Charis Ensemble

On By maryelton9614Leave a comment

In 2017 a little group of women living around the South West found each other and became a happy sisterhood. They recognised each other by their wild fluffy hair, colourful garments, shiny faces and creative vibrations. They began meeting together regularly to study the art of thankfulness and other beautiful things women need to do life well. Then they began to have sing a longs around the piano..and Charis Ensemble was born! Comprised of luscious ladies hailing from Cowaramup, Yallingup, Manjimup, Dunsborough and Margaret River; Charis (meaning GRACE, kindness and life in Greek) Ensemble are just spreading their wings into musical experimentation with four part harmonies, acoustic instruments, body percussions and drumming. And it’s their pleasure to take you on a musical journey at the Deep Listeni g Festival!

Suresh Rajan

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Suresh Rajan is a passionate advocate of things multicultural. He has lived and breathed multiculturalism for many years. He is an entertaining and engaging speaker and will do these things in a non-threatening fashion. In his talk Suresh will introduce you to:

* The Diversity that is WA

* The truth about the statistics and the level of diversity

* Aspects of service delivery for the various religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism

* Practices that you need to adopt in catering for these differences

* The WA Charter of Multiculturalism

* The Substantive Equality programme in WA

Refugees and our way of life

Suresh was CEO of the Epilepsy Association of WA and President of the National Ethnic Disability Alliance. He is the Chair of West Australians for Racial Equality and Secretary of the Ethnic Communities Council of WA.

This is an opportunity to engage one of WA’s leading speakers on matters multicultural to bring you up to date with the latest thinking in this area.

RSG…to Kindy 2018 Graduates!

On By margaretriverunitingLeave a comment

There was a combination of laughter and tears as our class of 2018 concluded their year with a short rendition of their favourite songs from the program. Tears as we cherish our memories of friendship and fun during year, knowing we will no longer spend that precious time together, but also knowing that the children have developed the skills ready for their next adventure. Laughter as they entertain us with their singing and spontaneous joy.

Children were presented with a book from the Margaret River Uniting Church  Community and all their Christmas craft had been saved for them to take home and share with their families. A beautiful Christmas morning tea was then enjoyed by all.

It is an end of a chapter for some families who have been with us since the birth of their first child, through playgroup, followed by Ready Set Go for all their children. The beauty of a small town community is that we will still maintain contact. It has been a privilege for us to be part of their journey.

Many thanks to Kim and Yvette for their dedication to providing such a fantastic learning journey for these children. The 2019 session is fully booked, but we do have a wait list if you are interested. Please contact Mary 0429797767.

The Blessing Orbs

On By wendygracehendryLeave a comment

The Blessing Orbs is a community artwork that was created to honour and acknowledge community strength and connection, and as a means to bring awareness of sources of support for locals in Margaret River.  (read more about the creation of the orbs here)

Five individual Orbs were made by participants in Creative Mindfulness workshops. These Orbs are ephemeral artworks. When left to the elements of nature, they will decompose over time, reflecting the natural rhythm of life.  The prayers and wishes within will then return to the earth, blessing the place and space.

The clay pieces will also break down, releasing seeds of Everlastings and Lavendar.  As Spring (the season of new life) comes around, the seeds of hope and peace are given opportunity to flourish.

During a morning tea on 19 October participants from the workshops and representatives from the community gathered to view the finished Orbs.  Ian Hackett from Tig-Le House offered a blessing to them, and then the following Blessing Orbs were gifted to these important community organisations:

  • Osmington Anglican Church – ‘Presence’
  • Margaret River Organic Gardens – ‘Shelter Within’
  • Margaret River Library – ‘Heart of Unity’
  • Margaret River Community Centre – ‘Grounded in Community’.

After our worship service on Sunday the our blessing orb, called ‘Peace Within’ was hung under the wattle tree alongside the Labyrinth.  Orb Labyrinth MRUC

We hope that the Blessing Orbs will continue to assist the community by being a focus point by which people can connect to support groups and services.  It is our hope that each Orb will be enjoyed for its medatative qualities, will inspire people to connect to the wider community and will encourage people to seek assistance when needed.

Many thanks to Cynamon from Wild Art Weaving for her creativity and guidance in this project.  And to Clare Smith for taking many of the beautiful photos throughout the process.