Wollongong City Council will be collecting stories of family migration and relocation at the 2011 sustainable Harvest Festival in Osborne Park, Belmore Basin.

The project is part of Council’s Families Week 2011 program. All citizens are invited to attend the 2011 Harvest Festival and to bring along a food item or recipe that reflects their story of relocation.

Manager Community Cultural and Library Services Jenny Thompson said Council is aiming to build up a collection of photos and interesting recipes that can be collated for an exhibition in the Wollongong City Gallery during Viva la Gong in November 2011.

“Council staff will also be asking people to have their photograph taken during the festival and we will be collecting people’s stories of relocation and migration through a variety of media - verbally, pictorially and in writing,” Ms Thompson said. “We will also be providing free photo portraits of people who are taking part in our Connections program.”

The photo and story booths will be available at the park from 11am to 1pm on Sunday 15 May.

Around the Circle, Community Story-telling Performance
Community and Cultural Services will also host a community storytelling performance, Around the Circle, at the Wollongong City Gallery on Friday 20 May as another element in its Families Week program.
Around the Circle has been created by members of the Aboriginal Elder’s Group and Illawarra Multicultural Women’s Performing Group in collaboration with community artists as part of the Gathering Ground Program being conducted by Wollongong Women’s Information Centre in partnership with the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation and other community organisations in 2011.

Around the Circle will be held in the BlueScope Steel room at the Wollongong City Gallery on Friday 20 May from 10.30am with students from year six at Mt Brown Public School participating.

For more information you can visit Wollongong City Council’s Internet site at www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au or call the Customer Service on (02) 4227 7111.