Category Archives: Events

On 30 May 2018 Bridging Hope Charity Foundation was proud to support Lifeline at the annual Chairman’s Lunch at The Westin Hotel in Sydney, for the second consecutive year.

Bridging Hope Charity Foundation is actively involved with Lifeline, and in May of last year commenced a three-year partnership with Lifeline with the aim of developing a crisis support service for the Chinese community within Australia. The partnership was the outcome of the joint desires of our Foundation and Lifeline, to support the growth of their important crisis services to help build more resilient and suicide-safe communities.

Lifeline Chairman John Brogden AM, thanked guests and partners for their support and welcomed special guests the Hon Nick Greiner AC, former Premier of New South Wales and well-known Australian journalist Mike Munro. For more information about Lifeline or to make a donation to this worthy cause visit lifeline.org.au

(To enter gallery mode, click on one of the images below).

On 23 May 2018, Bridging Hope Charity Foundation and Lifeline Australia launched the results of a study commissioned to examine the support needs of Chinese Australians, in the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour. The ground-breaking report aims to raise awareness of the need for services within the Chinese Australian community that address issues of mental health and wellbeing.

The report, commissioned as part of the three-year $450,000 partnership between Bridging Hope Charity Foundation and Lifeline Australia, reveals that there is a need for mental health services that cater specifically to Chinese Australians within the Greater Sydney region, reflecting this region housing the highest population density of Chinese Australians. The study highlights the broader need within the Chinese Australian community for greater mental health and wellbeing supports from social networks and other services.

These results provide a platform for the partnership between Lifeline and Bridging Hope Charity Foundation to seek better supports for Chinese Australians and raise funds for services and programs in collaboration.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Director, Bridging Hope Charity Foundation, said: “The Chinese community in Australia is fast growing in both size and diversity. We hope that the results of this report will drive the development of culturally appropriate services that address the barriers that may prevent someone from asking for help at the point of crisis and better still, encourage them to pick up the phone before they get to that point.”

Alan Woodward, Executive Director, Lifeline Research Foundation, said: “The research is a major step forward for Lifeline in meeting the changing needs of a culturally diverse Australia. We are now sure that there is support within the community for services to reflect a Chinese cultural understanding of social norms and language skills and be confidential and anonymous as well as flexible.”

“Australia has one of the world’s highest proportions of migrants. Research has found that 10% of calls to Lifeline each year are from people who state that English is not their first language. At Lifeline, we need to make sure that everyone has equal access to the crisis support, regardless of race, religion, and cultural background.”

The research project has been a critical, strategic step towards seeking broad support for and delivering tailored crisis services for Chinese Australians. The six-month research project involved a series of components in and around Sydney including: an online survey in both English and Simplified Chinese, community engagement activities, a review of existing research on mental health needs of the Chinse Australian community, mapping existing programs and services for the Chinese Australia community, and focus group consultations. The project has received massive community support with over 2,000 valid survey results received.

The Chinese Lifeline Feasibility Study Report was inaugurally launched at the 2018 International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) Asia Pacific Conference (2-5 May 2018) in New Zealand.

To read the full report, click here.

Bridging Hope Charity Foundation, together with Lifeline Australia, attended the IASP 2018 Asia Pacific Regional Conference in New Zealand, 2-5 May 2018.

The 8th Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Suicide Prevention brought together researchers, practitioners, helpline workers, programme planners, graduate students, communities and anyone affected by suicidal persons, from a range of disciplines from within New Zealand, the Asian-Pacific Region and around the world.

It is estimated that over 800 000 people die by suicide, a ‘global’ mortality rate of 16 per 100,000, or one death every 40 seconds. Although traditionally suicide rates have been highest among the male elderly, rates among young people have been increasing to such an extent that they are now the group at highest risk in a third of countries, in both developed and developing countries.

The aim of the Asia Pacific Conference was to identify key issues in suicidal behaviour in the Asia Pacific Region in order to formulate cohesive, relevant and evidence based strategies by bringing together networks working in the field of suicide prevention and to share knowledge, skills, research and good practices in preventing suicide.

The fifth Young Pacific Leaders Conference took place in Honolulu, Hawaii on 11-12 January, through a partnership between the East-West Center’s Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) and the U.S. Department of State.

A diverse and highly selective group of 26 young men and women from across the independent Pacific states, Australia, New Zealand and the United States were chosen to participate in the conference. In addition, six outstanding alumni of previous conferences were invited to participate for a total of 32 Young Pacific Leaders.

This conference provided emerging Pacific leaders, aged 25-35, with new skills and knowledge to advance the region’s economic vibrancy and civic engagement, thereby contributing to regional security and development.

Bridging Hope Charity Foundation’s Founder Tina Tian was invited to attend the event and present TWT Creative Precinct, the arts and wellbeing.

TWT is a Major Supporter of Bridging Hope Charity Foundation. The TWT Creative Precinct is an exciting and vibrant initiative which involves the conversion of a number of commercial buildings between Atchison Street and Chandos Street in St Leonards into creative spaces.

Since opening in 2014, the TWT Creative Precinct has grown to house more than 70 artists from the visual, performing, music and film disciplines. Incorporating 16 different spaces over 11 buildings on Atchison and Chandos Streets, the precinct offers over 4500sqms of subsidised space to the local creative community.

Bridging Hope Charity Foundation announces philanthropic support for UNSW Art & Design’s ANNUAL and inaugural winner of the TWT Excellence Prize.

Bridging Hope Charity Foundation has announced a five-year commitment to support UNSW’s A&D ANNUAL 2017 graduate exhibition, which will feature the work of more than 200 emerging creative artists. Presented from 29 November – 9 December, the A&D ANNUAL is Australia’s largest and most diverse national showcase of graduate contemporary art, design and creative media work.

At an event at UNSW to announce the partnership, Bridging Hope Charity Foundation also revealed the inaugural winner of the TWT Excellence Prize, a new annual award for a graduating student that will be offered until 2021.

Graduating artist Jessica Long was awarded the 2017 TWT Excellence Prize, which includes a $2,000 bursary, for her video work titled Apartment Block No. 10. Graduating students Caitlin Dubler, Maya Mulvey-Santana, Luke Power and Beccy Tait also received Highly Commended awards.

IMAGE (supplied by UNSW): Jessica Long, Apartment Block. No. 10

The TWT Excellence Prize considers digital media, painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, furniture and jewellery design, and ceramic works. The UNSW faculty selected 10 shortlisted artworks based on promise and professional commitment to being a full-time artist. The winner was selected by a panel consisting of Ross Harley, Dean of UNSW Art & Design; UNSW Deputy Head of School (Design) Dr Mark Ian Jones; UNSW Fine Arts Lecturer Izabela Pluta; and Natalia Bradshaw, Art Advisor and Curator at the Bridging Hope Charity Foundation.

Bridging Hope Charity Foundation founder Tina Tian said: “Bridging Hope Charity Foundation is delighted to support the ANNUAL, UNSW’s exhibition to launch the next generation of artists, designers, makers and digital media creators. As the Exclusive Supporter for the ANNUAL and with our TWT Excellence Prize, we encourage young graduates to celebrate and professionalise their artistic practise. We invite friends, family and industry partners to experience the wonderful energy showcased at the truly vibrant exhibition.”

Ms Tian, a passionate philanthropist in the fields of mental health and the arts, founded Bridging Hope Charity Foundation in 2015. Building on the important work delivered by the Foundation in China, the Australian arm of the Foundation seeks to give back to local communities by supporting the twin pillars of mental health and well-being initiatives and arts programs throughout Australia.

Dean of UNSW Art & Design Ross Harley said: “Supporting young and emerging artists and designers is fundamental to our creative cultural ecology. Bridging Hope Charity Foundation’s visionary and generous contribution to our A&D ANNUAL graduate exhibitions and screenings underscores the graduates’ achievements and assists to launch the careers of the next generation of contemporary artists, designers and creatives.”

The A&D ANNUAL has a free public opening on Tuesday 28 November at UNSW Art & Design from 5-9pm, where more than 200 emerging creative practitioners will display their final projects across six venues, including UNSW Galleries, Australian Design Centre, Kudos Gallery, Black Box and AD Space.