Back on Track: Positive Attention to Road Safety and Behaviour Change using the Power of Theatre | QLD
Planz Town Planning, JUTE Theatre Company, Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council, Isaac Drandic (playwright)
This program delivers innovative messages and highly effective engagement with communities. Through the Dare to Dream Program, young people learn about road safety and citizenship by performances featuring positive stories about Indigenous experience and Indigenous professionals as role models.
The educational materials are clear, the engagement with vulnerable youth is to be applauded and the approach Jute Theatre uses is original. The real value to this approach lies with children producing an outcome and helping to lead a conversation with the community about safety. The innovative approach has applicability various planning matters and challenges at a national level. The ability to reach often less engaged demographics is particularly commendable.
The fact that the program has been touring for five (5) years and is changing lives is to be applauded and that’s what good planning should deliver. The program demonstrates that planners can deliver a highly engaging program by understanding the opportunities and bringing diverse groups together, not only to deliver land use planning outcomes, but importantly to improve community wellbeing too.
The creative approach to explaining planning and road safety in a way that resonates with the community, along with the adaptability of the program at a national level is worthy of receiving the award for Community Wellbeing and Diversity.