“When life gives up on you, never give up on living!” Neil Sweeny Born in Newcastle in 1959, Neil was part of the “Caucasian” Stolen Generation. His adopted family life wasn’t easy. He was given to a war-bride family and both adopted parents suffered with PTSD. His father had ailing health due to war injuries which caused significant conflicts in the family home. Neil was often bullied at school because of the adoption, but would always find solace in drawing and painting.
At age 12 he was introduced to music and studied violin at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Virtuoso Errol Collins. Despite receiving high marks in his IQ testing scores, Neil never achieved good academic results during his schooling. To escape the trauma of his world, he poured himself into his classical
