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Caricature artist David Seery will be flat out with his black texta  as he captures the likenesses of people attending the Humans in Geelong Expo on this Sunday October 6, Deakin Waterfront.

David likes to start his caricatures with the eyes, which he says captures the essence of a person. “Its always a thrill to see their reaction once I have finished drawing them. It’s their happy reaction that makes the drawing process so fun,” he adds.

David is a self-taught artist, and has been drawing caricatures for 30 years. As a young man in NZ he worked on a Warner Brothers traditional flip animation, however says that he was influenced by one of Australia’s best-known caricature artists William Green. He was known as WEG to Melbourne Herald readers and was most famous for his annual AFL Grand Final posters.

Continue reading “Caricature Artist, David Seery.” →

Our bubbly, generous team member Rini Lutfie has kindly donated two of her Ballerina & me dolls as prizes for the Humans in Geelong Expo 2019. She has also donated her cheeky, fun Surfbuddies for all of our 200 thank you bags. Here is Rini’s story.

“In 2012, my young daughter Louise, would constantly plead with me “Please dance with me mummy.’ Louise loved dancing and was learning ballet. It broke my heart. I was a single mum, I’d be exhausted and flat out preparing a healthy home-cooked meal after having fit in two sports runs for Louise’s older brothers.

“It was her brothers Edwin and Dylan who came up with the solution. ‘Why don’t you make a ballerina doll for Louise to dance with?’ I loved the idea and responded by creating one. Then another, and another. Each an improvement on the first. Louise was thrilled to have, not just a dancing partner, but also a play companion of her own.

Rini was compelled to share the love, bring more joy to, and to inspire and spark the imagination of children of all ages.

Continue reading “Team Member, Rini Lutfie.” →

Humans in Geelong team member Jesse Malthouse, 22, is running the New York Marathon to raise money for Team for Kids. Jesse tells us, “If you have seen any of my recent posts I’ve got a massive event coming up that is out of this country… USA to be exact! Haha

“I am running the NEW YORK MARATHON!!! 🤙🏼 – Crazy hey! 😆 I’ve only every run a half marathon before and that was last New Year’s Eve at the You Yangs. I’ve got a background in fitness being a footballer but it will be nothing compared to running 42.2km in hopefully around 4 hours, in another country!

“But that’s not the craziest part! I will be Running to get Kids off the streets & into running programs to live happy healthier lives. 🤗

Continue reading “New York Marathon for Team for Kids, Jesse.” →

“Back in 1997, a small group gathered at Barwon Grange for a walk and talk outing.  Then in November 2000, a meeting was held in Geelong West Town Hall to form a Life Activities Club in Geelong.”  Lynette Kent and Les Hannah tell us how Life Activities Geelong Inc. grew to become a popular Geelong based recreational activity provider.

“Our 1^st Club Rooms were in King Lloyd Reserve, not long after we moved to the Highton Scout Hall until 2007.  With our membership numbers increasing to over 200, we decided to move to a bigger venue, the Belmont Pavilion.”

Continue reading “Life Activities Geelong.” →

FREE school holiday fun for kids! PLEASE SHARE! Next Sun 6 Oct 10-3pm Deakin Waterfront. Humans in Geelong Expo 2019. I can’t wait to make one of these cute, wooden bird boxes with the St Leonards Men’s shed. There’ll be crafts for kids provided by Nicole Urbanski of Urban Upcycle. Shazzas Face-painting, henna by Ani Qayyumi, apples donated by Harveys of Highton, the Geelong Crusaders Re-enactment Society, Dazzling Dan the Magic Man will be roving, non-stop music and dancing and Dame Edna Average will be handing out prizes. Two lucky kids will win a @bellarina&me doll thanks to the generous donation by team member Rini Lutfie.

Full program: https://humansingeelong.com/humans-in-geelong-expo-2019/

Mums and dads, there’s lots of fun for you too. 50 inspiring exhibitors, 12 thought-provoking speakers. Eg Chloe Hayden, aka Princess Aspien, is talking about “Autism, creating a fairy-tale within your circumstances, and helping others find their happily ever after.” 2pm Room D2.212. Live music in the courtyard all day.

Sponsored by Villawood Properties, Deakin University, City of Greater Geelong, MFE and Snap Geelong Brought to you by: #humansingeelong volunteer team.

And it’s ALL FREE! Join the party!

 

Chloé Hayden bucks the trend when it comes to advocacy for young people on the Autism Spectrum. You can hear her speak at the Humans in Geelong Expo on Sunday 6 Oct at 2pm in the Lecture Theatre.

Inverleigh’s 22 year-old pocket rocket, is swapping song, dance and storytelling for extreme horse riding to promote her positive mantra of ‘Different, Not Less’ – this time on the world stage. Chloé has been invited to compete in the Extreme Cowboy World Finals in Texas in November.

Many people will know Chloé’s alter ego Princess Aspien, a creative children’s entertainer who celebrates her Asperger’s Syndrome. She was a guest at the 2018 Humans in Geelong Expo.

Now Chloé is taking her message to the international Extreme Cowboy titles, competing under her Different, Not Less banner, which she wears proudly on her shirt. Chloé rides with a passion for horses and her sport, matched with a passion for change, showcasing diversity, and showing the world that different doesn’t mean less.

Continue reading “Different, Not Less, Chloe .” →

“The human connection through even just a smile and simple conversation can be enough to brighten someone’s day and make their life just that little bit easier to live. Orange Sky Laundry channels this mentality to positively impact so many people in their everyday lives, and it’s beautiful to think that it all starts with the simple act of talking.”

Orange Sky’s Geelong service kicked off in March 2018 and was Victoria’s first regional location outside of Melbourne. The 52 volunteers over 11 weekly shifts have achieved 3,466 hours of conversation and 1,980 loads of washing. https://orangesky.org.au/where-we-are/geelong/ New volunteers always welcome.

The van provides free laundry and heart-felt genuine conversation to people experiencing homelessness. In a fantastic example of community coming together, Orange Sky’s Geelong van was supported by the Geelong Grammar School through the fundraising efforts of students. The remainder of funds was donated by the Muir family, and the van was named ‘Bluey’ to celebrate the school’s efforts. Geelong Grammar School student Matilda von Bibra said she felt there was a need for Orange Sky’s service in the community.

Continue reading “Orange Sky Laundry.” →

Announcing this year’s fun dance…. ‘The Dance’….! 1pm in the courtyard at Deakin Waterfront Sun 6 Oct at the @humansingeelongexpo2019. Last year we presented the surprise Flashmob to ‘This is Me’, this year ‘The Dance’ is for everyone, we want you all to join in. We are creating a video clip made up of about 80 scenes/groups from our region, including scenes from people we’ve done stories on O.S. Steve Beatty of We All Rotate in Nepal has sent in his clip already.

The aim of ‘The Dance’ is to showcase diversity and our beautiful region. The scenes will be set to local hero, Chrissy Amphlett’s song “I’ll make you happy.” Fun fact – Chrissy was a few years ahead of me at Belmont High School.

There will be a story that goes along with ‘The Dance’ which will explain the individuals or groups involved, their cause and the location. We got this inspiring idea from @projectonelife ‘1000 people of Dance’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOEmeyBie6g I’ve been in touch with creator Matt Bray and unfortunately he’s not able to join us at the Expo.

At 1pm, in the courtyard, we’re going to start with a conga line which will weave through the gallery and collect as many people as possible. We’ll head back in to the courtyard where we’ll all clap to the right, clap to our left, clap to our right etc. above our heads to the music. This will all be filmed by our star videographer @jessemalthouse who’ll be up on the balcony above. This scene will become part of the film clip so only participate if you don’t mind going viral! LOL!

Groups and individuals who want to participate in this ongoing project over the next few months, DM us, we’d love to have you involved. Love the Humans in Geelong team.

Film clip: Team members Jacqui Bennett, Bec Picone, Rini Lombard and friend having a bit of fun with ‘The Dance’ at Buckley Falls.

Hear Vicki Perrett of Geelong Sustainability speak about this year’s 10^th Sustainable House Day at the Humans in Geelong Expo Sun 6 Oct at 11.45am in room D2.204 at Deakin Waterfront. The Expo is a free community event with everyone welcome and something for everyone!

“Learn from locals how to live well! Sustainable House Day on Sunday 13 October is Geelong Sustainability’s most popular annual event. This unique event enables people to inspect exemplar homes firsthand, to see the materials and technologies in situ, to talk directly with homeowners and to get free technical advice from onsite experts. The 2019 program is the largest and most diverse with 15 properties opening across our region in Inverleigh, Batesford, Norlane (2), Hamlyn Heights, Newcomb, Highton, Portarlington (2), Ocean Grove (2), Pt Lonsdale (2), Torquay and Wensleydale. In this talk, I as Event Coordinator, Vicki Perrett will showcase all the homes and describe their key features so you can decide which ones should be on your must-see list!” Vicki Perrett President of Geelong Sustainability.

For more information about Sustainable House Day go to the Geelong Sustainability website. https://www.geelongsustainability.org.au/product/sustainable-house-day-geelong-2019/

Continue reading “Sustainable House Day 2019.” →

16 on a bus, pregnant, feeling eyes upon her, thoughts of worthlessness and embarrassment for the situation she finds herself in. Unable to go home. 16 on a bus to take herself into an agency for help to keep herself off the streets. 16, pregnant, family with a history of mental health issues, she can feel herself slipping downhill into anxiety and depression. Her body shakes uncontrollably at the most random times, she wonders if she is broken on a daily basis. 16, a mother, the baby screams as she enters the bus, eyes shift to stare. She takes a seat and tries to settle the baby, only to hear people and their words cut through “a child having a baby, how disgusting.” She wants the world to swallow her whole.

This was the reality of Michelle’s life. A life that has led her to supporting others just like her. Michelle is part of a group of incredible local women who have begun @TheEmpowermentChallenge
https://www.facebook.com/theempowermentchallenge/

Continue reading “The Empowerment Challenge, Michelle.” →