Josh Pyke

Josh Pyke will play a one off show in support of indigenous literacy next month.

The Sydney artist will perform the first ‘Busking For Change’ gig on September 2.

The gig will feature a solo acoustic set from Pyke as well as performances from a other artists and DJs.

“By Year 7 schooling, only one in five indigenous children from remote communities can read and write at the accepted minimum standard. This is a massive problem which can be quantifiably changed by the programs run by the Indigenous Literacy Project. The one thing I can do is put on a charity show to help support the people financially who are out there making the difference, hence Busking For Change,” Pyke said.

“To me, a decent level of literacy is really the cornerstone to being able to choose what type of life you want. If you can read and write and communicate with words, your world is opened up to further education, different creative pursuits, or just the escapism of reading a really good book at the end of a hard day at work. Being literate helps you put yourself in the context of the greater world that you live in.”

‘Busking For Change’ will raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP), the same charity the singer supported with the auction of his guitar boat.

The boat, which featured in Josh’s ‘Make You Happy’ video clip, raised over $7000 for the ILP when it was sold on ebay.

The ILP is a partnership between The Australian Book Industry and The Fred Hollows Foundation and aims to help raise urgently needed funds to address the literacy crisis in remote Indigenous communities.

Indigenous Literacy Day is their major fundraising effort each year. Participating bookshops, publishers and businesses donate a percentage of their sales (or make a donation), while participating schools also engage in fundraising activities.

The goal for 2009 is to raise $250,000.

Tickets will be on sale through www.buskingforchange.com.au

Tags | busking, Josh Pyke