Simply bring your good self and enjoy a year-long series of talk shows, concerts, film screenings, meditation circles and an annual conference. Our themes include happiness and personal fulfillment, wellness, spirituality and conscious living.
Our grand vision is for Sydney to start a
kindness revolution - to become a "Kindness Capital"; a beacon of inspiration, creativity and peace. The campaign is underway with our free "kindness card" campaign. The kindness cards are beautifully designed cards that encourage anonymous acts of kindness. In just over two years, over 45,000
free kindness cards have been posted out. Order your
free kindness cards here and read more about the kindness revolution
here.
The values we encourage are diversity, kindness, mindfulness, courage, happiness, friendship, audacity, creativity, laughter, warm-heartedness, generosity, authenticity and fun! We have no affiliations, dogma's or fixed beliefs.
Our simple wish is that you be fueled, nourished and uplifted to help create a kinder, happier and more sustainable society.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
If you're interested, here's more information about us....
We are a profit-for-purpose events and media company dedicated to producing transformational entertainment that inspires kindness, courage and inner well-being. Our productions include large-scale benefit concerts, film screenings, talk-shows, unique corporate events, retreats, books, video and audio.
We are part of a new breed of conscious businesses that are challenging traditional ways of doing business. When business has a purpose deeper than just profits, it can be a powerful vehicle for change.
Listen to a podcast with Founder, Jono Fisher speaking with the
UTS Business School about conscious business.
Our special live events enliven the imagination, connect like-minded people and inspire more kindness. These events also help fund our free kindness card campaign.
One larger event was held in
The Sydney Town Hall for 1,100 people.
These events are attended by all types from bankers to buddhists and celebrities such as Kylie Kwong, Gretal Killeen,
SBS gardener Costa Georgiadis and
Packed to the Rafters actor Hugh Sheridan.
Since April 2009, the groundswell of support has been phenomenal! We have hosted 12 sell-out events in Sydney for over 6,000 people. On stage, we have welcomed musicians including ARIA award musicians Katie Noonan and Abby Dobson, the former headline act for
Aerosmith Dave Ireland, Australian Idol star Bobby Flynn, and world music icons
Sacred Earth. Speakers have included the first ecologist on staff at
The Whitehouse, John Milton; global change agent, Dr Margret Wheatley; founder of
Quest for Life, Petrea King; journalist Jeff McMullen; mindfulness pioneer Dr Craig Hassed and founder of
Prison Liberation Project, Robina Courtin to name a few.
A larger event in 2010 attracted 1,100 people to the Sydney Town Hall.
We have posted out more than 45,000 free kindness cards have been distributed encouraging anonymous acts of kindness and thousands of people have joined the community.
The Australian Financial Review BOSS magazine recently mentioned the kindness cards as one of the "Top 10 Ideas for Right Now" (August 2010). The former host of
MasterChef, Sarah Wilson also wrote in the
Sunday Life magazine that the kindness cards "tug us beyond our selfish, survivalist tendencies and remind us of our extraordinary humanity." Order your
free cards here.
Some of our special live event guests have included:
- Katie Noonan: Multi ARIA award winning singer
- Dave Ireland: Former headline act for Aerosmith
- Dr Margaret Wheatley: Leading change agent, best selling author
- Jeff McMullen: Journalist, Adventure & Activist
- Steve Hutunsky: Producer Cold Mountain; Wake Up - the film
- Maggie Hamilton: Author and Publisher Allen & Unwin
- Abby Dobson: ARIA nominated singer, Song of the Year in 2009
- Ronni Kahn: Australian of Year; Founder OzHarvest
- Sacred Earth: Stunning world music for inner peace
- Dr Craig Hassed: GP and Mindfulness Pioneer
- Bobby Flynn: Australian Idol & handcrafted musician
- Descendance: Award winning Aboriginal dance troupe
- Sandy Blackburn Wright: Author & Westpac change agent
- Cliona Molins: Classically trained Irish Harpist
- Uncle Max Harrison: Author and inspiring Indigenous leader
- Robina Curtin: Buddhist nun & fdr of Prison Liberation Project
- Terry McArthur: Poet, songwriter and playwright
- Duncan Peak: Founder of Australia's leading Yoga School
- Subhana Barzaghi: Zen Teacher, Psychotherapist & artist
- Kate Bezar: Founder of the magical Dumbo Feather magazine
- John Seed: Ecologist and Order of Australia
- Petrea King: Author and founder of Quest For Life foundation
- Lisa Schouw: ARIA award winner; Lead singer of 'Girl Overboard'
- Susan Murphy: Zen teacher, writer and filmmaker
- John Milton: First Ecologist on staff at The White House
Wake Up Sydney! was a winner of the 2010 Innovation leader scholarship at the ANZ Creativity and Innovation conference and has been recognised by the likes of
The Australian Financial Review, GQ Magazine, UTS Business School, UNSW Business School Centre for Social Impact, Sunday Telegraph, ABC’s Richard Glover, Yen Magazine, Women's Health, Yoga Journal and the Readers Digest.Here are a few of the media quotes over the last 2 years:
- "If one city in the world could incorporate generosity, what an amazing leadership role that would be" (The Sunday Telegraph);
- "Wake Up Sydney reminds us that....few of us can do grand things in life to help others, but we can all do small things that make a huge difference" (Take 5 magazine);
- "Wake Up Sydney is not a serious or angry revolution, but one that is entertaining, creative, beautiful and inspires us." (Sydney City News)
Wake Up Sydney! is a small group with a big idea. It was founded by Jono Fisher in 2009 with the desire to create a new breed of business that can be a positive force for change.
Thank you to these talented folks who embody generosity: Design: Julie Morin/Inky ~ Film: Kim Ramsay (our resident Bodhisattva!) ~ Photos: Dan Rosenbaum ~ Strategy: Simone Blakers ~ Web: The uncomparable Oleg Putilin at Webcoda! ~ Comrade: Kevin Hume ~ My darling Claire.