Health promotion awards

VicHealth's annual health promotion awards are presented in recognition of outstanding achievements and innovative contributions to health promotion through VicHealth-funded projects.  

• VicHealth Award recipients 2008
• VicHealth Award recipients 2007
• VicHealth Award recipients 2006
• VicHealth Award recipients 2005
• VicHealth Award recipients 2004
• VicHealth Award recipients 2003
• VicHealth Award recipients 2002
• VicHealth Award recipients 2001

 

VicHealth Award recipients 2008

FOR PROJECTS PRIMARILY PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

VicHealth Award recipients 2008

• Budget under $15,000 - Kicking Goals For Healthy Relationships [Corowa/Rutherglen Domestic Violence Committee and Indigo North Health] Using the weekend footy and netball games as a focal point for the local community, the Rutherglen and Chiltern football and netball clubs have combined with several community agencies and the police to raise awareness around issues of violence against women. Under the banner “Family Violence is Not Our Sport”, the community group took a lead role in changing football club practices and policies to encourage healthy relationships between men and women.
   
• Budget between $15,000 and $75,000 - Kar Kulture [South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre] Research shows that if we work together, we build relationships and break down misunderstandings and negative attitudes that lead to discrimination. Kar Kulture is living proof of this. It brought together 20 young people from different cultural backgrounds who share a passion for cars. Working as a group they restored a donated second hand Holden and along the way they overcame initial social distance and unfamiliarity and developed new friendships and understandings.
   
• Budget over $75,000 - Ganbina Indigenous School to work project [Ganbina: Koori Economic Employment Training Agency] Jobs 4U2 takes a holistic approach to improving education and employment opportunities for young Indigenous people. Its focus includes training and leadership development. The stability and success of the program provides a platform for strong growth with 250 young people engaged on an annual basis. 

FOR PROJECTS PRIMARILY PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES AND HEALTHY EATING

• Budget between $15,000 and $75,000 – Food For All [City of Wodonga]  The Food For All project has skilfully engaged a range of community partners from welfare to business, education and environmental groups to promote improved access to healthy food in the region. The project has spearheaded several initiatives including developing a Food Security Policy for council, establishing a regional food security network and organising local forums to identify community needs. 
   
• Budget over $75,000 – Active Gippsland [Gippsport] This regional sports assembly is blazing a trail in Gippsland. Through its staff in four offices it covers a huge area with diverse communities. Gippsport has an extensive knowledge and understanding of local community needs and it has developed a vast network of partners to foster involvement in sport and active recreation. It is an advocate for the improvement of club practices and environments and has been instrumental in the development of an inclusive and welcoming clubs training package. In essence, Gippsport get’s things happening! 

 

FOR PROJECTS PROMOTING OTHER HEALTH ISSUES   

• Budget over $75,000 – SunSmart Program (Victoria) [Cancer Council Victoria] The SunSmart program, jointly funded by the Cancer Council Victoria and VicHealth, leads the world in skin cancer prevention. In 2007, 25 year old Clare Oliver’s brave, public battle with melanoma touched many Victorians and the issue of solarium regulation was put firmly on the political agenda. Through SunSmart’s campaigning and the support of Health Minister Daniel Andrews, Victoria became the first state to regulate the solarium industry in February this year. 

 

FOR EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM ON HEALTH PROMOTION ISSUES

These awards acknowledge the positive role the media can play in promoting public awareness around key health promotion and illness prevention issues. The following journalists received awards: 

• Jill Stark [The Age] - Health reporter Jill Stark covered the alcohol debate from several perspectives. Through her in-depth series she raised awareness, challenged conventional wisdom and detailed the health impacts of alcohol misuse.
• John Ferguson [Herald Sun] - John Ferguson’s articles highlighted the community’s concern about alcohol-related violence and also canvassed a range of reforms to address this complex issue.
• Peter Mickelburough [Herald Sun] - Senior journalist Peter Mickelburough’s powerful feature ‘Twisted Love’ provided a snapshot of how domestic violence impacts on women and reinforced the need for a change in community attitudes.
•   Cameron Houston, Chris Johnston, Paul Austin [The Age] -Their front page article on ‘The violent CBD’ drew on several elements including a newspaper-commissioned poll.  Chris and Cameron’s Insight feature ‘Mean Streets’, examined why the culture has changed as well as illustrating the extent of community concern.

Finalists for projects primarily promoting mental health and wellbeing

Budget under $15,000

• Collingwood Harvest Festival [Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service Inc.]
  This unique community-driven event celebrates the rich culture and diversity of the Collingwood community and the harvest of the community gardens.
• Youth Stage at the Tarerer Indigenous Festival 2007 [Tarerer-Gunditj Project Association Inc.] The Tarerer Festival featured the local talent of South-Western Victorian Aboriginal artists through music, song, dance and visual arts. The project strengthened links between young people and older members of the community and provided new opportunities to recognise and celebrate Indigenous culture.

 Budget between $15,000 and $75,000

• Deaf Can Dance [Arts Access Society Inc.] This project provided dance, visual arts and multi-media skills development and performance/exhibition opportunities for young deaf people.
• Darebin Interfaith Council Taking Responsibility – preventing violence against women [City of Darebin] The City of Darebin engaged many of the 50 faith leaders from the Interfaith Council to develop a unique response to the issue of violence against women. Workshops were held to draft a unified statement which led to the signing of the Interfaith Declaration Against Family Violence on White Ribbon Day last year. 
• Threads to Freedom [Wellsprings for Women Inc.] This project involved women in Greater Dandenong creating textile art and craft works using traditional and contemporary designs. The program enabled newly arrived Afghani women to interact with other migrant women and create new relationships around an area of common interest – crafts and story telling.

Budget over $75,000

• White Ribbon Day [No to violence] “White Ribbon Day” is the first male-led campaign in the world aimed at addressing violence against women. It aims to increase community awareness of the individual, family and community impacts of violence against women and to encourage men to take responsibility.
• Surviving (& Thriving on) the Road Less Travelled: A Longitudinal Study of Young People, Sexual Diversity, Resilience and Social Networks [ Dr Lynette Hillier, Australian Research Centre for Sex, Health and Society – La Trobe University] By increasing our understanding of the factors that protect marginalised, same-sex attracted young people from drug use, mental ill-health and suicide, Dr Lynette Hillier aims to improve their health and wellbeing. 
• Anti Racism Action Band (ARAB) [Victorian Arabic Social Services] Working with over 200 young people from more than 30 ethnic backgrounds in Melbourne, A.R.A.B. offers a variety of performing arts projects, including singing, hip-hop, beat-box, belly dancing and comedy. Weekly workshops and rehearsals lead to annual major performances and small groups appear at more than 100 festivals, schools, launches and other engagements each year.

Finalists for projects primarily promoting active communities and healthy eating

Budget between $15,000 and $75,000

• The Parents Jury [Diabetes Australia (Vic), Cancer Council Australia and the Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society] The Parents Jury raises awareness of issues relating to healthy food and physical activity environments for children. It uses a range of methods including online opinion polls and “name and shame awards” to draw attention to the tactics of food manufacturers in marketing unhealthy foods to children.
• Kids Onside [VicsRapid] Working across three areas of regional Victoria, Kids Onside provides an opportunity for children with an intellectually disability to play football (soccer). Its success is largely due to the strong and committed partnerships between VicsRapid, local special schools, regional soccer clubs, Football Federation of Victoria and regional sports assemblies.

Budget over $75,000

• Obesity Policy Coalition [Cancer Council (Vic), Diabetes Australia (Vic) and the World Health Organisation’s Collaborating Centre on Obesity at Deakin University] The Obesity Policy Coalition advocates for regulatory and policy reform – particularly on issues relating to food marketing directed to children. It has been instrumental in changes to several policy and industry practices; and has been a key player in influencing governments across Australia to tackle state legislation on food marketing issues.
• Taking the Lead in Healthy Partnerships [Royal Victorian Bowls Association and Victorian Ladies Bowls Association] These two associations are working hard to diversify the face of bowls by engaging a range of communities that previously have not been exposed to the sport.  They have built strong partnerships with agencies that support newly arrived communities and have tailored their programs to support participation.

Finalists for projects promoting other health issues

Budget over $75,000

• Health, development and wellbeing of young children in Victoria [Professor Elizabeth Waters, University of Melbourne] Dr Waters’ research is making a major contribution to our knowledge of mental health promotion programs for pre-school children that are effective across cultures and settings.
• Community Alcohol Action Network [Australian Drug Foundation] CAAN is the only community-based advocacy group in Australia focused exclusively on alcohol. It has an enviable reputation for prompting community debate and government action on a range of alcohol policy issues.

Winners were announced at the VicHealth Annual General Meeting on 10 December 2008.  

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VicHealth Award recipients 2007 

FOR PROJECTS PRIMARILY PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Winner for budget under $15,000 – Pacifika Down Under

This community festival brought Pacific region communities together to celebrate their cultural identities and connect people with local support services. The project clearly showed the value of involving diverse cultural communities in artistic pursuits as a means of promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Winner for budget between $15,000 and $75,000 – Pitcha This

This project sought to engage Indigenous young people and their communities in a process of identifying and producing positive, realistic images to reflect the strengths and participation of community members in everyday life. Film, photography and digital storytelling were all used to produce positive images with six Victorian communities.

Winner for budget over $75,000 – AFL Violence Against Women Strategy

The AFL’s Respect and Responsibility Policy’s broad intention is to firmly position the AFL as a leader in advocating cultural change across the football industry and to develop and promote safe and inclusive environments for women and girls, across all levels of football.

FOR PROJECTS PRIMARILY PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Winner for budget under $75,000 – Keen-Agers: Increasing Physical Activity Amongst Senior Victorians – Council on The Ageing (Victoria)

The project seeks to expand the Keen-Agers table tennis concept of recreational sports participation for seniors, by evaluating and documenting the model's success and establishing workforce development and good practice sharing mechanisms across the health, sport, fitness and aged care sectors.

Winner for budget over $75,000 – Physically Active Koori Kids (2007-2008) Gippsland Lakes Community Health

This project will increase the physical activity levels of indigenous young children, working with Koori communities and partner agencies across Lake Tyers, Lakes Entrance and Bairnsdale. A Physically Active Koori Kids committee oversees staff recruitment and establishment of a series of sustainable Kinder gyms and active play opportunities for children, whilst also providing Koori workers and parents with training, education, mentoring and support.

FOR PROJECTS PROMOTING OTHER HEALTH ISSUES

Winner for budget under $75,000 – PIA Planning For Health & Wellbeing Project - Planning Institute of Australia, Victorian Division

PIA has aimed to increase the number of planners aware of advocating for the integration of planning and health. The project also increased the capacity of planners to influence local urban design so that health is part of the plan. Gathering research, evidence and practice of good planning for health and wellbeing is another central aim of the project.

Winner for budget over $75,000 – 'I want you to think of what's happening here every time you look at your cigarette… Every time' – Quit Victoria

Tobacco use still claims around 16,000 lives in Australia and is the preventable health risk responsible for the greatest burden of disease in Australia. An opportunity presented itself in 2006 and 2007 with the introduction of new graphic health warnings to Australian cigarette packets. The objectives were to add depth, meaning and personal relevance to the new ‘Graphic Health Warnings’.

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VicHealth Award recipients 2006

AWARDS FOR PROJECTS PRIMARILY PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Winner – Viets on Bikes, Australian Vietnamese Women's Welfare Association

(project with budget under $15,000)
A bike club promoting community participation in physical activity, especially for Vietnamese people facing language and financial barriers.

Winner – Play On, Hastings Tennis Club

(project with budget under $75,000)
To encourage disadvantaged young people between 12 to 25 to take part in a sport or physical activity of their choice.

Winner – Women's Development Project - Advocating for Change, Womensport and Recreation Victoria Inc

(project with budget over $75,000)
A sport and recreation strategy which will influence organisational culture change by challenging the negative sterotypes that affect women in the physical activity sector.

AWARDS FOR PROJECTS PRIMARILY PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Winner – My Favourite Place Photographic Project, St Mary's House of Welcome

(project with budget under $15,000)
A project teaching photography, framing and exhibiting to marginalised and mentally ill people, generating significant profile and pride.

Winner – Workplace Stress in Victoria: Developing a Systems Approach, Centre for Health and Society, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne

(project with budget under $75,000)
Program of research into workplace stress which is becoming a leading cause of preventable illnesses such as heart disease and depression.

Winner – The Ambassador Newspaper, Horn of Africa Communities Network

(project with budget over $75,000)

The only Horn of Africa community newspaper in Australia, this project effectively promotes health, wellbeing and resettlement information to Somali, Sudanese, Eritrean and Ethiopian communities.

AWARDS FOR PROJECTS PROMOTING OTHER HEALTH ISSUES

Winner – WaterMatters, Centre for Continuing Education Wangaratta

(project with budget under $75,000)
A study to understand the sense of loss and imposed change in a community around the issues of water and water restrictions.

Winner – Good Sports, Australian Drug Foundation

(project with budget over $75,000)
A program that has been very successful in changing the booze culture that exists in many sporting clubs to a more family-friendly, healthy environment.

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VicHealth Award recipients 2005

AWARDS FOR PROJECTS PRIMARILY PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Winner – Bounce Back with Babes, South West Sports Assembly

(project with budget under $15,000)
Fitness classes designed exclusively for post-natal women, which accommodate their babies and pre-school children.

Winner – Walking School Bus, East Gippsland Shire Council

(project with budget from $15,000 to $75,000)
Successful implementation of numerous Walking School Buses and the development of Riding School Buses.

Winner – Partnerships for Health Scheme, Tennis Victoria

(project with budget over $75,000)
Establishing a framework to link existing and new services to promote participation, good club values and healthy outcomes.

AWARDS FOR PROJECTS PRIMARILY PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Winner – Braybrook Celebrates Diversity, Braybrook College

(project with budget under $15,000)
An event to establish better ways of resolving tensions between groups and improving the whole school experience for Braybrook’s Horn of Africa students.

Winner – Schools as Core Social Centres, Catholic Education Office Melbourne

(project with budget from $15,000 to $75,000)
A project to position schools as key sites for promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Winner – Victorian Community Indicators Project, Victoria University, Institute of Community Engagement and Policy Alternatives & Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Regional Development

(project with budget over $75,000)
Project designed to support local governments to measure health, wellbeing and sustainability, and improve citizen engagement, community planning and policy making.

AWARDS FOR PROJECTS PROMOTING OTHER HEALTH ISSUES

Winner – Uncontested Possessions and Key Positions, Judy Gold, Burnet Institute

(project with budget under $15,000)
A study of 108 men from four football clubs to find out more about the sexual health and risk behaviour of young males.

Winner – Planning for Health and Wellbeing, Planning Institute Australia (Victoria)

(project with budget from $15,000 to $75,000)
A project to increase planners’ awareness of the links between planning, health and wellbeing.

Winner – The Epidemiology and Control of Chlamydia Infection in Victoria, Burnet Institute

(project with budget over $75,000)
Program of research into genital Chlamydia to promote awareness and build the information base necessary to inform future control strategies.

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VicHealth Award recipients 2004

Excellence in Health Promoting Research

Winner – VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control
For its comprehensive submission on behalf of the major Australian tobacco control non-government organisations in support of new graphic health warnings and new product and cessation information on tobacco packaging.

Excellence in Health Promotion Projects (more than $100,000)

Winner – SunSmart
For its successful delivery of highly targeted and evaluated health promotion initiatives for more than 20 years which, earlier this year, saw the Cancer Council’s SunSmart program appointed a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for the Promotion of Sun Protection.

Excellence in Health Promotion ($50,000 to $100,000)

Winner – Geelong Performing Arts Centre
For its Art ’n’ About Musical Mornings - a series of morning shows performed specifically to engage those in the community who, because of various barriers including perhaps a lack of funds, transport or isolation, would otherwise have been unable to attend the program.

Health Promotion through Community Participation ($15,000 to $50,000)

Winner – Bicycle Victoria
For its Cycling For Health project, which led to the development of an affordable program that could be replicated in regional areas to help older women to get active using a bike.

Health Promotion through Community Participation (to $15,000)

Winner – Wimmera Uniting Care
For its Awakenings Festival – an annual regional arts festival that is committed to improving access to the arts for people of all abilities.

Five projects received commendations for their outstanding contribution to health promotion. They were:

Connecting for Health and Wellbeing – Dr Jenny Lewis of the University of Melbourne

The Victorian Indigenous Community Leadership Strategy - Victorian Indigenous Executive Working Group

Breathing Easier: taking action to build local government capacity for pedestrian and bicycle-friendly actions – International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)

Re-igniting Community North West – The Torch Project

Horn of Africa Communities Live Night – Horn of Africa Communities Network.

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VicHealth Award recipients 2003

Excellence in Health Promotion

Winner – Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society: Australian study of Health and Relationships.
The study is the largest and most comprehensive survey of sexual health ever undertaken in this country. Its overall aim was to collect representative data about the sexual health, knowledge and behaviours of more than 19,000 Australians aged between 16 and 59. The findings of the study were published in a dedicated edition of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health and they will provide a significant body of information to inform health promotion and public health initiatives for many years to come.

Excellence in Health Promotion

Winner – Quit Victoria: Reeling them in – an integrated advertising strategy to promote the Quitline.
Quitline is an inexpensive, accessible service for smokers wanting to quit. This project focused on implementing a planned health promotion program which included mass media and targeted public relations activities to add maximum value to a range of cessation advertisements. Quit Victoria consistently attracts a higher number of calls to the Quitline relative to other states. In 2001-2002, more than one in every three calls in Australia originated in Victoria, despite Victoria having only 25% of Australia’s population.

Excellence in Health Promotion

Winner – Maribyrnong City Council: Maribyrnong Food Insecurity Demonstration Project
The City of Maribyrnong has a significant population at risk because they do not have access to a stable supply of nutritious food. This project was designed to develop, implement and evaluate innovative and sustainable strategies to improve access to healthy food supplies. A number of projects were involved including a mobile vegetable van which offered affordable produce in an area of significant socio-economic disadvantage.

Excellence in Health Promotion

Winner – Netball Victoria: Safety Net Program
Having identified a lack of risk management and injury prevention practices across Victorian netball/football clubs, this program focused on providing a safer environment for participation by educating grassroots volunteers. Injury is perceived as a barrier to participation and the program aimed to reduce this barrier through a series of workshops where volunteers were provided with the confidence and tools to create change for the benefit of their sport.

Health Promotion through Community Participation

Winner – City of Greater Shepparton: Greater Shepparton Walking School Bus
The Walking School Bus is a simple but effective way to get children active. A volunteer ‘driver’ leads the children to school along a designated route and a volunteer ‘conductor’ walks at the back of the group. This program engaged a number of groups within the Shepparton community and it created a wide variety of opportunities for people of different ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Health Promotion through Community Participation

Winner – Hothouse theatre: Burn!
Burn was a participatory project that spanned 5 months and involved more than 50 community members from 22 towns in regional and rural Australia, who got together to create an a cappella theatre show that celebrated the stories and lives of regional Australians. The project established strong and lasting connections between isolated town folk and gave people the opportunity to develop their performing arts skills.

Three projects also received commendations for their outstanding contribution to health promotion. They were:

Beyond the Farm Gate – organised by the South West Sports Assembly

Footprints – a youth circus and theatre project run by Westside Circus

Koorie Community Leadership Project – organised through the Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association.

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VicHealth Award recipients 2002

Excellence in Health Promoting Research

Winner - The Cancer Council of Victoria: Staff exposure to second-hand smoke in hospitality industries
This study was working to assess the relationship between exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) in the workplace and respiratory and sensory symptoms, and to measure staff attitudes towards and experiences of exposure to SHS in the workplace. The study has shown that exposure to SHS at work is associated with an increased risk of respiratory and sensory symptoms, including wheeze, frequent cough, sore eyes, and sore throat. These findings support the introduction of smokefree policies at work as an effective way to reduce worker exposure to SHS.

Excellence in Health Promotion Award

Winner - Nagle College: Changing Lanes Project
This program targets at-risk young people between 13 and 24 years in East Gippsland. Participants have developed skills in metal fabrication, basic mechanical repairs, market research, and negotiation with the business community, and enhanced their employment prospects. By stimulating their interest in a non-threatening, relaxed atmosphere and presenting them with genuine life-skill learning opportunities, Changing Lanes is working to provide new and lifelong skills, build self esteem, improve outlook on life, improve the ability to relate to adults, improve school/work/training retention rates, address antisocial and illegal behaviour, enhance employment prospects, and increase community connectedness for marginalised youth.

Excellence in Health Promotion Award

Winner - Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE: Changing Cultures
The Project is working to enhance the mental health of young refugees. 'Changing Cultures' is working to increase access to appropriate education and training; improve health and settlement needs for young refugees; and develop community structures that will support young refugees in a social and educational framework.

Health Promotion through Community Participation Award: Section 1

Winner - CERES: Return of the Sacred Kingfisher Festival
Participation in arts and culture plays a role in breaking down social isolation, improving people’s feelings of belonging, celebrating our diversity, and therefore improving health. The Festival brings the community together to participate in a healthy, expressive and natural environment. It connects environmental issues, the Wurundjeri people, and the diverse community to create a festival of environmental, artistic and cultural significance.

Health Promotion through Community Participation Award: Section 2

Winner - Immigration Museum: VicHealth Cultural Connections
Research shows that access to the arts is good for our mental health. The program is working to ensure that opportunities exist for all to access, engage with and participate in a range of exhibitions, learning programs, events and activities, creating a vibrant and dynamic living cultural centre.

Health Promotion through Community Participation Award: Commendation

Winner - Northeast Support and Action for Youth: SmartArts Music Program
This program investigates the relationship between cultural expression and social wellbeing. The project provides opportunities for socially isolated young people to develop ways of understanding the art of music making - whether it is through music theory, instrument playing, songwriting, arranging, performance, recording or presentation.

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VicHealth Award recipients 2001

2001 VicHealth Excellence in Health Promoting Research Award

Winner: The Centre for Adolescent Health – The Gatehouse Project
The Gatehouse Project focused on building positive social relationships at school. It aimed to promote emotional wellbeing and to prevent behavioural problems by working to strengthen a sense of positive connection to the school. This innovative research project now involves over 60 Victorian secondary schools and is continually creating new partnerships and building on the Gatehouse design. The Gatehouse Project has informed health promotion research by describing a rigorously evaluated intervention that has the potential to substantially reduce the morbidity associated with the use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs by young people. The project has provided an understanding of the influence of social environments on emotional wellbeing and other important health risk factors of adolescents.

Highly Commended: Monash University Accident Research Centre – Victorian Injury Surveillance and Applied Research Systems Project

2001 VicHealth Excellence in Health Promotion Award

Winner: The Victorian Country Football League – Health Promoting Sponsorship Package

This project generated a radical change in Victorian country football through the development and implementation of smokefree policies across all leagues and clubs in only 1 year. The program works to dramatically improve the environment at clubs and leagues across the State, in keeping with a truly healthy and happy family environment.

The SmokeFree promotion has been the most consistently visible program throughout the Victorian Country Football League in its history.

Highly Commended: Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative – Makin Pitchas Project

2001 VicHealth Health Promotion through Community Participation Award (Section 1)

Winner: Warrnambool Alternative School – Traditional Games Project

The Traditional Indigenous Games Program focused on fostering a relationship between sporting activity, Indigenous culture and identity within Warrnambool and District Primary Schools. Physical Education teachers and student leaders were instructed in the delivery of a range of Indigenous sporting and recreational activities, culminating in the coordination of an interschool traditional Indigenous games competition. The project provided school students and staff with insight into, and knowledge of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, as well as providing Koori participants with an avenue to celebrate their cultural traditions.

Highly Commended: Surf Coast Shire – Torquay High Tide Festival

2001 VicHealth Health Promotion through Community Participation Award (section 2)

Winner: The Polyglot Puppet Theatre – High Rise Project

The Polyglot Theatre Group worked closely with the residents of the Carlton high rise housing commission flats to create ‘High Rise’, a visual outdoor puppet performance created from the resident’s talents and stories. Incorporating the architecture of the site, this project opened the flats to a wider public, allowing residents, especially children, to express the way they live to people who perhaps have little understanding about their lifestyles and cultures.

Encouragement Award: The Bouverie Centre – Breaking Through Project

2001 VicHealth Innovation in Health Promotion Award

Winner: Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Company – Breaking the Cycle Project

This project involved female prisoners and ex-prisoners working with professional artists to produce and perform the play ‘So Full of Brave’ and exhibit their artwork. The art exhibition (produced from classes that were conducted in prison) and the play took place at the Victorian Arts Centre. The project also involved a series of interactive workshops and discussions within communities across Victoria. The project worked to raise community awareness of underlying issues leading to gambling, drug addiction and their consequences. The project also aimed to motivate individuals who find themselves on self-destructive journeys to make positive and empowering changes in their lives. All the women involved in this project expressed a sense of achievement from the performance and art exhibition.

Highly Commended: Whitelion Inc. – Whitelion Project