HAVING just attended a cultural plan consultation workshop at the Moss Vale Civic Centre reinforces for me what a mother lode of artists, musicians, writers, producers, theatre performers, business people and entrepreneurs we have living here in our shire.

Thanks go to council for this initiative.

Listening to the discussion in that packed room (in itself testimony to Wingecarribee civic and cultural-mindedness) was truly inspirational, as people massaged the issues of local assets and gaps therein with passion and knowledge.

What seems evident is that many strongly feel that there needs to be a purpose-built arts centre of destination calibre encompassing a performance hall, exhibition/conference centre and regional art gallery. 

This would also include a theatre shop and restaurant/cafe‚ showcasing our local food and wine, and visual/performing arts studios with potential for youth workshops in conjunction with our schools - the scope of all these offerings invigorating the community, creating a major tourist drawcard, and providing jobs within the shire at just a time when work opportunities are disappearing in other sectors.

It was mentioned that the several smaller venues existing in the Southern Highlands have intrinsic value of their own, and will always do so, but their very size limits larger scale productions.

The conclusions drawn from this workshop and another to be held in Bowral tomorrow will be tabled in a paper to be published early 2015. 

The community will have been consulted and rightly so. Working concurrently with this body of opinion are entrepreneurial committees (is that an oxymoron? - anyway?) who have suggested sites to offer, and most importantly, funding proposals to support a development of this calibre.

Watch this page - we could in the near future have a beautiful arts centre to further enrich our lives in this great neck of the woods!

Alexandra Springett

Bowral

Love will always triumph

YOU may sometimes see me wheeling around the Southern Highlands wearing my favourite cap, bought for me by my wife once in Turkey and a comfortable and easily worn caftan, skilfully made for me by my dear mother. 

I am not dressed this way to provoke. 

Hopefully in this country we still have the right to dress and behave as we choose as long as it does no harm to others. 

So please do not spit on me or kick my wheelchair.

And please don’t tell me to “go back to where you came from” as my mother, now in her 80s, has suffered enough - and I simply won’t fit.

On a much happier note I would like to express, after three weeks in a nursing home, my deep appreciation to all those carers, nurses, RSL and service club providers (I had wondered where the Kit Kats were mysteriously appearing from), church groups, musicians, performers, students and so many others freely giving their time to make the lives of others more bearable. 

We are truly blessed here in the Southern Highlands to have so many of these people and to be living in such a wonderful environment (we even have a great mayoral team).

Love must always triumph over hate.

Bruce Mumford

Moss Vale