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songwriting brief
CAMPAIGN PURPOSE:
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To generate 1,000+ virtual foster carers for kids in care with Barnardos Australia. People can sponsor a vulnerable Aussie child through Barnardos for $30/month. It's easily do-able for individuals, businesses, community and sporting groups, even school classes. Sponsors get updates as to how their virtual foster child is going, and can exchange letters etc with them. The child has been subjected to abuse and/or seriously neglected, but having a 'virtual foster carer' gives them a better chance at life. It costs so little, and takes no time really, to deliver so much.
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EMOTIONAL APPEAL:
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The song needs to work on two levels. It needs to bring out strong nurturing-type emotions from adults. It also needs to make all kids feel reassured of being loved, nurtured and protected. It should work as if sung from one parent to their child/ren, and also metaphorically as a collective family singing to all children.
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STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS:
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The song will be sung by adult male and female vocalists from the country genre. It needs to work as a bit-part, multi-vocal arrangement, where individual vocalists can shine (the 1994 version was great in this regard). In 1994, we produced a separate 'school choir version' with sheet music, and the song was adopted by many school choirs. We are encouraging schools and classes to join the virtual foster carer program. Sung by kids, the song could work as a peer-to-peer message as well.
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THEMATIC REFERENCES:
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It could be that the choruses say things we would want a child to know, like we're always there for them even when we're out of sight, they're always important, they're special, they always belong. The verses could be about things we would want to give a child, like big hugs, birthday parties, a snuggly bed, happy memories, good education, bright future. Not lyrically prescriptive, just metaphors for the care and practical provisions Barnardos can extend to foster children.
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BARNARDOS KEY-PHRASES:
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We are caring. We are determined. We never give up. We are solution focused, never problem focused. We are real. We believe in children. Barnardos loves to use the 'believe' word - they are a very definite and positive-minded organisation. Barnardos Australia is our leading child-protection charity, established 135 years. More about Barnardos history, values and beliefs are here: http://www.barnardos.org.au/media/72108/Brand-Book-about-our-organisation.pdf.
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IYF 2014 KEY-PHRASES:
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The International Year of the Family 1994 was founded on this UN resolution: 'Families, as basic units of social life, are major agents of sustainable development at all levels of society.' The slogan for the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family is: 'Stronger families, stronger communities.' We don't need to use this slogan verbatim, we just bear it in mind.
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RADIO APPEAL:
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As with 1994, we rely heavily on radio airplay for support, and the song has to be a 'hit' with a memorable tune and catchy vocal hook - the kind of chorus that's easy to sing along with.
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