Hello To All Community Builders Out There!

My name is Vanessa Van der Werff and I am a Masters in Social Work Student here at UQ in Brisbane. As part of my course from "Community Engagement, Participation and Governance" I am required as my piece of assessment to: propose, plan and implement a Community Project of my choosing. I have chosen to travel back to my home town of Cairns to Implement this project. Following are my thoughts, proposals and plans of my project.

My project will be implemented in Mooroobool, a suburb in Cairns. The community structure and bonds are not as strong as they could be. There is strong potential to create stronger bonds and build on the strengths of cultural diversity. By using the different experiences, skills and resources of the community and its members, together they can transform the community to a more supportive, constructive, sustainable environment.

Change Agenda
My agenda is to aid, support and facilitate certain community members to use dance, expression and festival activities to build connections throughout their communities. It is starting with 3 weeks preparation from now till the 9th of June, then ending with a Multicultural Gathering oganised by the group members. This Multicultural Gathering/Festival will be on Saturday 10th April. Each cultural dance team can teach different members of other dance teams and community members and spectators their style of dance. The team has expressed their interest in also facilitating a collaborative creative workshop which includes contemporary body movements and participants own choreography. A celebrity guest (Last season's finalist of TV show "So You Think You Can Dance" - Gianne Abbott, will come on board for the day to facilitate with these creative workshops, learn different cultural dance styles from members of the community, and hang out with the kids. All of these activities will be show cased at the end of the day, with performances and handing out of certificates of participation (optional - perhaps just for the young participants).

Here is the Flyer I made for the project. With the help of Simon (Thanks Simon)

Monday, April 26, 2010

Progession Diary Week 5


The Flyer is Completed. I still need to create permission slips for media in case they come and want to interview or take footage of children,we need the parents permission. Next week I will be going to Cairns and the project implementation begins. My plan of action when I'm there will be:

Meet Saga and Judy

Meet with a Traditional Elder of Cairns

Meet with Tribal Elders and leaders of Mooroobool.

Meet with other dancers/facilitators/community members

Meet with Gabi

Take a good look at the hall and design dressing rooms & stage settings

Together devise a plan of Action

Mass produce flyers

Team hand out flyers

Suggested Plan

I hold workshop with kids

Thursday 8thApril. 10am-12pm Make & paint a banner, talk about self confidence and goal setting, connect with peoples stories. Take photos, story collecting and collages to hang up on display wall etc.

Thursday -Night Easter Party, invite Gaby and Tamara and maybe Ray and Reg,Promote Saturday event and Gianne coming to Mooroobool and hand out more flyers.

Friday develop photos may need to meet up with kids to keep painting banner, making collages and writing their stories and putting up the display wall.

Fri night-N pick up Brisbane team from airport.

Sat -early morning = pick up Gianne form airport

Sat morning- Set up Mooroobool basket ball courts with stage and sound system and do workshops for kids and youth. When sun goes down do workshop for 7th Day Adventists kids.

Set up stage for night every body dance.

Possible Program for the night.

I say speech

Thank traditional owners of the land

Talk about my project? (If appropriate)

I introduce Gianne she says speech

First we have kids dance

Youth Dance

Hand out certificate of participation photos with Gianne

then each culture invites Gianne to dance

Other possible dances:

Aboriginal Contemporary

Brazilian Samba

Salsa

Hip Hop

Any other forms.

Introduce Gaby to say a few words about her Festival and invite intererested parties to be a part of her Festival.

Thank you speech
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