MORE ABOUT PHILIP      

Philip Patston is a comedian, consultant, columnist, recovering social worker and human rights activist, among other things. He is gay, disabled, vegetarian and lives in Auckland. His work – an eclectic mix of entrepreneurial leadership, consulting and performing – sees him travel regularly around New Zealand and has also led him to Australia, the US, Canada, the UK and Belgium.

In New Zealand he is most well-known for his live and broadcast work, particularly on stand-up comedy TV show Pulp Comedy (1997-2003), and vaguely remembered for his brief heterosexual role on soap opera Shortland Street (1999). He was named inaugural “Queer of the Year” by television show Queer Nation and awarded a Billy T James Award for commitment and contribution to the comedy industry by the NZ Comedy Trust.

Philip is the founder and managing director of Diversityworks, a New Zealand-based enterprise whose business arm provides specialist services in managing diversity and change, and whose not-for-profit arm works to improve diversity and professional participation in the arts. He was a founding director of Manawanui in Charge Limited, New Zealand’s first individualised funding agency, which helps disabled people manage their own disability support. He founded the International Guild of Disabled Artists and Performers, is former trustee and Chair of integrated dance company Touch Compass and was the Creative Director of Giant Leap, New Zealand’s first international disability arts festival in 2005.

In 2007 Philip was chosen as one of five international arts practitioners funded by Arts Council England, North East to visit the region and contribute dialogue, debate and inspiration. Philip is a New Zealand Social Entrepreneur Fellow and an ArtVenture Creative Entrepreneur and is currently leading the development of Momentum’09, an international symposium on disability arts to be held in Auckland in March 2009.

Philip’s exploration of the many and diverse roles he plays in life led him to a startlingly clear and unexpectedly liberating understanding of his true identity: creative philanthropist. This identity now drives everything he thinks, says and does and has given him the focus and inspiration to pursue his greatest goals yet in the areas of social and personal change.