Come join us for one or all of the launches and be the first to be immersed in these unique experiences made by local children. There will be coffee and free locally made ice-cream for all!

• Nyora RSL Park (near the Nyora Railway Station) > Saturday 21 November 2026 10am-12pm

• Koonwarra Nature Reserve (follow the signs from the entrance opposite Koonwarra Village School) > Saturday 21 November 2026 2pm-4pm

• Sargassa Park, Toora (nearby the playground) > Sunday 22 November 2026 10am-12pm

• Jupiter Park, Venus Bay (near the picnic shelter) > Sunday 22 November 2026 2pm-4pm

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This Park’s Alive! is a groundbreaking participative art project for South Gippsland that is engaging children from 7-11 years of age in new ways with their own local parks.

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The project is funded by a Victorian Government's VicHealth Growing Healthy Communities Grant, with an objective to “support young Victorians and their families overcome structural barriers to achieve good health and wellbeing”.  Specifically the grant seeks to “create more active, inclusive and connected neighbourhoods through sport, recreation, arts and community programs using local places and spaces”. 
 
Jessica has designed the 14-month program with South Gippsland Shire Council's Arts Development Officer, Mary Sullivan, and is delivering it in partnership with local artists Beth Arnold and Katie Stackhouse, and coordinator Isley Sutherland.

Children in four towns - Nyora, Koonwarra, Tarwin Lower and Toora - are participating in creative workshops in their local parks and will co-design and test a collection of interactive digital guides, which will be installed in the parks at the end of the project. The digital experiences/artworks will be available to children in the parks free and self served via signage using their own (or their adult’s) personal device for two years.

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We are excited about turning these familiar spaces, traditionally seen as places for playground activity, skateboarding, sport or picnics, into zones of imagination and immersive creative engagement. 

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