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The Moorabool News – 18 January, 2022 Page 11
Boost for local music By Lachlan Ellis
Learn to be an ‘accidental counsellor’ It’s important to check in on family and friends and ask if they’re okay – but do you know how to respond if the answer is no? Free training is on offer in February for eligible Moorabool Shire and Hepburn Shire community members, to learn how to be an ‘accidental counsellor’. Provided by Lifeline Ballarat, the course will consist of 90 minutes of e-learning, and a 4-hour online workshop conducted via Zoom. Attendees will learn how to recognise the signs of someone needing support, learn skills to support someone when they are upset, learn how to respond with kindness, and how to provide support whilst taking care of yourself. To make sure the sessions provide the most benefit to Moorabool and Hepburn Shires, first preference will be given to members and leaders of community groups such as sports clubs, religious groups, and volunteers. Expressions of interest are now open for submission, with two possible workshop dates – Wednesday 16 February, and Friday 25 February. To access the Expression of Interest Form, visit Moorabool Shire Council’s Facebook page and search “Accidental Counsellor”. For more information, contact admin@chpcp.org.
Moorabool Shire Council has appointed a curator for the ‘Live and Local’ program, and she’s keen to get on with the job, with a focus on musicians in smaller towns. Blackwood’s Cat Moser has been officially announced as the Moorabool’s Live and Local curator for 2022, a key role in the partnership between Council and the Live Music Office. The program invites local musicians into Council’s strategic planning process for the promotion of local live music. An artist, musician, performer and teacher, Ms Moser has years of experience on the live music scene, including organising her own events, and is enthusiastic about helping the local scene grow. She said she and the Live and Local working group was working on plans for micro-festivals and professional development workshops, and ways to ensure music events are COVID-safe. “It’s really exciting, I’ve never really found much in Moorabool Shire in the way of live music, I’ve been a bit in the dark about how it works in our area. We often have to go other places to play gigs, so I’m really excited to be a part of this group integrating the local music scene, and connecting musicians with venues in Moorabool,” she told the Moorabool News. “I’m pretty excited to promote the smaller towns in Moorabool Shire, like Blackwood, Ballan and Gordon. They’re great little towns, often people have heard of Bacchus Marsh, but I think those little towns have a lot to offer too.” Despite continuing uncertainty around the pandemic, Ms Moser is confident live music events can be held safely. “It’s definitely possible within restrictions like social distancing. I’m looking at outdoor spaces and spaces that are more COVID-safe, there’s definitely potential there. There are a lot of really nice outdoor spaces to hold events in our Shire,” she said.
Cat Moser is Council’s newly appointed curator for the Live and Local program. Photo – Cat Moser “We’re working towards a micro-festival in early-to-mid 2022, and then one later in the year hopefully. We’re exploring different towns and venues at the moment. “We’re working with APRA (the Australasian Performing Right Association) and the Live Music Office to deliver this program for the first time, with the view to continue it in future years and build it up.”
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