Women in the Parkes Shire are invited to celebrate International Women’s Day on Sunday, 6th March at Cooke Park from 8:30am for a morning of mindfulness.

“International Women’s Day gives us the chance to raise awareness of issues around gender bias and celebrate the achievements of women at a local level,” said Parkes Shire Councillor Marg Applebee. “It is important that we come together as a community to show our support for women and help uplift them to break the bias as a collective.”

The morning will consist of a selection of social activities including a group Yogalates session, live music, pop-up stalls, gelato and free coffee.

Led by Jenz Yogalates, the yoga and pilates fusion session will leave you feeling refreshed and energised. Following the Yogalates session, participants are encouraged to stick around to grab a free coffee from Coffee Fix by Larz, enjoy the live music by Gracey Denham-Jones and support local small businesses by checking out the pop-up stalls in the Cooke Park Pavilion.

“These markets will give us the chance to recognise the creativity, innovation and talents of women in our local community by providing a space for them to network with others and create an environment where everyone is valued,” said Marg.

If you are a local pop-up stall holder who would like to get involved in this event, please contact the team at Council by emailing comms@parkes.nsw.gov.au or by calling 6861 2333.

The crew from female-owned local business, Packed Cones, will be hanging around in Cooke Park from 9:30am to 12pm. All activities are free to attend. Bring your own yoga mat and water bottle for the yogalates class. This event is open to the whole community in the spirit of equality and inclusivity.

International Mother Tongue Day is a celebration of first languages worldwide. This initiative was started to support global languages, to prevent the decline or loss of languages and to preserve unique methods of communication.

Ub Ubbo Exchange marked International Mother Tongue Day on Monday, with the release of an original song and film clip at the Henry Parkes Museum. Ub Ubbo Exchange has been releasing original songs for Mother Tongue Day since 2013.

This year’s song, To Chaos From Clarity, was a collaboration drawing many different contributors together. Sean James Cassidy conceptualised the project. Sean’s friend from student days and supporter of Ub Ubbo Exchange, Dion Buck, produced the instrumental background. Sean’s father Jim Cassidy, wrote a poem to create the lyrics and Kerrie Peden wrote the melody. Kyah Turnbull’s vocals featured while Jason Nacho Murchie edited the work.

The song takes the form of a letter explaining how the learning from experience shapes us, that what begins as the chaos within emerges into a place of clarity. It acknowledges our opposing natures but seeks to affirm our differences while encouraging our ability to work together to co-operatively achieve solutions and success.

Also launched, was an accompanying film clip with the animation, by Miguel Valenzuela, of the logo of the Central West Active Citizen Program. This initiative, facilitated by NSW Police, builds rapport with and engages local indigenous youth in community activities.

Kyah Turnbull was part of this program and Senior Constable Daniel Greef said Kyah was proof of its success. She is studying at TAFE, teaching Wiradjuri language at Parkes Public School, is a member of the Parkes Wiradjuri Language Group and is developing her music career.

To Chaos From Clarity is part of a chain of songs supporting indigenous voices through music. It will feature on an album of 12 songs to be released by Ub Ubbo Exchange later in the year. Each song is influenced by the sounds of nature and each has a theme linked to an object or occurrence whose sound is sampled in the music.

By Kerrie Peden

The free family concert at the Cooke Park Pavilion on Saturday was a big hit with about 400 people enjoying the excellent line-up of entertainment.

Many people brought along picnic rugs and nibbles, while the food vans were also very popular.

The program started off with the performers of Parkes School of Dance setting the tone for a great concert.

The local talent showcase continued with Amitie and Gracey Denham-Jones before the Canberra-based band Plump took to the stage to get people dancing.

The night was a great ‘dress rehearsal’ for Overture on 2nd April and the Parkes Elvis Festival from 20 – 24th April. The feedback has been excellent with a lot of praise especially for the sound and lighting which made the concert spectacular.

 

 

 

 

We all know the value of our local parks, gardens and reserves in the Parkes Shire, and next Sunday, 6th March residents can join the nation-wide effort on Clean Up Australia Day to help protect these environments.

“It has never been more important to roll up our sleeves to maintain and preserve our natural environment and recreational spaces,” said Parkes Shire Mayor Cr Ken Keith OAM.

“With our consumer habits shifting towards more online shopping, the increased use of disposable face masks and rapid antigen tests, and significant growth in single-use plastics across Australia, the natural environment is suffering.

“By doing our bit to remove and reduce rubbish accumulating in our local parks, roadsides, bushland and waterways, we can ensure that our natural assets will be there to enjoy well into the future.”

Parkes Shire residents can participate in Clean Up Australia Day in Parkes, with registrations taking place at Lions Park from 8am, or register at www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

Community members are encouraged to gather their friends, family and colleagues to join Council staff on the day.

All participants will be allocated a clean-up site or can discuss cleaning up a particular area with the site supervisor on the day. Participants are asked to wear sturdy shoes, sun-safe clothing, and bring their own gloves, sunscreen and water bottle.

Parkes is gearing up to host an enormous celebration of musical theatre, with a touch of opera, at the new Cooke Park Pavilion under the beautiful night sky of Parkes at Overture on Saturday, 2nd April.

Last weekend saw the first rehearsal of the Overture Youth Orchestra at the new Cooke Park Pavilion in Parkes. The Youth Orchestra is made up of musicians from all over Central West New South Wales who were selected via a competitive audition process held over the past few months.

The Overture Youth Orchestra brings together regional children, some as young as nine, to create a spectacular sound resulting in an unforgettable experience for both the children and the audience at this inaugural event. With the help of UpStage, a not-for-profit organisation that establishes links between Sydney and local musicians, these children will receive mentorship via the program and a band of professional musicians they will meet at the joint rehearsal in March.

The Overture Youth Orchestra will join eight professional musicians from Sydney, a massed choir of choristers from all over the Central West, young emerging soloists as well as renowned headline artists.

Headlining the impressive event will be Lucy Durack, one of Australia’s leading stars of the stage and screen, and the dynamic Josh Piterman, who has graced the stage in lead roles in both Australia and the West End. Josh will be starring as The Phantom in the upcoming Opera Australia production of The Phantom of the Opera at the Sydney Opera House in mid-2022 onwards. Lucy and Josh will be supported by other well-known performers including Central West’s own Jarrod Draper, who is currently starring in Moulin Rouge, and Billie Palin as well as other local and regional talent.

Visitor Economy and Major Events Specialist Cathy Treasure said, “We are thrilled to be hosting an event of this calibre in our brand new Cooke Park Pavilion. An event of this size with this breadth of talent is an incredible coup for Parkes. It will help position Parkes as the new cultural centre of regional NSW.”

Overture not only brings some of the best voices in Australia to regional NSW, but it also gives local students the opportunity to work and perform alongside them.

Parkes Show Society is gearing up to stage its annual Doug Bicket Memorial Ewe Competition which will take place on Friday, 25th February.

Doug was a tireless worker on the Parkes Show Committee, most particularly in the merino sheep section and had a strong passion for the merino industry. Doug helped launch the competition and was a regular on the bus trip, never short of a story for whoever was lucky enough to be close by.

The seasonal conditions have been outstanding, with plenty of rainfall and plentiful feed on offer. Whilst the amazing season has brought with it new challenges in managing sheep, it is sure to have produced some quality lines of young ewes that will present in top condition.

An impressive field of entrants have been assembled, obviously eager to display their flocks in peak condition. This year’s judges, Drew Chapman and Warwick Kopp, are sure to have a tough time reaching agreement over which team is crowned this year’s champion.

The day has grown significantly in recent years with spectators eager to assess a good cross section of merino bloodlines run under a range of management systems and environments. Industry representatives will be on hand throughout the day to update attendees on all the latest advancements, technologies, markets and management strategies.

An air conditioned coach has been arranged to ensure spectators are able to travel from property to property in total comfort and allow for stories and experiences to be shared throughout the day. Anyone interested is welcome to join with the bus departing from the Parkes Bowls and Sport Club at 7:30am.

The day will conclude with a BBQ tea and presentations to the prize winners. Cost of the day is $30. To register and book a spot email secretary@parkesshow.org.au or phone Liz on 6862 2580.