The Josie Fund
Support our future
The Josie Fund has been established in honour of our foundations and to support our future of storytelling with communities.
Inspired by our dear friend Josie Willett, this fund will directly support the creative development of new work.
Celebrating Josie reminds us it can take only one person willing to share their story to be a catalyst for positive change.
It’s been ten years since we first sat around Josie’s kitchen table listening to her story, and over the last decade we’ve had the privilege of amplifying stories of so many incredible people across Australia.
We’re really proud of the significant impacts our work has made to over 85,000 people in more then 250 communities.
This practice of collaborating with communities takes time, curiosity and care, and leaves lasting impacts in people’s hearts and lives.
Donations to this fund will support our artists to listen to community stories and together spark our next wave of ambitious creative projects.
“Everybody NOW! have a great love and passion for the arts, incredible curiosity and interest in storytelling, and a really profound engagement with the communities in which they work.”
Josie’s Daughter, Ann-Maree Willett.
Donate now
As a not-for-profit organisation, donations make a significant contribution to the time we invest in the development of new work that tells real stories.
2025 is especially significant to launch The Josie Fund as Josie celebrates her 100th birthday, and we celebrate 10!
We’d love your help to reach our $10,000 target to launch us into our next 10 years.
All contributions small and large make a big difference to telling stories that matter.
We are so grateful for your support.
All donations over $2 are tax deductible and Everybody NOW! is a registered charity.
Our Josie Story
When we first met Josie in 2013, she was 88-years-young and was still regularly playing music for social dances as she had been since she was 16.
Josie and her drummer, also in his late 80’s, would load up the car with gear, drive along a pitch-black road to a beautiful old town hall, play well past midnight, drive home, unload the gear and share a cuppa before dawn.
Over many months we visited Josie at her home and at the dances, listening and learning.
She has led such an inspiring life, marked by resilience and overcoming adversities, and music has always been there, tightly woven into her story.
She is, a strong, no fuss about woman, with quiet determination and incredible musicianship.
She didn’t think her story was particularly interesting but we did (and still do) and it became the inspiration behind our first show The Inaugural Annual Dance Affair.
That show has since been created in dozens of communities across Australia, each time unique to the stories and people of that place.
Each time, we find people who remind us of Josie. Incredible women, from small towns and big cities, who play a vital role in building community and holding culture.
These stories deserve to be celebrated, and we will always be grateful for meeting Josie and learning her story, a story that has inspired a whole body of artistic work and has impacted the lives of many.
Your Donation Supports
ACCESSIBILITY
We believe arts participation should be accessible to everybody
Your support keeps our arts programs free or low cost for accessible community participation.
Community
We believe in joyful and optimistic acts of togethernes
Your support generates joy, bringing together diverse community members.
Creativity
We believe in art and artists
Your support engages Australian artists to create beautiful, thoughtful and transformative creative projects.
STORYTELLING
We believe everyone has a story to tell
Your support allows us time and resources to listen to, share and amplify real community stories with integrity and care.
Your impact
