Embrace

[Senior Master Steffensen] My name’s Fiona Steffensen and I’m the Senior Master of Funds in Court, and this is Kim Woronczak and she is the Judicial Registrar. Together we’re your judicial team for Funds in Court and we couldn’t be more excited to be here, to meet you tonight, to see all the artwork and to look at the performances and enjoy them in a few minutes’ time.

As we gather here today with over, I think there’s over 200 people here today, can you believe it? But actually it’s no surprise to me because this is always such a joyful event, there’s always, it’s bringing together people in the way that people have been brought together on this land for thousands of years, and I’d like to acknowledge that we’re here today on the land of the Wurundjeri people and I’d like to acknowledge their Elders past and present and those emerging and acknowledge any First Nations people that we have here today.

Now we have a lot of special guests that are here today, in particular we have 44  of our wonderful members of our Funds in Court community who are sharing their art with us today, their crafts, their performances, their poetry, we’ve even got a cheerleader, hopefully, although I understand, I understand that she may be running a little late.

So first and foremost I’d really like to welcome you and thank you for sharing all of your gifts with us tonight.

We also have your invited guests, your special friends, your family members, and your carers and we’re really pleased to have you here with us tonight and we thank you for all the care that you give to, give to your special members of your family.

Now the Supreme Court is really proud of Funds in Court and it is a real pleasure that tonight we have a number of justices of our Court and judicial registrars and associate justices and I thank them all for being here.

The Chief Justice unfortunately wasn’t able to make it, but he sends his best wishes for tonight and I’m really grateful for Justice O’Meara to be here as his representative.

And thank you also to our broader community that’s here tonight. There are many friends of Funds in Court who have made the effort to come tonight and enjoy the performances. Thank you for being here, and thank you especially to our staff who have worked tirelessly to put on what will be a really wonderful event. And one of those people who have worked really hard to ensure tonight works really well is the Judicial Registrar and I’ll hand over to her.

[Judicial Registrar Woronczak] Thank you Senior Master. I am going to be very short and sweet because tonight is definitely not about me, it is about you!

But I did want to join in with the Senior Master in also welcoming you here on this very special evening that is Embrace 2025. Thank you so much for coming to this celebration and for sharing your talents with us. We have already greatly enjoyed the opportunity that tonight has given to us to meet and talk with you all and to walk around and view your wonderful artworks and your crafts.

We cannot, absolutely cannot wait to see the performances that follow next. So as they say, let’s get this show on the road!

It is my great privilege to hand over the celebrations to our CEO of Funds in Court and our host for the evening, Gary Georgios.

[Gary Georgios, CEO – Funds in Court] So, tonight we have seven clients performing in concert, some of which are first time performers and others who are seasoned Embrace veterans.

You may have seen and heard a song as we were being seated earlier and noticed that in the background Justin, who is one of our people here today, prepared that opening song for us. Justin wrote that poem and added music to it using AI. The song was named ‘Victorious and Free’ and Justin is also exhibiting photographs which are on display today.

So now to our other live performances…

Sally will be singing ‘Bad Habits’ by Billy Fields. Sally also has three pieces of artwork on display and is a regular participant of Embrace. Sally has been practising this song for one hour every day for months – five hours? I’ve already got something wrong have I? She was taught to sing by the Young Talent Time’s Denis Walter Is that right too Sally? Good! And who’s now a radio jock and apart from singing loves to play guitar, harmonica and the kazoo. So come up Sally and we’ll get this show on the road!

[applause]

Now we have the right song, go for it!

[Sally singing ‘Bad Habits’ by Billy Field]

[applause]

Thank you, was that worth waiting for guys? Thank you!

[applause]

Thank you Sally, we had the benefit of not one song but two from you tonight, thanks very much.

Our next performer is Salote. Salote will be singing her own song named ‘Struggle is Real’. This song was written years ago for her nephews and nieces about life obstacles but with faith, all things are possible. Salote lives in Melbourne and her background is Tongan, of which she is very proud of. She speaks Tongan and English and her mantra is ‘Less is more’. Salote has many hobbies and interests which include art, songwriting, meditation, travelling, cooking, reading, going out to cafes, shopping and listening to music. If she could describe herself in three words, they would be ‘patient’, ‘friendly’ and ‘thoughtful’.

[Salote performing ‘Struggle is Real’]

[applause]

Thank you Salote. So after recently attending a book launch of a friend, Ruth was inspired at how many people attended and felt that it was an opportunity to showcase her interest in poetry. Ruth will be reading a poem and her poem is named ‘Ruth’s Poem’. Ruth has been a regular participant of Embrace and has sung in the past. So let’s welcome Ruth.

[applause]

[Ruth reading ‘Ruth’s Poem’]

[applause]

Thank you. And so our next performer was to be Sarah-Rose until half an hour ago wasn’t able to make it, hasn’t been able to make it so what we’ve been able to get in that time is a video. So what we’ll be doing is playing a video of her performance ‘Runaway’ and apparently the audio guys are going to put it together so over to you.

[Sarah-Rose performing ‘Run Away’]

One thing I will say is a quote from Sarah-Rose was that ‘Cheer and aerobics are my reason to get out of bed. It is where I run when it all becomes too too much.’

Her motto is ‘Never give up’ so I think we can see that there so that was great.

OK. Sheridan is our next performer and she enjoys listening to music and has performed at Embrace on a number of different occasions. She is an original member of the Funds in Court Beneficiary Focus Group and a valued contributor. Tonight, Sheridan will be singing ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ by Shania Twain.

[Sheridan performing ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ by Shania Twain]

[applause]

22:35:24

Thank you Sheridan. Now our next performance is going to be by Chris. Chris loves music and has played guitar since 1988. He’s a talented musician, loves playing a number of instruments including drums, keyboard and ukelele. [Chris talks from offstage] Short time? OK. We’ll cut the drums out. Not so good on the drums, but excellent on everything else. Chris will be singing one of two songs and it will be the audience choice.

[Chris performing ‘Hand of Law’ by Radio Birdman]

[applause]

Alright. So last but not least, to see us off with a bang, Danni will be coming up in a moment, so come up Danni, now you’ll be singing ‘We Are The World’ by USA for Africa. Danni – oh ‘We Love the Children’? Corrected again! That’s good, keep correcting me. Danni is an avid Collingwood supporter and a huge Michael Jackson fan. [talking from offstage] Sport and Collingwood? That’s it. [talking from offstage] Well, let’s not go there [laughs]. You can barrack for whoever you like, it’s OK, Collingwood supporter, that’s good. Danni has one dog, two cats and hopes to one day become a firefighter, is that right? Alright, good. Come up Danni.

[Danni performing ‘We Are The World’ by USA for Africa]

[applause]

What a way to finish, thanks Danni.

Could you all give me a rousing applause for all of our performances and all of the exhibitors today. That’s it, stand up, enjoy, cheer! It’s a celebration.

Ladies and gentlemen, as we come to the end of this wonderful event, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what we have experienced and celebrated this evening. I’m certain that you have enjoyed the exhibition, appreciating the diverse perspectives and personal stories behind each piece. From paintings and sculptures to photographs and sketches, every performance and piece of art displayed here has the potential to move, inspire and spark new ways of seeing the world. They remind us that disability does not define one’s capabilities or limit the power of artistic expression.

We celebrate the incredible achievements of artists who have faced and overcome challenges transforming their experiences into stunning works of art.

This event is a testament to the ability of art to connect us, build empathy and foster greater understanding.

We take great pride in supporting the creativity of our clients, providing them with a forum to showcase their talents.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the artists and their families for sharing their gifts with us. A heartfelt thank you goes out to each of you who are here this evening, especially those who in some cases have travelled long distances to support their loved ones. Your presence makes this celebration even more meaningful.

Finally, I take the opportunity to acknowledge the significant work of the Senior Master, Associate Justice Steffensen, Judicial Registrar Woronczak, and all of the staff of Funds in Court.

A special thank you, and this is the second time she gets it, and a few others, goes out to Kylie Wiegard and Julie Fredrickson and the Client Liaison Team. Without their support this event just wouldn’t have been possible.

And finally, as we leave tonight let us continue to champion inclusivity, celebrate diverse talents, and create a world where everyone’s creativity is valued and embraced. Thank you and have a wonderful evening.  

[Upbeat music plays over a video montage of the Embrace 2023 event. The video shows a table filled with desserts, people laughing together, taking photos of artwork, performing, mingling, watching the performances and performing and speaking on stage.] 

[Gary Georgios] Travel home safely when you do decide to go, and I hope you’ve had a great evening. Thank you.

[Upbeat music] 

[Gary Georgios] Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and friends from all walks of life, my name is Gary Georgios, General Manager of Funds in Court, and I am honoured to be your emcee for this special Embrace event. 

I would also like to pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging, and the Aboriginal elders of other communities who may be gathered here today. 

We welcome Justice Andrew Keogh, Deputy Principal Judge of the Common Law division, representing the Chief Justice who is interstate today and unfortunately unable to join us this evening. The Chief Justice is sorry that she cannot be here but has passed on her best wishes for a successful evening. 

[Associate Justice Fiona Steffensen] My name’s Associate Justice Fiona Steffensen, and I was appointed the Senior Master just a little less than a year ago and it’s been a real pleasure and an honour to take on this role and to serve you. When I was appointed one of the first things I was told about was Embrace, and how it brings us all together. Now the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation have been celebrating together on these lands for many thousands of years and just like us that’s what we’re doing tonight and I’d like to echo Gary’s acknowledgement of the Wurundjeri people as the traditional owners of the land on which we’re meeting tonight. 

I have had the most wonderful time so far tonight and it’s only been an hour and we’re only partway through. Um, it’s the first time I’ve had the chance to meet any of you and your families and really encourage you to pick up a copy of this booklet and take it home as a memento because I certainly will be treasuring it. 

The arts bring us together. They inspire us and they enable us to learn a little bit more about each other and the world. There is an intimidating level of talent in this room. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed taking in the works on display and I’m looking forward to seeing more of them throughout the evening, and I can’t wait for the performances to begin, especially perhaps the singers, given that’s one of my things. 

Now, I’d like to now take the opportunity to introduce you to the Judicial Registrar of Funds in Court, Kim Woronczak. Kim provides me with an enormous amount of support in the decisions which are made in respect of your money and your lives, and like me, this is Kim’s first Embrace, and so I’d like to invite her to come up here, tell you a little bit about herself and a bit about her work at Funds in Court. So please join me in welcoming Kim.

[Applause] 

[Judicial Registrar Kim Woronczak] I make it my personal challenge this evening to meet each and every one of you if I haven’t already and those that know me well know that I will do my best to do that.

I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to be here today and meet with you.

I wanted to tell you a little bit about what I do at Funds in Court so it can make some sense to you. My job, as the Senior Master has indicated, is to support her in making decisions about how the funds held in Court for you are spent in accordance with your wishes and needs.

It is a great honour and a great privilege to perform this job for you.

I am responsible for making many of the decisions relating to day-to-day matters such as maintenance payments, living expenses, holidays and also for more significant expenses such as purchasing a car and buying, building and renovating a home.

I work very closely, very closely indeed with your Trust Officer in making those decisions after they have gathered information from you about your wishes and your needs.

Often we also get advice from a member of our legal team and we’re also very well supported by every single other person at Funds in Court.

Together we work very hard to ensure that your funds are spent in a way that will make a meaningful difference to your life.

[Applause] 

[Gary Georgios] We’ll start off with Salote, so if Salote can be helped to come up on stage. Salote will be singing her own song which she’s written. 

[Salote singing her song ‘Thank you’] 

[Sally singing ‘Mercedes Benz’ by Janis Joplin] 

[Angela reads her poem] 

[Chris performs his song ‘I’m Yet to Commit to a Title’] 

[Yeksan reads his poetry] 

[Trevor reads his poems ‘Grandmas Little Girl’ and ‘An Old Houses Memories’] 

[Sheridan sings ‘One Summer’ by Darryl Braithwaite] 

[Danni sings ‘Heal the World’ by Michael Jackson] 

[Gary Georgios] So that brings our performances to a close but I’ll just uh say some closing remarks. Look this event will still remain open after these, after these comments but um I just want to say that it’s been a magnificent event.

I would like to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve experienced and celebrated this evening. The artworks and performances presented were not just a display of talent, creativity, but a reflection of the resilience, perseverance and determination of the artists who have overcome significant challenges to bring their visions to life. They have shown us that disability does not define a person’s potential or limit their ability to express themselves. The artworks on display have not only captivated us but also moved us, challenged us and inspired us to see the world from different perspectives.

Again I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the artists for sharing their incredible talent with us and for giving us a glimpse into their world.

And finally I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge significant work of the Senior Master, Associate Justice Stephenson, Judicial Registrar Woronczak and all the staff at Funds in Court.

Special thank you goes out to Kylie Wiegard, Julie Frederickson, the Client Liaison team and basically all the whole team at the court but without their support this event would not have been possible. So thank you to everybody. Travel home safely when you do decide to go, and I hope you’ve had a great evening. Thank you. 

[Music: Cover of ‘Ho Hey’ by The Lumineers plays over a slideshow of the beneficiaries and photos of their artwork] 

[Upbeat music plays as the slideshow of the beneficiaries and photos of their artwork continues]