Congratulations to the Australian School of the Arts (ASTA) Performance Manager, Mr Alastair Tomkins for being nominated for a Brisbane ABC Radio Community Spirit Award.

A wide selection of individuals and organisations gathered at ABC Studios on Friday 13 November for the inaugural ABC Radio Community Spirit Awards evening, whereby Mr Tomkins was nominated in the Community Event category for his ANZAC support initiative, Music for Mateship.

This Award is designed to celebrate the positive change makers within the community. Most specifically, in Alastair’s case, it was to recognise an individual who has taken the time and initiative to organise an annual event/one-off project which was been successful in engaging the community in a positive way.

There is no doubt that Mr Tomkins’ Music for Mateship initiative was a massive success, not only here in Brisbane, but also nationally as well. Around the country, thousands of instrumentalists, regardless of their age or skill level, took to their driveways at 6am on ANZAC Day and performed the Last Post for their neighbours.

Music for Mateship helped bring communities together in a time of uncertainty. In Mr Tomkins words, Music for Mateship ensured that people were united despite being isolated on ANZAC Day 2020. The initiative enabled community members to still pay their respects in a meaningful manner to the many men and women who lost their lives fighting for the freedom that we have today.

The College would like to thank Alastair for his commitment to bringing this idea to life. Your thoughtfulness and determination are inspiring to us all. We are fortunate to have staff who care so much about the community on board.

To keep up to date with what is happening with Music for Mateship please visit the website - https://musicformateship.org/