A letter from Jo

Hello!

What time was it when you read or heard the word “unprecedented” (in a bad way) today? In our household it’s a grim Whamageddon-esque challenge … most days it’s #unprecedented by 7:30am. The record was around 4pm, but no one was listening to the radio or TV much that day because we couldn’t take the news.

Of course, it was a year of firsts, and I’m categorically not making light of sorrow, loss and troubles caused by bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. I can’t do any better than the beautiful end-of-year messages flowing through my email and social media channels which reflect an urge to send love and make sense of genuinely huge experiences. Some messages note relief and pride in the resilience of their communities; others are more reserved, indicating persistent uncertainty and danger.

My own sense-making is to take those messages of love and concern to heart while urging you to act, if you can, to address the systemic inequalities that yawned particularly widely this year. “See” someone who feels invisible, attend events, help someone connect to others, if you can afford it pay full price to small businesses or sole traders, contribute your time or other resources, investigate signs of injury or distress …it goes on, but you get the message I’m sure.

In 2021 the QVWC will continue to amplify the voices of people who seek equality and facilitate social connectedness in support of social equity. You’ll see from the interview below that intern Maddison Chisholm will be taking over our social media channels in January – look out for some great reading recommendations. We will also be rolling out fun: podcasts, a “live” exhibition of the works created for Make A Fuss, discussions, events and more. We will also publish our Reconciliation Action Plan.

On behalf of the QVWC staff, a GIGANTIC thank you to those who keep us all afloat always.

Jo

PS: The picture above is of a message written on the table cloth at one of the Centre’s events. I transcribed the table cloths recently and this one REALLY hit the spot on a dark day.