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This article was published on Wednesday, 3 May, 2017. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

New project to help Shepparton locals get active through art

VicHealth today announced that Shepparton City Council will deliver a new project to increase physical activity, resilience and social connection within the community.

The Shepparton project, Greater Shepparton Active Arts Program will work with young people, including Indigenous, CALD, LGBTIQ and people with disability to develop a range of high profile and locally delivered arts activities across various streams including music, creative and performance arts.

Greater Shepparton City Council Director Community Kaye Thomson said Greater Shepparton Active Arts Program will deliver significant health and wellbeing benefits to Shepparton residents.

“This project is a great opportunity for residents to be part of arts in a way that encourages them to increase their physical activity. Being involved in the arts can lead to better physical and mental wellbeing and this project is a fun way for our community to come together.” Ms Thomson said.

The Active Arts projects will be delivered in local government areas in Victoria identified as having some of the lowest levels of physical activity and social cohesion in the 2015 VicHealth Indicators Survey

Key findings for Shepparton include:

More than 20% of Shepparton locals do no physical activity during the week
Only 35% of Shepparton residents engage in regular physical activity compared with the Victorian estimate of 41%

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said participating in arts programs is a fun way to get creative, meet new people and move your body so you can feel happier and healthier.

“VicHealth research shows getting involved in the arts also helps to improve social connection, skills development, increase confidence and self-esteem, and create a sense of belonging – areas that can have a crucial impact on a person’s mental health and wellbeing,” Ms Rechter said.

VicHealth’s Local Government Active Arts Grants will provide three councils with more than $85,000 each to deliver targeted and innovative arts programs to improve physical activity rates and social cohesion in their local areas.

Successful projects are listed below:

Greater Shepparton City Council – Greater Shepparton Active Arts Program

Together with arts and education partners Greater Shepparton City Council will work with young people, including Indigenous, CALD, LGBTIQ and people with disability to develop a range of high profile and locally delivered activities across various streams including music, creative and performance arts, sport and physical activity based programs.

Latrobe City Council – Deadly Arts Latrobe

Through consultation with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, La Trobe City Council will work with a broad range of partners to deliver a targeted active arts program addressing current barriers to arts participation within the region. This could include cultural trails and stories, cultural flash mobs and the development of music, dance, and visual artwork with the potential of a theatrical production or exhibition.

Melton City Council – Everyone Belongs: Active through the Arts

This project will provide a range of participatory arts activities for young Sudanese people, Indian women and people with a disability. These programs will focus on building capacity of participants to become community leaders, which will provide opportunities for continued engagement. Activities run through the program could include Bollywood dance classes, student-led music workshops, and dance workshops adapted for all abilities.