By Tyler Wright
Primary school students across the Dandenong Ranges will be able to participate in drama, dance and circus workshops thanks to a $10,000 boost by the state government.
The one hour and 20 minute ‘Play, Imagine, Create’ workshops facilitated by Upwey local Mikhaela Ebony which bring actors, dancers and circus performers into schools on a rotational basis, was given a boost in the second round of VicHealth’s $7.25 million JumpStart! initiative for local ideas across the state.
“With the dance workshops, we developed a workshop that enhances body confidence and the idea of emotional expression through your bodies, and the drama workshop is specifically catered to the needs of that school,” Ms Ebony said.
“Because last year we were running them as COVID recovery, every school we went into we approached the school and we gave them a questionnaire about what they found they were facing with their kids after having come back from two years of lockdown, and we developed a drama workshop that was specifically catered to those kids.”
Having already visited schools including Ferny Creek Primary School and Menzies Creek Primary School, VicHealth’s Jumpstart! Initiative will now allow the program to expand to various other storm-affected school communities throughout the Dandenong Ranges; including Monbulk Primary School and Upwey South Primary School.
“We received feedback specifically from one staff member saying ‘we’ve had a child at school that has experienced some trauma and we’ve never seen this child engage in anything, and after the first 15 minutes in the first workshop, this child was smiling and this child was able to relax and let go’.
“To know that we were able to break through and connect with this child and give this child an outlet that they otherwise wouldn’t have had is really quite special.
“I make all of the staff members join in, even though it’s the kids, I turn around and I say, ‘all right, guys, you’ve all got to step out of your comfort zone today, which means your teachers have got to as well.'”
Ms Ebony also said it is important to help children to understand the impact of the arts on the economy.
“[I] say to them ‘what did you guys turn to over Covid? Books, music, movies, TV’…everything that was the arts kept everyone going,” she said.
“It’s a great way to encourage a love of the arts, and it’s so great that we’ve been given this extra funding to continue and reach more schools.”
Upper Ferntree Gully’s Coonara Community House also received funding through JumpStart! to support its ‘Strive to Thrive’ young parents playgroup.
Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino said the programs have been created by local organisations across the district to “help improve the health and wellbeing of young people in our community”.
“I encourage young people and their families to see what’s on offer near them – these projects are a great chance to try a new skill and make new friends along the way,” Ms De Martino said.
JumpStart! is an investment in VicHealth’s Future Healthy initiative.
