Festival of Small Halls Resilience Tour to celebrate Southern Downs community bushfire resilience

The Southern Downs community will unite at the event, which organisers say is designed to both spark joy and offer resilience and survival strategies for when natural disasters hit.

Eleanor Rigden producer of the Festival of Small Halls. Photo: Patrick Woods / Sunshine Coast Daily

An upcoming music festival is set to bring the Southern Downs community together to offer support and educational advice about bushfire resilience through music.

Producer Eleanor Rigden said the Festival of Small Halls Resilience Tour is a regional festival that uses the power of music to bring people together to openly discuss the recovery from natural disasters.

“Festival of Small Halls celebrates the best in communities – the courage, the hospitality, the sense of kinship and looking out for your mates,” she said.

“We’ve seen so many communities use Festival of Small Halls shows to bring folks together, celebrate their resilience and treat each other to a good night out at the local hall.”

Ms Rigden said the inspiration came from the Glen Aplin community who created a show last year to engage the community and prepare for bushfire season.

“Spookily, the preparation came in handy as just a few days later the bushfire returned to the Southern Downs,” she said.

“After hearing members of the community had picked up survival strategies at the show – while still floating out of a wonderful show feeling like magic – we knew we could use this model to further support communities,” she said.

As part of the show the audience will have the opportunity to get to know their local rural fire brigade team and hear about how to get ready for the next bushfire season, while also listening to performances by two folk and contemporary acoustic artists.

Country musician and songwriter Paddy McHugh said getting the chance to tour small rural communities during uncertain times would be rewarding.

“The chance to connect with people, sing and share stories is exactly what we all need right now, and I feel overjoyed to be able to share in the magic that is the Small Halls tour,” he said.

Fellow singer Sue Ray said she was looking forward to the community involvement and the building excitement.

“The resilience that rural communities have through flood, fire and pestilence is inspiring for all Australians, and we’ve experienced so much this past year and a half, so it’s incredible to be back on the road,” she said.

“I can‘t wait to share (music) in front of country audiences, which are traditionally so warm and generous.”

The show will visit 10 Southern Downs communities, including Glen Aplin, Eukey, Wallangarra, Dalveen, Cunningham, Leyburn, Allora, Freestone, Karara and Mount Colliery.

The Festival of Small Halls Resilience Tour begins on September 1. To book tickets follow this link.