HARMONY Day council is excited to showcase their 15th year of harmonious community on Saturday April 5 at the Riverside Park, with the assistance of world-renowned artist Graeme Leak.
Preparations for the day are well under way with entertainment, activities and food to make it a celebration of diverse cultures within the community.
Harmony Day committee chairperson Joelle Whiting said the community has responded greatly towards the event over the many years it has been running.
“The event has been so popular and successful that the committee of volunteers from diverse cultural backgrounds continues to plan and run an annual community festival,” she said.
The committee was formed in 2010 to plan and run a community event to celebrate the diversity of cultures in the Swan Hill region and break down barriers between cultures.
“Several of the original 2010 committee are still active members and the committee welcomes anyone who would like to get involved,”
“It’s a busy day for everyone participating – there are sound checks, stall setups and lots of laughter and definitely good vibes,” Mrs Whiting said
Food stall holders from the Harmony Kitchen met on Thursday February 13 to discuss everything food including planning their menus and sharing the stories behind them.
This year’s attendees at the event will experience a street food themed menu with the opportunity to taste from many different food stalls including Chinese spring rolls, Indian vada pav, Italian cannoli’s and Indonesian grilled chicken.
Mrs Whiting said there will be a variety of activities on the day for all ages to enjoy.
“There will be sport and games activities, lawn activities, art and craft activities and a pop-up playgroup for kids,” she said
Swan Hill Harmony Day will be completing a community band project behind the scenes with the help of renowned musician Graeme Leak.
The aim is to create musical instruments out of recycled materials such as tin cans, machine parts and plastic drums to then perform as a mobile parade ensemble.
Mr Leak has been a musician all his life and has devoted his time to sharing his deep musical knowledge and passion with learners of all levels.
Mr Leak will be hosting Train the Trainer workshops for teachers, group leaders and facilitators to teach them the skills and confidence to lead engaging, fun and inclusive music-making sessions to share with their respective groups.
Mr Leak will host an information session to give a short presentation and begin teaching the band workshops on Friday February 21 at 6pm.
“The workshops are open to all ages and abilities, so I encourage anyone and everyone to come and join in on the sessions,” Mr Leak said
The community band will kick start the Harmony Day event by entering through the side of the crowd and up onto the Sound Shell and will also conclude the event as a combined orchestra, or Junkestra.
Alongside the band, the Jawa Pitu Band will be performing as well as didgeridoo musician Imparja Pettit and other local groups from Fiji, Vanuatu and India.
To register your interest for the Harmony Day band project email the Harmony Band coordinator Nikita at swanhillharmonyday@gmail.com
