Beats, bubbles and bonds – inside Bangalow’s community event connecting generations

FAMILIES and older members of the community came together for a fun afternoon of music, arts and crafts at the Connecting Generations summer event at Bangalow Heritage House & Museum on Sunday.

Ocean Shores musician Stephen Nugent led a drumming circle on the lawn, with participants beating drums they had decorated themselves, along with tambourines donated by the Bangalow Anglican Op Shop.

“I loved the educational aspect of the drumming circle, with kids learning to send messages via drumming,” organiser Ruth Winton-Brown said. “I thought that was wonderful.

“Making paint from ground stone also worked really well in terms of engaging the kids. They also learned how to make balls out of balloons and sand and write their feelings on them to help understand their emotions.”

Shorty Brown the Clown kept younger children entertained with giant bubbles, while a face painter offered free face painting throughout the afternoon.

Attendees also created hand art under the guidance of a retired Indigenous preschool teacher, enjoyed a free sausage sizzle with donations from Herne’s Butchery in Bangalow, and took part in an open mic session at the end of the day.

“The open mic was a great opportunity for some of our young talent,” Winton-Brown said. “One girl played double bass and a brother and sister duo played guitar and sang. Another girl played the keyboard.

“There was lots of positive feedback about the event.”

Winton-Brown was inspired to found Connecting Generations Bangalow by the ABC TV series Old Person’s Home for Four-Year Olds, and by Marc Freedman’s book How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting Generations.

The group’s seasonal events aim to improve the mental health and wellbeing of older people in the area, while also providing support to families who may not have grandparents living nearby.

For information about future events, follow Connecting Generations Bangalow on Facebook.