When the Banyule City Council offered me the opportunity to organise a local school to lead the annual Arty Farty Parade with a MASS DANCE, I thought it was a great opportunity for mainstream students and students with disabilities to work together.
The process of getting schools on board was easy; Bundoora Secondary College and Concord School both welcomed the idea and things moved quickly from there. Each Monday afternoon in Term 1, Bundoora Secondary College VCAL students met at Concord School and they were provided with professional mentoring by the Waterdale Theatre. After a few weeks, music and steps were chosen and the dance started to take shape.
The parade was held on Sunday 25th March and the students led approximately 850 people in the mass dance down Burgundy St, Heidelberg.
It was a huge success and the students felt like rock stars. Of course the project was not really about the dance but about personal development. Themes included inclusiveness and teamwork and of course a chance to shine and feel proud of oneself.
The teacher from Concord School had the following to say about the experience:
“It has been a wonderful experience for all students and staff alike. It has fit so well into the secondary curriculum as their “challenge” unit, obviously being a challenge in different ways for our students. “
Thank you Banyule City Council for this wonderful experience.
For more information contact:
Jayne Valle, Project Officer
jayne@bnllen.org.au or (03) 9431 8000