Welcome to the latest edition of News from the Nest.

Spring is here, and there’s lots happening at Bluebird!

The Spring Table – A Bluebird Foundation Benefit is coming up — grab your early bird tickets and join us for a special evening supporting Bluebird’s community programs.

We’re excited to welcome Parker Rettke to the Bluebird Board, bringing new experience and ideas to the team.

Our School Holiday Program is now open, with creative workshops including sewing a cushion, Air Clay Minis, Springtime Dioramas and Musical Art, where you’ll write an original group song and create artwork inspired by the lyrics.

Looking ahead to Term 4, we have three new workshops! Laura Alice returns with Magic Ink: Create Moving Art, Victoria Mathews joins us for Miniature Home Builders, and Simone Amethyst invites you to get creative with fabric in Free-Style Sewing.

Our cosy Wellbeing Room is also available for hire — a welcoming space for practitioners to meet with clients, work one-on-one or run small sessions. We’d love to chat if you’re looking for a space for your practice.

And the big screen came alive at Popcorn Shorts, a special Youth Fest event at The Pivotonian Cinema celebrating young people, creativity and filmmaking.

Read on for all the details…

Early Bird tickets close 12th September

Early Bird tickets for The Spring Table – A Bluebird Foundation Benefit close on 12th September.

Join us at the beautiful Common Ground Project for an evening of exceptional food, live music, thoughtful company and a few special surprises, all in support of Bluebird Foundation.

Whether you’re joining us on your own or bringing your whole crew, there’s an option to suit. Single tickets are available, with special-priced bundles for groups of 5 or 6.

It promises to be a memorable evening with a meaningful purpose, supporting Bluebird’s work to create joyful, inclusive opportunities for children, young people and communities across Geelong.

Early Bird pricing ends 12th September. We’d be delighted to welcome you to The Spring Table.

Meet the Board

What do you value about Bluebird?

I love the strong focus on equity and inclusivity across everything Bluebird delivers. Growing up, I was fortunate to be immersed in the arts (my dad was a high school music teacher, and my mother managed ticketing and operations at the Geelong Arts Centre). That early exposure deeply shaped who I am today, so Bluebird's mission to make arts experiences accessible to everyone resonates with me deeply.

Share a little background on your professional journey and experiences that led you to join the Bluebird Board.

Although I’m currently the youngest member of the Bluebird Board, my career over the last decade has been diverse and rewarding. It started in regional retail management, where I learned how to support and mentor the next generation of professionals. From there, I transitioned into Human Resources Management working across specialist areas like Organisational Development, Diversity & Inclusion, and People Technology, as well as generalist HR roles. That path led me into Business Development for the social impact consultancy Impact Co., and ultimately to my current role as Director and Principal Consultant for Q Inclusion, an Identity, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (IDEAI) agency.

School Holiday Workshops

NEW Term 4 Workshops

There’s plenty more to explore! Visit our website to see our full list of upcoming workshops and find your next creative adventure.

Venue Hire Spotlight

A little space for your wellbeing practice

Looking for a calm, welcoming space to meet with clients?

Our Wellbeing Room is available for hire at Bluebird House - a cosy, comfortable space with three chairs, a desk, a small children’s table and a view of our chooks.

It could suit counselling, coaching, creative therapy, meetings or other one-to-one wellbeing work.

Available Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from $11 per hour.

If you have your own Public Liability Insurance and Working with Children Check, we’d love to chat about whether the space could work for you.

Interested in hiring another space at Bluebird House? Our Meeting Room, Garage Studio, Piano Room and shared spaces are available for facilitators, community groups and organisations looking for an inspiring place to connect, create and grow. We'd love to hear from you.

Popcorn Shorts

It was a beautiful example of young creatives supporting and inspiring each other, and of the powerful role models already emerging within our community.

Young voices. Big screens. Bright futures.

This Youth Fest event was supported by the Victorian Government and Geelong Connected Communities