By Dominique Hes
In these challenging times, when cost-of-living pressures, rising violence, political divisiveness, and climate uncertainty weigh heavily on our minds, the importance of coming together as a community has never been more crucial. Celebrating through food, music, theatre, dance, and decoration creates powerful connections, fosters a sense of belonging, and deepens our attachment to the places we call home.
This column has explored the themes of regenerative development and placemaking, considering how we can reimagine spaces like the old Footscray Hospital site, Technopark, and community housing. We’ve asked ourselves what a thriving, joyful, and vibrant West could look like. What does it mean to create places that support and enhance both human and ecological well-being?
Celebration is central to answering these questions. It is more than just a fleeting moment of joy; it is a powerful tool for building community cohesion and empowerment.
It is easy to be flippant about celebration, to use it as a distraction. So it’s key to be authentic with it, to work with local communities and let celebrations bubble up from things that the community is proud about, things that they love.
It also needs patience; starting small and learning and improving together with the community. This builds agency. That is the ability to have an idea, to put it into action, to get support to make it happen and to help shape how it evolves. Ask everyone how best to involve them in what it looks like; kids, new people to the area, the homeless, councillors, employers, the business community, the arts community. Ask everyone if they feel they have a place they belong.
Celebrations, especially those that are community-driven, empower people by giving them a voice in how their spaces evolve. When we gather to celebrate a shared achievement or cultural tradition, we are participating in the creation and development of our environment. This active participation builds confidence, nurtures leadership, and encourages collective decision-making; cornerstones of a strong, self-reliant community.
Look at The Olympics, look at the festivals that really thrive, look at the music events, look at the markets. I recently attended the Willy Lit festival, it was so wonderful to connect to other authors, to share in their journeys about books they have written, to walk through the history of Williamstown, and to learn about the magic of forest therapy, to have a winter swim and to listen to a children’s book as the constellation whale swam overhead, and finally to discuss why the Westsider is such a critical part of our community. It was a celebration, it was amazing and I felt such a sense of belonging and joy.
At the Willy Lit festival there were authors in their teens, young adults, first time authors, and authors in their 80s. There were Indigenous elders reawakening the curiosity of the stories of the Melbourne rivers. This was truly a celebration that provided opportunities for people to interact, share experiences, and form lasting bonds.
The connections formed at these joyful moments create the foundation of trust and cooperation, which is vital for any collaborative effort in placemaking or regenerative development. Recognising and honouring each other’s contributions reinforces the idea that everyone has a place and role within the community. This sense of belonging is essential for the sustainability of any community-driven initiative, encouraging ongoing participation and support.
Times are tough. It is time to focus on our communities, to come together, to celebrate together, to share food and to have those conversations that will help us all be stronger together.
