.
Volunteering Award
Jonathan Baker is a busy man who enjoys his community visits and assisting young people to go from L to P with their drivers licenses.
Youth Award
Amani Mathews is a young woman whose contribution in both the youth leadership group and youth theatre group at Phoenix Youth Centre is outstanding.
Below is the list of high commendation.
Arts, Individual highly commended
Patrick Francis is a creative talent whose beautiful art works have been showcased both nationally and internationally.
Inclusive Business Practices highly commended
Cleanable – WCIG supports local people in supported employment to undertake and retain work in a nurturing environment.
SecondBite is a resourceful agency that works diligently to source and share food and to make an impact in contributing to food waste reduction.
Transdev has supported Victorian University Western Futures students for six years in their weekly hospitality program with great support from both drivers and management.
YMCA provides a variety of programs from work readiness to life skills and travel safety. They are leaders in their field.
Recreation/ Sports Individual highly commended
Felicity Porter is well known and regarded for her work in teaching people to swim with an individualised approach with great results.
Volunteering highly commended
Absolutely AWEtistic Arts are highly commended in this category. We met them earlier on.
Marilyn King is well known locally for her contribution locally and here this year for her ongoing work with the organisation she co founded called Willing Older Workers WOW.
Tim Curwood is an invaluable asset to Interchange with his expert knowledge and advice on programs and responding to community inquiry.
Youth highly commended
Patrick Francis is recognised her as a young person for all his artistic pursuits .We met him earlier.
For more information about the MIRA or services for our diverse community, visit www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au
A word from the Deputy Mayor
Cr Catherine Cumming, Deputy Mayor of the City of Maribyrnong
“In the City of Maribyrnong, we have a strong tradition of inclusiveness and responsiveness to the needs of our diverse community.
All members of our community are as important as each other. Every single person who lives, works or spends time in Maribyrnong are deserving of recognition for their hard work that makes our city a better place.
We are proud of what our community achieves individually, and as a collective, and award ceremonies like the MIRA are the perfect way for the heroes of our community to be celebrated for their achievements.”