On Friday morning I was pleased to host a Mayoral Reception in honour of Urban Theatre Projects (UTP). In recognition of their tremendous contribution to the Arts in both Bankstown and Western Sydney, UTP have become the first Australian company to be selected for the prestigious National Arts Festival in South Africa with their production The Football Diaries. The reception was an opportunity to thank the supporters and sponsors of UTP. The Football Diaries is a solo work created by Ahilan Ratnamohan and will also be performed at the Festival for Hope event in Johannesburg, and South Africa's premier Market Theatre. The production combines Ahil's enthusiasm for soccer and the Arts and is based on his experiences in seeking a professional football career in Europe. Congratulations to Urban Theatre Projects for their ongoing commitment to supporting rising talent. On behalf of the City, we wish them all the best. We were honoured to have Federal Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, The Hon Peter Garrett MP, join us for the reception. Jason Clare MP, Daryl Melham MP, Helen Westwood MLC, Deputy Mayor Khal Asfour, and Councillors Pam Gavin and Michael Tadros were also amongst the guests.
Last week I officially opened the Steps to Employment Workshop at the Town Hall. There were various information stalls and programmed activities focussed on equipping job seekers with the appropriate skills needed to find employment. The event had been organised by the Melkite Welfare Association in partnership with Bankstown City Council, Metro Migrant Resource Centre, Greenacre Area Neighbourhood Centre, Centrelink and TAFE.
On Thursday night, various agencies came together at the Town Hall for the Government Services One-Stop. Residents from across Bankstown made the most of the opportunity to discuss issues with key service providers. The evening was a demonstration of the three levels of government working together for the community. Bankstown Council sponsored the event and I was pleased to join Jason Clare MP and Tony Stewart MP in lending my support to the initiative.
Thank you to Clr Gavin for representing me on Saturday night at the 112th Anniversary of Philippine Independence at Maxims Restaurant.