March 2004

Festival homes in on heart

An innovative Fitzroy festival for homeless people or those living in insecure housing featured music and performances, poetry readings, lifestyle and well-being activities, an arts and crafts exhibition and a free barbecue lunch.

The Where the Heart Is festival was auspiced by the Royal District Nursing Service through its Homeless Persons Program and involved a wide range of health, welfare and housing services and those who use the services.

‘This festival provided opportunities to develop new rapports and share a wonderful day in the Edinburgh Gardens without the constraints of a client-worker relationship,’ said RDNS Homeless Persons Program Manager Theresa Swanborough.

‘In this environment we were all part of the celebration of the positives of their lives and achievements,’ she said.

Funding for the festival was provided through the City of Yarra Arts and Cultural Service Festival Grants and by VicHealth’s Communities Together Program and donations from a broad range of other service providers and supporters.

‘There were great benefits for the different agencies that worked closely together to plan and implement the festival,’ Ms Swanborough said.