Community News
(BACK ROW L-R) NEWCASTLE ART GALLERY AUDIENCE COORDINATOR ZANA KOBAYASHI, NEWCASTLE ART GALLERY DIRECTOR LAURETTA MORTON, AND THE CREATOR INCUBATOR FOUNDING DIRECTOR BRADDON SNAPE. (FRONT ROW L-R) YOUTH ADVISORY GROUP MEMBERS BELLE BEASLEY, MOLLY MCNEIL, NICOLE KLAER, AND EMERGING ARTIST HOLLY MACDONALD.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY? NEWCASTLE NEW PLAYGROUNDS OPENED AHEAD OF SCHOOL HOLIDAYS Families are celebrating City of Newcastle's ongoing investment in recreational spaces, with two new playgrounds opened in the western corridor and plans for five more across the city unveiled. Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes joined residents to officially open upgraded playgrounds at Minmi Reserve and McCauley Park in Tarro as part of City of Newcastle's annual playground improvement program. "Our local parks and playgrounds are places where our community can come together to relax and interact. So I'm delighted that these two upgraded playgrounds at Minmi and Tarro are ready for play in time for the school holidays in July," Cr Nelmes said. "The turnout at our community openings reinforces the important role these public spaces play within local neighbourhoods, which is why we've invested more than $9 million in playground projects during the past five years." To stay up to date with the progress and to find out about works in your neighbourhood, visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/works
DIGITAL PLATFORM CONNECTS YOUTH TO ART Newcastle Art Galley's collection may have been put in storage while the building's longawaited expansion takes place, but that hasn't stopped a passionate group of volunteers from creating new ways for young people to connect with the works of art. The Gallery's Youth Advisory Group has spent the past year working on their Youth to Collection (Y2C) Project. Designed to increase youth engagement with the most significant public art collection in regional Australia, the project kicked off with the creation and publication of six zines. The group are now looking to expand that engagement online with the development of an interactive digital platform and video series that will allow the community to continue to connect with the collection while the Gallery undergoes its $40 million expansion. Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said it was fantastic to see these volunteers sharing
LORD MAYOR NUATALI NELMES, CR DR ELIZABETH ADAMCZYK, AND CR DEAHNNA RICHARDSON OFFICIALLY OPEN MINMI RESERVE PLAYGROUND ALONGSIDE CAPTAINS FROM MINMI PUBLIC SCHOOL AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
their passion for the Gallery with other young people. "By doubling the size of the Gallery, significantly increasing the exhibition space and delivering a suite of modern facilities, the $40 million expansion will deliver an upgraded gallery of international standing that will offer a valuable cultural tourism opportunity for Newcastle and the Hunter," Cr Nelmes said. "While the doors of Newcastle Art Gallery are closed for the construction, we are committed to ensuring the community can engage with our collection in as many ways as possible, which is why this innovative project by our Youth Advisory Group is such a fantastic idea. "It's also a testament to the passion and commitment shown by the dedicated volunteers, who have continued to look outside the box to find ways to stay involved with our Gallery throughout this time."
LAKE MACQUARIE NEW EXHIBITIONS TAKE BYTE OF VITAL STEM SUBJECTS New Questacon exhibitions on display at four sites across Lake Macquarie aim to give kids a hands-on introduction to computer programming, algorithms and other STEM concepts. The Byte Wise displays include the main exhibition of a dozen hands-on activities at SEEN@Swansea, and smaller installations at Toronto, Charlestown and Belmont libraries. Lake Macquarie City Council Lifelong Learning Leader Kirrily Anderson said the exhibitions targeted children aged 10+, inspiring their curiosity and confidence and building a greater understanding of 'computational thinking'. "Computational thinking includes things like programming, algorithms, patterns, irrational Continued next page ▶ BUSINESS & FINANCE •
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