PLAY IT FORWARD
Having created Sydney Street Choir in 2001, Australia’s first choir for those experiencing homelessness and disadvantage, Jonathon Welch AM unveiled the Choir of Hard Knocks in 2006 to a national audience through the award winning ABC television documentary of the same name.
These ground breaking initiatives inspired the creation of a worldwide movement of ‘street choirs’, that have been recognised amongst the most outstanding social inclusion models of the past decade for re-connecting isolated, vulnerable and marginalised members of their community.
Today, Play It Forward is Jonathon’s vision and legacy for the future of inclusive arts programs.
Jonathon’s ground breaking social justice work, combined with his decades of professional arts experience, knowledge and passion for music has inspired him to look beyond his original ‘street choir’ concept, inviting Australians of all ages and backgrounds to now participate in the nation’s mainstream cultural life.