FLIP Winter Children’s Festival offers an exciting program of events
Published on 24 June 2024
Mount Alexander Shire Council is hosting an exciting program of events for kids aged 0-12 and their care-givers this winter.
The FLIP Winter Children’s Festival is designed for children and their big people to learn, grow and have fun together.
It’s five weeks of family-friendly activities, performances and experiences focused on dance, art, nature, music and play.
“Parents have told us that winter is long and there’s not enough to do around the shire, and we want to change that” said Sally Beattie, Council’s Early Years Project Officer.
“Our community runs incredible events and festivals through spring, summer and autumn. But winter is long in Central Victoria, and there is limited amenity for children and families to gather indoors and sometimes the isolation affects mental health.
“We’ve partnered with community groups and local artists to come up with some fantastic activities this winter to bridge the gap.
The FLIP Winter Children’s Festival will take place from Thursday 27 June through to Sunday 4 August.
Events are spread across a range of venues, and include the Castlemaine Art Museum, Castlemaine Library, Castlemaine Town Hall, Castlemaine Senior Citizens Centre, Campbells Creek Community Centre, Phee Broadway Theatre and many more.
The Castlemaine Art Museum, in partnership with RMIT University will host the Children’s Sensorium on Thursdays through to Sundays from 11.00am to 4.00pm for the duration of the festival.
The sensorium is an immersive exhibition for children aged 4-11 exploring themes of self-regulation, mindfulness and sensory connection.
It includes sense-based installations that draw on touch, sound, vision, smell and taste to create an environment that is fun, engaging and activates children’s curiosity.
The exhibition also includes a series of artist-led workshops in the public program, with more details available on the Castlemaine Art Museum website at https://castlemaineartmuseum.org.au.
Buda Historic Homestead will host a number of events, including Fun and Games on Tuesday 2 July, where children can experience the games their great grandparents would have played.
In addition to their regular holiday programming, Castlemaine Circus have developed all access sessions of family circus and parkour. These will offer children the opportunity to play in a relaxed environment with small numbers and family support for neurodivergent kids.
Other highlights include cushion concerts and dance events at the Phee Broadway Theatre on Saturday 13 and 27 July.
There will also be a kid-friendly No Lights No Lycra dance session and more dancing at Dusko Disco in Campbells Creek.
“There’s something for everyone at this festival, with lots of free events too,” said Ms Beattie.
“We know there are a lot of kids who are neurodivergent in our shire, who have needs that aren’t necessarily being met in structured activities. We’ve tried to cater for that with smaller sessions and lots of permission to bring their whole self to sensory spaces.
“With support from our VicHealth Local Government partnership, we’ve put together a vibrant local festival for kids, with their needs front and centre.”
Read through the program and book online at www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Events.