Performers take festival on the road to visit residents
The Victorian Seniors Festival will visit around 100 aged care homes across the state in a new initiative bringing the festival directly to residents.
Victorian performers are visiting aged care homes to deliver magic, music and entertainment to aged care residents in 100 homes as part of the state’s annual festival.
Victorian Seniors Festival: Aged Care Tour is going on the road due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Residents can expect to see 13 solo and group performers including cabaret artists, musicians, illusionists and a raconteur and saxophonist .
The four-month tour kicked off on 7 December and expects to visit around 100 Victorian aged care facilities by 31 March 2022, a spokesperson from the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing told Australian Ageing Agenda.
This year’s festival aims to highlight the thriving lives of Victorian seniors that will continue despite the global pandemic.
“The festival’s 2021 theme Keep’n On was chosen because it reinforces the festival audience’s resilience and our determination to take every opportunity to embrace performance and activity, no matter what the medium,” the spokesperson told AAA.
It is hoped bringing the festival to aged care homes will bring joy to residents, who are encouraged to participate in the festival though dancing, singing and song selection.
“We all recognise that Victorian aged care residents have experienced very extensive periods of lockdown over the past 18 months and being able to provide live performances as soon as possible is a priority for us.
“At the same time, the festival recognises the contributions that older Victorians have made to this state and this performance program is one way of saying thank you,” the spokesperson said.
Performers include cabaret artists Aurora Kurth, The Three Legged Ponies, Anthony Dillon and Malcolm Hansford, musicians Michael Mildren, Sally Ford and the Idiomatics, Alex Hell, Chris Street, Rodney Vincent and Wayne Horsburgh, illusionists Elio Simonetti and Cath Jamieson, and raconteur and saxophonist Wilbur Wilde.
Feedback from participating residents and homes to date has been positive, the spokesperson said.
The Victorian Seniors Festival has reached out to all aged care facilities to offer a free performance. Providers can contact chris.reidy@dffh.vic.gov.au about the offer.
Main image: Malcom Hansford performing as his musical European waiter, alter ego Edvardo
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