Thursday, 17 May 2018

An exhibition featuring the hopes and dreams of the Morwell community will make its way to the halls of the Victorian Parliament in next week.

Following a successful showing at Switchback Gallery in Churchill last year, the ‘Our hopes for the future of Morwell’ photographic exhibition will be showcased at Queen’s Hall from 21-25 May.

The exhibition was developed by the Federation University Australia-led Community Wellbeing research stream of the Hazelwood Health Study in collaboration with Morwell Neighbourhood House and Gippsland Centre for Art and Design at FedUni.

It will feature 28 photographs of community groups and members holding objects symbolising their hopes for the future of Morwell.

The project came to fruition following extensive consultations with local groups about ways to strengthen community wellbeing and recovery post Hazelwood mine fire and power station closure.

Community groups and members chose to be photographed with images that symbolise their hopes for the future. The resulting photographic images express their contributions to a positive conversation about the future for Morwell.

The exhibition will be launched at 5pm on Monday 21 May. The launch will be co-hosted by Hazelwood Health Study lead agency Monash University and study research partner Federation University Australia.

The event will be attended by a significant number of the local community, media and Members of Parliament.

“Taking the exhibition to Spring Street is important because it demonstrates that this community, which has suffered a number of setbacks including the Hazelwood mine fire, and the subsequent closure of the mine and Hazelwood power station, is showing resilience and optimism in the face of adversity,” Dr Sue Yell, Community Wellbeing Research Lead and exhibition organiser, said.

“Featuring this exhibition at Victoria’s State Parliament will shine a much-needed positive light on this vibrant community, and will also show them that their voices are heard beyond the Latrobe Valley.”

There are plans for the exhibition to be shown in Dungog in the Hunter Valley later this year, and to put it on display locally in Morwell.

“The Latrobe Valley’s communities are innovative, close-knit and extraordinarily resourceful, and it’s important to recognise our strengths and opportunities through events like this exhibition,” Harriet Shing, Member for Eastern Victoria Region, said.

For more information about the Hazelwood Health Study, visit hazelwoodhealthstudy.org.au