Community Initiatives
1
Restore, Refocus, Replenish YOU
Restore, Refocus, Replenish YOU aimed to bring together our healthcare professionals and front-line workers in a shared space to increase mental health literacy and learn self-care skills that can improve one's overall wellbeing (mental, emotional and physical health) in a safe and non-judgemental way. This program was developed and made possible through a grant which we were the recipient of through South West Sydney PHN. workshops, throughout the program we connected with 167 people across community through 15 6-hour workshops. We also delivered trauma sensitive yoga workshops to over 180 people. The whole program was delivered to the community for free and brought around deep connection within community. The feedback and ripple effects from these workshops was overwhelmingly positive and since the beginning of this project we have further developed a range of key Professional Development programs which we run for organisations across our community and beyond.
2
Paint The Town
Paint the Town street art festival is a federally funded mural art project rolling over two years with street art installations across Wollondilly, Wingecarribee, Upper Lachlan and Goulburn Mulwaree. The project has tee’d up nationally established artists who work simultaneously with emerging local talent to create murals that reflect our recovery journey since the 2019 black summer fires. The murals were painted across a week and can be visited but locals and visitors across different locations throughout the Wollondilly. At the beginning of the project community members came together to share their experiences of the Black Summer fires in a co-design workshop led by our very own co-founder Alex and Joe Quilter, Creative Director of Paint the Town. Through this workshop, they held space for people to talk about their experiences and the impact that the devastation of the black Summer fires still has on their own personal journey and the reverberating impact through the community. These stories helped shape the mural designs you will see throughout the Wollondilly.
3
Stories Towards Regeneration
Residents in the Wollondilly and Wingecarribee communities had the opportunity to participate in a series of wellbeing and creative workshops to share their experiences of the 2019/2020 bushfires. ‘Stories Towards Regeneration’ was a creative community project led by local businesses, River Road Interactive Learning and Wildflower Holistic Services, in response to the Supporting Communities in Recovery Grant funding from SWSPHN – through the Australian Government’s PHN Program. At River Road and Wildflowers, we recognize that storytelling is an ancient and valuable art that extends around the globe. From campfires and dinner tables, to theatres and long drives, storytelling is ingrained within the essence of who we are, as we know that there is a story in all of us worth sharing. In response to the 2019/2020 bushfires that affected the Wollondilly and Wingecarribee areas, we are called upon the community to come together and share their stories to create a unique storybook of struggle, triumph and hope. ‘Stories Towards Regeneration’ will allowed community members to participate in a series of wellbeing and creative workshops, as well as individual sessions to process and unpack their experience, as well as learn new creative and technical skills to produce their own story and creative output - all of which now sit on a dedicated interactive website, so everyone will have an opportunity to see this project come to life.
4
Murals For Change
Being the change makers we are and always wanting to shake things up and provide a space for everyone to think differently about mental health and disability, collaborating with Montana Lower and Murals for Change was a perfect way to share the power of art therapy to do just that! With the goal of building a renewed sense of community connection and providing support for mental health through creativity in the wake of the Bushfire crisis, we invited everyone from surrounding townships and regional areas to help us paint this large scale community artwork in Oakdale, NSW. 'You don’t have to be a professional to make a difference, all you need is the courage to begin' Art therapy is one of our favourite tools to support people of all ages through difficulties or simply to understand themselves more so when we were given the chance to partner with Murals for Change it was a no brainer! For us, sharing this work is crucial to reduce the stigma around art therapy and highlight what an amazing option it is in assisting people to experience wellness in life. The mural which spanned 21 meters was painted over a week with the aim to spread awareness and support the Bushfire Recovery effort and renew the sense of community connection. Over 60 people from the local community gave up their time to contribute to this mural which remains today as a eye catching reminder of the power of togetherness, regeneration and connectivity through creativity. A lasting reminder that we can indeed all ‘Grow Together’.
5
The Youth Voices Project
The Youth Voices project was designed to give children and young people affected by the Green Wattle Creek bushfire event of 2019/2020 the opportunity to have fun, meet new people and share their stories and experiences. It was funded by the Rotary Club of Wollondilly North Inc. and organised by the Wollondilly Shire Council. Our Co-founder and Child Psychologist, Alexandra, was involved in this powerful project through helping the young people involved share their stories. We are honoured to have met and supported the young people, families and organisers of this project and invite you all to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of this event on our communities young people and witness the courage and strength of the local children and adolescents in our community by watching the completed production HERE.
6
Stories to Heal Us
“Stories to Heal Us” is an intentionally designed therapeutic art workshop created in response to the needs of the people within the Wingecarribee LGA in the wake of the devastating Green Wattle Creek and Morton Bushfires, followed shortly by the whirlwind of COVID-19 restrictions. As a collaborative partnership between Psychologist & Art Therapist, Alexandra from Wildflower Holistic Services, Psychologist, Vanessa from The Well Lived Life Co, Wingecarribee Shire Council, and Community Links, we recognise that prior to this point we have been unable to bring people together in a safe and non-judgemental environment to tell their stories. It is after all our stories that define us, shape us, control us and make us, and as a collective, we acknowledge that we make sense of our life experiences through the stories we learn or tell ourselves. It is for this reason that we wish to provide members of the community with the space to share and process their unique stories and come together to support one another as we heal.
