Stories From the Parks
a Digital Story Project of Parks Health Service as part of the Parks Helix Project
View the all the stories in the window above or choose individual
stories by clicking the story poster to the right of the window. A
brief description of each story follows including its permalink where
individual URLs can be found. Feel free to pass the links on or embed them in you web page. STORIES FROM THE PARKSLife in “The Parks” is full of differing stories. There are stories of change, of uncertainty alongside stories about struggles and joys of daily living, of feeding and educating large families, of simple recreational pleasures, of ‘making do’ and ‘pitching in’. Stories of strong feelings of community identity and neighbourhood friendships. It is a testiment to the community’s resilience and the power of their stories is evident. The arts are a potent means for rekindling community; they encourage a greater connectedness between people, an increased sense of well being. By creating positive, shared experiences people feel more comfortable in their community. THE STORIESRhyme 'n RespectA montage of postcard images, posters and music bring awareness to ways of addressing domestic violence. Permalink http://www.dvirc.org.au/ is the Victorian site that has information relevant to all of Australa. There is also Mensline Australia 1300 789 978 MOSAICS GROUPThe mosaics group is much more than just a social group focused on this wonder art form. It provides strength and support to group of women who first met at a palliative care support group. Permalink LINDY'S LIBRARY STORYA refreshing and inspirational short story about the Parks Library as a valuable community resource. Permalink DOREEN AND PETER'S STORYDoreen and Peter are among the many Housing Trust tennants who have been relocated as the Urban Redevelopment of the Parks progresses. Doreen talks candidly about some of the hidden aspects of these changes. Permalink THE SONG WRITING WORKSHOP Lindy give a little insight into "behind the scenes" of the song writing group. What a blast! You can find the Permalink here. All the songs produced by the group can be previewed and downloaded HERE. CARLY'S STORY Carly's has a very long association with the Parks Community Centre making an enormous contribution to the young people of the area, first as a participant and now as as a Community Development Worker. Permalink "BELONGING" BY DIANNEDianne has accessed many of the Parks services as a parent with children and as a hub for networks and connection. Permalink PAULINE'S STORYPauline's move from her home to a house is one of many changes she has faced with her indominable spirit over the last few years. Permalink Delwin's StoryDelwyn's painting was meant to be. It connects her to Country, Culture and Community. Permalink Part 1 Permalink Part 2 | “The Parks” is the popular name for the western suburbs of Angle Park, Athol Park, Ferryden Park, Mansfield Park, Woodville Gardens, Woodville North and Pennington in Adelaide, South Australia. It is also the location of the largest urban renewal project in Australia that commenced in 1999. This 15 year project will see the public housing in the area reduced from approximately 75% to 23%.The demolition and up-grading of hundreds of publicly owned homes has required families with a two to three generational attachment to this area to face the upheavals of relocation. The impact of this transition on residents is expressed as a loss of community identity; a loss of local neighbourhood networks and supports; and an erosion of perceptions of safety and confidence in living and moving about in the area. Recent media coverage confirms that there is a sense within the local community that ‘the Parks’ is not a safe or pleasant place to live anymore. This stands in contrast to what locals have previously identified as “the character” of the Parks (despite having always been an area of significant disadvantage according to all demographic measures) as a community of strength, resilience, collective consciousness and pride. It is well researched that social and economic circumstances impact radically on peoples’ ability to effectively and confidently access and take on learnings about using new technologies. We found lots of people keen to tell a story but few keen to learn the technology to produce a story. This is another challenge and we welcome your comments on this theme. Those that did embrace the opportunity did so with enthusiasm and rewarding results so go take a look and see what you think. Enjoy! Song Writing Workshop |