Benalla Migrants Association’s volunteers have been working tirelessly to bring a new school holiday program to Benalla this school holiday season.
The program is promoting dancing lessons and a free healthy lunch to school-aged children and youths up to 25 years of age.
The program is free for all attendees and funded through a grant from the Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria.
BMA is excited to announce its school holiday program for this term which will be held on Friday, June 30, and Thursday, July 6.
BMA president Cr Puna Gunaratne said the group was delighted to bring this to Benalla, providing a good quality school holiday program with a wide range of free dancing lessons for children and youths.
“(I am) grateful to BMA volunteers, especially the project director Ms Alice Crichton who has designed the program, applied to the government grant, and is now coordinating (it),” Cr Gunaratne said.
“BMA also appreciate the support from Mrs Sabine Smyth, the Hume Regional Advisory Council (Victorian Multicultural Commission) member, for informing us about this Victorian Government grant.”
The program will be held once a week during the winter school holidays at the Benalla P-12 Faithfull St campus’s Performing Arts Centre.
On Friday, June 30, from 10am to noon Tiya Dane Troupe, Melbourne, will conduct Bollywood dance session for children aged five to 12.
Later that day, from 1pm to 3pm, dance instructors will conduct the Bollywood dance session for young people aged 13 to 18.
On Thursday, July 6, from 10am to noon dancing Instructors from Shali and Shani Performing Arts Australia will conduct Sri Lankan dance session for children aged five to 12.
From 1pm to 3pm dance instructors will conduct the Sri Lankan dance session for those aged 13 to 18.
BMA is providing free fruit snacks and a catered lunch for all school-aged children attending the session.
All attending the daytime sessions are invited for lunch which will be served from noon to 1pm.
Cr Gunaratne said that BMA was looking forward to sharing South Asian-style food with all attendees on the day to fill ‘baddaginnie’ tummies and energise attendees — baddaginnie is not just a local town, it is also the Sinhala word for hungry.
There will be finger food and non-alcoholic beverages for all to enjoy at the young adult’s evening session.
For those aged 18-24 BMA is also offering a Latin music program.
Attendees can come along and hear salsa dance beats and learn to move like Marc Anthony.
The Latin music program sessions will run on June 30 and July 6 at Benalla P-12 College’s Faithfull S campus Performing Arts Centre, with doors opening at 5pm .
Cr Gunaratne said BMA was very excited to announce the program and glad that it could support Benalla parents, children, and youth by providing school holiday activities to attend free of charge.
The program will continue in every school holiday up to term three of 2024.
“It is a great opportunity for the youth in Benalla to try out different music, dance and social interactions,” Cr Gunaratne said.
Booking can be made through Eventbritet via Benalla Migrant Association Facebook page.
For more information contact Benalla Migrants Association via benalla.migrants.association@gmail.com