aka Alyson Pearson

Cassandra LadruPhotography

cassandra ladru photography

The brief was to create a logo with a soft and hand drawn approach to compliment the sharp photographic style. Illustration was combined with a personal and sophisticated type lockup to balance and complete the logo. Rolling out this style across the rest of the brand will be next!

PlaNaCTioN

in

summer 2013 The Magazine of Plan in ausTralia Global Child 11

What does 4CA stand for? Child-centered Climate Change adaptation.

that’s a long name – what does it mean?Basically, this project supports communities to adapt, prepare for, and respond to the increasing effects of disasters (with a specific focus on climate change related disasters) and makes sure children and young people are involved at every level.

Why is this something Plan needs to focus on?Climate change adaptation is a new and dynamic area for not only Plan but many international organisations. as the climate changes we are seeing an increase in the number of natural disasters around the world – and this is most prominent in developing countries; in communities that Plan works with. of course, you can’t stop these disasters from happening, but what you can do is help communities prepare appropriately and improve their ability to withstand the effects.

at Plan we believe it is vital that children and young people are involved in this planning, not just because they make up such a large percentage of their communities, but because they are often the most vulnerable in times of disaster and have a

Can you tell us about your new film I am a Girl?There is a group of people in the world today who are more persecuted than anyone else, but they are not political or religious activists. They are girls. Being born a girl means you are more likely to be subjected to violence, disease, poverty and disadvantage than any other group on the planet. i am a girl is a feature length documentary film that follows the stories of six girls from different countries as they reach their coming of age. it aims to reveal what it means to grow up female in the 21st century.

Why did you decide to make the film?Three years ago i was lucky enough to survive a tsunami whilst on holiday in samoa. While this event was the most frightening and levelling experience of my life, along with it came a realisation that we don’t always have control over our lives or the outcomes of a situation. Upon reflection, it seems that many, if not most girls in the world today, live with this feeling every day.

not long after this occurred, i was moved to tears when i read a magazine article about the plight of girls around the globe. it seems that despite technological advances and an abundance of wealth, we live in a world that openly discriminates against

right to have their views respected. Children have important contributions to make and they should be recognised and valued.

Why do you think it’s important?Plan is an agency dedicated to child rights. Boys and girls have the right to learn and be in a position where they can act on issues that will affect them now and in the future. This project supports this, and will hopefully help communities to become more resilient to the changing environment around them.

How can people find out more about what is happening? People can read more about the project and ongoing updates at plan.org.au.

Plan is also a co-founding member of the Children in a Changing Climate Coalition, which continues to promote all of these things i have mentioned. find out more at childreninachangingclimate.org.

This project is funded by the australian government, primarily through the ausaiD humanitarian Partnership agreement.

girls, subjecting them to the most incomprehensible violence, abuse and deprivation of liberties.

I decided I had to make a film that would reach out to a broader audience; that would inform and at the same time give people the opportunity to connect with these issues through film.

Have you achieved what you had hoped with the stories?Yes. My vision for i am a girl was simple – to weave a universal story through the voices of girls in different locations around the world dealing with their own unique challenges. each story has been approached as a portrait, poignant in its simplicity. Whether it’s a story of abuse, neglect, optimism or hope, each story follows the daily toil from sunrise to sunset.

What impact has making the film had on you?Making this film has been an incredible experience. Not just meeting the girls but having their trust and having the privilege of telling their stories. and also being able to capture the imagination and dedication of the individuals and organisations who made it all possible.

five miNuTes WiTh …RoHAn Kent, Plan’s DIsasTer Manager, Talks abouT 4ca – our neW clIMaTe change ProjecT.

ReBeCCA BARRy, FIlM Maker, DIscusses her neW FIlM, i am a girl.

Boys in their classroom in Myanmar look at an educational poster that teaches them how to stay safe in times of disasters.

Plan has been assisting i am a girl which is set to launch in june this year.

To stay updated on the launch date, tickets and film information visit www.iamagirl.com.au and stay tuned to facebook.com/planaustralia

habiba, 17, from Cameroon is one of the girls featured in i am a girl.

plan international australia

As the sole in-house graphic designer I worked directly with all internal departments to produce high quality print and digital designs, including the 2013 Annual Report winning Plan the PWC Transparency award. Other rewarding projects include the Women for Girls material and their quarterly magazine.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA » ANNUAL REPORT 2013 3 2 PLAN INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA » ANNUAL REPORT 2013

AbOUT ThIS REPORTThis report sets out Plan International Australia’s progress towards our vision and mission between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2013. We have referred to this period as ‘2013’.

In this report, the informal name ‘Plan in Australia’ refers to Plan International Australia. The terms ‘Plan’ and ‘Plan International’ refer to the global organisation of which Plan International Australia is a part. See page 8 for further information on our global network.

We encourage our readers to visit our website: plan.org.au where they can find more information about the topics discussed in this report. Links to specific pages on our website and other publications (such as our Annual Effectiveness Review) are given throughout this report.

AbOUT US 6OUR PERfORmANcE 10OUR WORk WITh chILdREN 14ENgAgINg AUSTRALIA 20OUR SUPPORTERS 25OUR ORgANISATION 34OUR fINANcES 40cOmPLIANcE & REgULATION 52AckNOWLEdgEmENTS 53

inside

Cover photo: Members of a Plan-supported hygiene club sing a song at their school in Tororo District, Uganda.

This page: Hennock, 5, plays with friends at his Plan-supported kindergarten in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

CO_The Creative Couples Project 9796 CO_The Creative Couples Project

person – there is a drive to constantly be evolving, learning new things and growing. The sacrifice seems to be departing from a materialistic, safe, mindset and embracing change. I would say you have to give up your illusion goggles to live a truly creative life…make of that what you will.”

What does one gain?

“The ability to see things as they really are. A keen eye! A good bullshit detector among other things, the freedom to re-imagine everything…this is creativity we are talking about and it’s only limited by your imagination!”

Some people find inspiration in a tea cup, where do you find yours?

“In every moment of every day. Life and the many varied forms of expression it comes in; cities and nature, contrast and context, absurdity, stories real and imagined, observing people and animals, beauty, what is good in the human spirit, irony, old things, patterns, cultural heritage, history and intuition…”

Tell us how you collaborate in your creative life together.

“The whole relationship is a collaboration, all relationships are a collaboration, aren’t they? I think we both see our art making as a kind of personal joy and connection to the inner self as well as a way to live your life, and so sharing a creative life with someone else means that there isn’t a thing that isn’t questioned, planned, positioned and created and fashioned anew. It can be a challenge as neither [of us] is content to just accept a pre-made definition and both wish to be co-authors of the story.

Both being printmakers we share a love for traditional analog printing technology. Darren brings a wealth of technical knowledge and I bring the experience of design and graphic arts – together we are able to learn and extend our professional practice in different directions. There are times in our life and practice where we are working on things in all aspects that find expression in collaborative prints or artworks, and it is a really organic and unplanned collision of ideas and resulting creative work. Other times it finds expression in different ways, but all the choices we make together are a product of a creative collaboration.”

In what way does your community and landscape influence your practice as an artist?

“All I do is an expression of my continued investigation and experiences of how I see the world and influences on my work – in that my work

Picasso once said: “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” How true is this in your experience?

“I’m not sure– if I grow up I’ll let you know what that’s like. I’m of the opinion that we are both kids who refuse to grow up, that is, we refuse to abandon our innocence. I think it’s something we give up to ‘grow’ up and creativity is just the ability to continue to look on the world with fresh eyes.”

What’s your philosophy on maintaining a ‘work/ life’ balance?

“Is there a difference between the two? I’m not sure, I spent a great deal of my 20s in the life bit, so I guess it’s my work time now. I tend to be 100% or not at all and if I enjoy what I’m doing then it’s not really work. I wake up every morning grateful this is what I get to do every day. However, survival is always an issue, and sometimes it also becomes a work/life/art practice balancing and juggling an art business plus a lecturing job with two art practices, plus maintain a house and garden, disabled dog and elderly cat – we haven’t got time for much else. Change is also a constant and I’m also OK with that. I know that we could do with a holiday though. The way our lives are organized right now is full on and we dream of a day when we can travel around in a vintage caravan with our press and print all over the country, or some other creative adventure that we often dream of to remind ourselves why we’re doing all of this!”

becomes an expression of this experience, movement and interaction. Belonging is a big deal to me and for me it is more important to find a place that I can work creatively with others and be inspired and delighted, rather than be in competition and feel at odds with other creatives. So community is most influential (in a positive or a negative way) to my practice. I believe that a supportive, nurturing environment provides what is necessary for creativity to flourish and is the foundation or basis of an art practice that has some integrity.”

How would you describe your partner’s creativity?

“Quiet, determined, personal, solid, methodical, careful, uncompromising.”

Do you believe it is possible to infuse creativity into all aspects of life?

“Yes! I have a belief that all pursuits embody a creative element and that creativity needs time to flourish– my decision to devote my time to my art practice is also because I wanted to establish this as the purpose in my life. I felt that I wasn’t achieving anything by just walking the well-trodden path. So yes this belief has shaped a lot of my decisions over the last 20 years.”

What does one sacrifice in order to live a creative life?

“I think to honestly live a creative life ones core values are challenged. I think the idea of fitting in, settling for, is anathema to a creative

joannaco_the creative couples project

Brand identity, art direction and design of the Creative Couples book. For the identity, the client wanted a modern type lockup with a nod to their inspiration, Charlie Chaplin. The book’s design was kept simple with lots of white space to hero the couple’s photography.

CO_The Creative Couples Project 25

Miriam and HamishThe Gentle Turtle

Theand Sparkly Galah

The StoryMiriam and Hamish McWilliam, a husband and wife creative duo, are complementary colours on the wheel. They harmonise perfectly, blending their individual skills together to approach any collaborative project they work on together. Miriam is a freelance designer/ artist, and a bowerbird, collecting what she sees as discarded treasure wherever she ventures. By night Hamish is an illustrator whose tools are pen and ink; by day he is a parasite-fighting scientist in a lab coat. This is their story.

We were immediately struck, when we entered the Melbourne home of Miriam and Hamish, by colour. Splashes of yellow, pineapple trinkets and shiny acquisitions gathered in travel and op-shopping; their home makes you smile. The freshly ground coffee in jam jars went down a treat too. This warm welcome echoes the couple’s basic views on living a creative life; that all life is an opportunity for creative expression, whether it be decorating, cooking, or re-loving pre-loved clothing.

2012 saw another collaborative project born; Band4hope, which the two worked as a partnership with another couple, Lucie and Lachlan-Hamish’s brother. Miriam and Hamish helped direct the design of this venture, a global initiative to inspire positive social change. Creativity just seems so easy for these two. Makes you want to pick apart their minds to see how it happens. Luckily we did. What we found were two people for whom every aspect of life can we woven with creativity and expression. Whether exhibiting individually, collaborating on group exhibitions or launching a collaborative book project, the output from this duo seems non-stop. Taking time to reflect on the life/work balance is important.

For Miriam, a freelancer for whom work can go late into the night, this means a dedicated two days off per week without the distraction of emails. For Hamish it is recognising when to step back; something he admits he is still working on. Even for a couple who draw inspiration from the urban landscape and vibrancy, it seems an escape into nature is still important. Travel keeps them both alive creatively, and time to visit galleries and exhibitions is crucial to remaining motivated. Inspiration comes from daydreaming for Hamish, which is reflected in the dream-like tones of his illustrations. Miriam thrives on change. She says: “I seek inspiration in change, rebelling against the mundaneness of routine.” There is nothing mundane in the colourful lives of Miriam and Hamish McWilliam.

The Halves...Miriam always knew her path was toward a creative career, and she tells us about the moment creativity became the focus rather than the goal. Since we met them, the couple had also moved into a new home and workspace so it was intriguing us as to how this may have influenced how she works, or the work itself.

Miriam, before we get to know you as a Creative Couple, tell us about yourself and your creative journey up to this point in time?

“My creative journey… well it probably started way back as a little girl, through drawing, painting (mud, paint and sticks and stones), exploring the beaches and forests/bush of Lorne where I spent the first five

“To me art is a way of life, an extension of your inner being, a way to express yourself – through a photograph, a meal, a design project, or the outfit you choose to wear”. Miriam McWilliam

Macmillan Cancer Support

Graphic designer in the Creative team responsible for designing a wide range of materials including their 2014 Annual Report and was involved in the rollout for the 2014 World’s Biggest Coffee Morning campaign.

illustration

Illustration excites me. Creating magical worlds where animals flee the circus and lions rule outer space. Using biro, watercolour and a whole lot of Photoshop, I get to experiment, learn and create. I enjoy making limited edition prints and have been published in both the Semi-Permanent and Curvy books.

get in touch

0427 169 154

alyson@alykatcreative.com.au

www.alykatcreative.com.au