Geelong welcomes ‘Cultura’ as the new face of Diversitat and MACS

A new era began for Geelong’s multicultural communities on Friday night, with the unveiling of ‘Cultura’ as the new name of the organisation formed from the merger of Diversitat and MACS.

The new name and brand were unveiled at a special event held at The Pier, Geelong, which even included the unfurling of a sail by the Geelong Yacht Club with the new logo shimmering on the bay under a blanket of stars.

“By joining forces at Cultura, we combine over 70 years of knowledge and experience from Diversitat and MACS – which have historically been two of the Geelong region’s largest and longest serving multicultural organisations,” Cultura CEO, Joy Leggo, said at the launch.

Cultura is a Latin term relating to ‘cultivation’, ‘to tend to’ for ‘improvement’ and reflects the diverse nature of the people the organisation works alongside. “The term ‘cultures’ can reflect diverse sub-cultures within a whole, including people of all ages and stages, genders, and abilities,” Ms Leggo said.

According to Ms Leggo, the actual logo itself has been well received by the community due to its striking, bold, progressive, and colourful brandmark and the story behind it.

“The design is representative of the four corners of the globe coming together, particularly relevant as our client’s hail from all over the world. The sphere indicating inclusivity and community while the plus sign indicates us going above and beyond,” she said.

“The colours used in the design are strong, vibrant, and earthy, from red dusty plains, to striking sunsets and turquoise tropical seas. Two of the five colours used (midnight blue and orange) also combine to create a legacy piece for the two former organisations,” Ms Leggo said.

The name and brand were developed following an extensive consultation process. “We wanted to ensure we had ‘buy in’ from as many sectors and touchpoints in our community as possible. We wanted to hear from all voices including youth representatives, clients, community groups, stakeholders, volunteers, and staff,” said Ms Leggo.

“Over the past eight months we have been running workshops, countless zooms, voting cards, suggestion boxes and even a naming competition. The result has been overwhelming support in favour of the vibrant, progressive new look and brand,” she said.

“I am thrilled to start this new journey as CEO of Cultura with an exciting new brand that reflects who we are and our vision and goals as Geelong’s largest multicultural voice and support network,” Ms Leggo said.

With the launch now completed, the critical community support work continues for the Cultura team.

“We have an ambitious intent to connect, inspire and embrace culturally diverse individuals throughout their entire life journey, and after 70 years, I think we’re just getting started,” Ms Leggo added.