Community Diversity Festival
Previously St. Margaret’s has in August celebrated the disability community through
a Morning of Celebration which has focussed on the Ross Walker Lodge and
Stepping Stones for Life communities.
This year, on Saturday 29 August, St Margaret’s will conduct a Community Diversity
Festival to celebrate the breadth of the communities of north Canberra, including
youth, older persons, people from different cultures, people of different abilities and
people involved in the arts and other activities. The day will consist of information
stalls, performances and food representing our diverse and multicultural city and
will run from 11 am to 3 pm on our site at the corner of Antill St and Phillip Avenue,
Hackett.
Dr Andrew Leigh –the Member for Fraser – has kindly agreed to open the Festival
at 1.30 pm and to speak on the importance of diversity, community and social
capital.
One of the new aspects of the day will be Storytelling Circles, in which different
groups will be presenting stories about their organisations and activities. Three 30
minute storytelling sessions will be held, at 11 am, 1.45 pm and 2.30 pm, with three
storytelling circles in each session. It is envisaged these sessions will not only
inform the community about each group’s activities, but also provide encouragement for others seeking to develop community activities, and an opportunity for
networking between different groups. Community organisations telling their stories
will include Meg’s Toybox, Tuckerbox, UnitingCare, ADACAS, Friends of Mt Majura,
SEE-Change, St Margaret’s itself and the SSFL Story Circle.
Most of those community groups will also conduct information stalls throughout the
day. They will be joined by Folk Dance Canberra and the Canberra Potters Society.
UnitingCare will also be conducting a range of children’s activities throughout the
day. And, as usual, both Meg’s Toybox and tuckerbox will be open for their
respective clients during the afternoon.
Groups selling food and other tings will include the Majura Mountain Scouts/Cubs
(BBQ ), St Margaret’s Fellowship Group, and Delicious Dutch Pancakes.
These lists are not complete as other community groups are expected to join in
after this magazine is printed.
All readers, as well as their friends and family members, ae invited to attend to help
make this inaugural Community Diversity Festival a huge success.
The following morning there will be a service of celebration, at which the preacher
will be Dr Asmi Wood and the Strange Weather Gospel Choir will sing. Again all are
invited to attend, and also to bring something to share for morning tea afterwards.
St Margaret's News
10
August 2015