Help Ben Perform on 577 Streets for Mental Health

The Concrete Connection Project

Adelaide / Kaurna Land 2024

“A Musical Journey of Mental Health Awareness”

My name is Benjamin Roberts. I am a South Australian musician. Over the course of 2024 and beyond, I will document an incredible journey by traveling to, and performing on every single street in the Adelaide CBD (577 Streets to be exact). To help knock down the walls of stigma surrounding mental health and raise vital funds and awareness for charities that support people experiencing mental health issues, I'll spend at least twenty minutes on each of the 577 streets creating and performing.

Uniquely, the city is divided into four quarters (North East, North West, South East and South West), each representing several different mental health charities or sectors. Upon starting and completing each quarter, celebratory fundraising concerts will be held in the respective sections of the city. This innovative approach aims to engage the community, destigmatise mental health discussions, and raise vital funds for diverse mental health needs. I have actively secured the promise of collaboration with local businesses, and the community to turn this vision into a reality thus creating a lasting positive impact on the mental well-being of Adelaide's residents.

To adhere to the City of Adelaide's busking permit regulations, where musical performances/busking cannot be performed, other unique styles of performance will take place. For example I will be interviewing local businesses in “street talk” style content and talking with local musicians in podcast style content. I'll be doing 'live' song writing, journaling and art, along with other styles of online content to boost awareness.

Throughout the entire Concrete Connection Project, I will gather ongoing research and information regarding the Mental Health charities that require both increased awareness and additional financial support. This will assist the project to best direct the funds raised. As a proud and valued member of The Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association, I will routinely disperse the funds raised to the charities most in need of support and that best align with the project's objectives. This process will be overseen by an established Community Advisory Board, comprising members with mental health and financial expertise, who will ensure that the project is always transparent, trustworthy and accountable.

To assist with the awareness and fundraising efforts I will be releasing my first studio single under the name Rueful Ben, to run alongside the campaign. A share of the streaming royalties will be sent directly to specific charities that the project will be fundraising for. The song Anthem is about the struggles of mental health and looking to the power of music to help save one from the spiral of depression. When mental health can be so isolating, it touches on the stability and reliability music can provide when human support isn’t available. The single will be available on all streaming platforms on April 22nd

As the project will be my full time commitment the funds raised in this GoFundMe campaign will allocated as follows.

At the outset the percentage of donations raised that will go to the chosen charity/charities will be 50%.

25% will be dispersed into project expenses such as marketing, service fees, online fees and subscriptions, travel, equipment repair and replacement, permits, awareness and promotional materials such as signage and flyers. This allocation of the donations raised will ensure that the project's message will be spread far and wide to maximise awareness and fundraising.

25% will be dispersed into project sustainability. As I will committing to this project as a full-time position, and as time to generate personal alternative income outside of this project will be minimal, I must contribute a portion of the funds to an income for myself. The sustainability of the project is crucial.

The same percentages will apply to any cash donations over $50 collected during the live performances or busking portions of the journey. Cash donations under $50 will goto Sustainability and Expenses.

Streaming royalties will also have the same split.

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE CONCRETE CONNECTION PROJECT

When: 29th of April

Time: 10 am

Where: Cafe Troppo

Address: Kaurna Country, Whitmore Square, Adelaide SA 5000

What: Live Musical Performance outside Cafe Troppo

Please join The Concrete Connections journey across all social media platforms as we count down from 577 all the way to 0 along the streets of the Adelaide CBD to help transform Mental Health in Adelaide and Australia.

@ruefulben

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