Live Art Week provides a chance for University of Wollongong (UOW) students to engage with the idea of art through creation, according to local artists. Art practitioner Molly Duggan said Live Art Week encourages people to do something out of the orfinary. “For some people who don’t engage in art, it can be an opportunity for them to do some crafty stuff at the uni,” Ms Duggan said. She said the mural she and fellow artist Bella Taylor have collaborated on brightens up spaces and encourages positivity. “I think that if you have really bright, beautiful things here, like this mural…
Author: Caleb Arkapaw
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has seen the largest spike in its recruitment in 15 years, but the picture is not entirely clear. While the 2022-23 and 2023-24 intake has shown an obvious decline, the 2024-25 statistics have appeared to stabilise, as well as showing an increase of 17 per cent from the previous figures, being the highest spike since the 2009-10 intake. The 2025-26 report, which is yet to be released, will reveal if the trend continues upwards or returns to the declining rates. Naval Historical Society of Australia presdient, David Michael said that recruitment is heavily tied to…
Australia is currently undergoing a resurgence of antisemitic activity, according to new data. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) in its annual Antisemitic incidents report has shown that the young Australians are at the forefront of the rise. However, the line between antisemitism and anti-zionism is not always clear. https://www.canva.com/design/DAHFrZXJCkI/LuEN0K6RI1JCtSZmZ_B5Gw/view Research Director for the ECAJ, Julie Nathan said the 18-35 cohort has recorded lower warmth, comfort, and trust. In addition, the study found that there were higher associations of the Jewish community with cruelty, colonialism, and being “unaligned with my values.” When asked about five multicultural communities, 18–35s rated…
Bellambi Point has undergone rezoning developments with a move towards building 2,500 residences over the next 20 years. The area has historically been a coastal housing estate with a current population of approximately 4000 as of 2024. The rezoning is set to cause significant change to the lives Bellambi residents such as Cindel Tinker and her family, who claim this development will damage their sense of community. Greens Councillor Deidre Stuart proposed a motion that would increase the density of Bellambi with up to six-storey buildings opposed to the ‘Salt and Pepper’ method that would disperse social housing among commercial…
University of Wollongong journalism and creative writing alumni Madelaine Dickie has built a global career blending creative writing, journalism and communications, with work spanning Indonesia, Mexico and Western Australia. Dickie, a multi-award-winning author, said her early career was shaped by time spent in Indonesia while completing her degree in 2012. “That was a really exciting year and it sort of felt like the world was at my fingertips,” she said. During that time, she worked on her debut novel Troppo, which began as an undergraduate project at UOW and was developed over eight years. “I wrote the first chapters of…
Step back in time with the Hurstville Museum and Gallery ‘Retales’ Snapshot exhibition which is on display until November 24. The exhibit contains photographs of the history of commerce and retail shopping in the area and was curated by acting coordinator of cultural services, Clair Baddeley. Ms Baddeley said that the exhibit draws on a variety of methods to understand and estimate which exhibits will be popular. “We regularly keep visitor statistics, we promote our programs and events through a range of channels, but also on social media…we measure the traffic associated with promotion of particular events so we can…
Retirees considering downsizing face a daunting tasking of packing up and throwing away decades worth of memories, but there is help to guide seniors through the process. Retirement Your Way operations manager Laura Hudson, 55, said that many people were choosing to downsize, particularly older Australians who maybe struggling to connect or feel comfortable in new neighbourhoods. “They may have lived in a street since their early marriage years, grown up with the same neighbours and eventually that starts to change, because the demographics have changed,” Ms Hudson said. “It might be that they just cannot handle the garden anymore…
A program to help refugees feel welcomed and connected in their new home has relaunched in Sydney with the opening of a new communal garden. Freedom to Flourish assists refugees with language integration as well as counselling to address issues of any trauma they may have experienced during their time of statelessness. Psychology student and volunteer Reese Hopper, 24, said Freedom to Flourish helped refugees settle in and make friends. “We do gardening alongside mental health projects to help refugees work through any trauma they’ve experienced,” Mr Hopper said. Mr Hopper stressed the importance of the integration of refugees…
University of Wollongong student teachers are banding together to support each other and create professional networks by forming an Education Society. The society aims to help those in education degrees to connect with others and receive assistance in order to better grow their knowledge and network. The Education Society’s general executive Nicholas Stokes, 21, describes the role as an opportunity to help people. “I’ve found it quite interesting. I get to see the ‘behind the scenes’ and there is quite a bit of organising to the role,” Mr Stokes said. The society also benefits members by helping students access important information.…