Committee for Lorne: Lorne Community Connect – An Update –

At the 2019 annual general meeting of the Lorne Community Connect (formerly the Lorne Senior Citizens) the members accepted the proposal that the centre become a hub for the Arts in Lorne and the surrounding communities.

The Lorne community now has a rich tradition of fostering the Arts. The Lorne Sculpture Biennale, Lorne Film and the Lorne Festival of Performing Arts are all well established in our community.

However, I do believe that the challenge of developing a centre that fosters the Arts, in an ongoing way, has come at an opportune time for the following reasons:
• The decline in western democracies of traditional community enablers – church communities, traditional service clubs and community celebrations.
• The development of a silo mentality by our traditional service providers – education, health and local government, who do cooperate but should be collaborating.
• The inevitable focus on personal material well-being in relatively wealthy communities.
• The isolation brought about by increased “screen-time” that the new social platforms can lead to in smaller communities as users tend to connect to broader global communities, and
• Work-wise we have moved from predominately hands to head to now heart based employment. This in turn should place greater emphasis in our learning and development programs on: leadership, empathy, creativity, collaboration and trust.

These latter qualities are ones that are developed through exposure to the Arts.

In Lorne over the past decade we have directed significant resources into recreational and sporting facilities and we are very well served as a community by these spaces and clubs.

The time is opportune to look to our creative needs. There is a strong link between social connection, mental health and well-being and the Arts. I believe the Surf Coast Shire is planning to direct more resources into these areas. The committee of the Lorne Community Connect has met with the Shire’s Arts Development Officer with a view to the progression of a long-term creative strategic plan for the centre.

WE NEED YOUR INPUT
We have started consulting with our members and some very good suggestions have been made. In the short-term we will build upon existing programs, for example, the painting and life-drawing group, the quilting group, movement activities, art exhibitions, community lunches and providing administrative space for cultural activities.

Long-term we want to develop something unique and bold, something that will encourage the centre’s use for all creative forms and for all sections of the community, something that will put Lorne on the Arts map, something that will enhance our sense of community and help to provide recreational and employment opportunities.

Please send us your idea at [email protected] or speak to Gary Allen, Lesley Goldsworthy, Wendy Hutchison, Faye Peddie or Clive Goldsworthy.

Gary Allen
President