Children’s festivals part of pattern of community life in Lane Cove 

Children’s festivals in Lane Cove, Sydney are providing the opportunity to build vibrant communities focused on the moral education of young people. 

Held during the school holiday periods, the festivals are engaging an increasing number of households from the area in a process that is centred on building capacity, serving one’s neighbourhood, and building genuine friendships. 

Children’s class team member Shaida Ataii says the Lane Cove team has been organising the children’s festivals over the past four years as they learn to work together in groups of families. 

Shaida says the spaces were an ideal forum to strengthen bonds of friendship, meet new families, and engage in conversations about moral education. 

“People are always thinking about the education of their children and what’s best for their kids,” she says. “And that conversation can occur really naturally in that space and after that space. 

“People are looking at how to build positive communities around their children, so this is where the focus of our community-building activities has been when we are trying to serve in Lane Cove.” 

The festivals typically engage up to 110 people and feature music, singing, arts and crafts and collaborative games. The most recent festival focused on contentment and featured a special children’s yoga session, catered lunch and glitter tattoos. 

Shaida says while many of those who attend the festivals are existing friends who participate in the regular children’s classes, it was important to create relationships with new families and extend the reach of the Baha’i moral education process.   

Leading up to the festival, the core team focuses on inviting more friends along by letterboxing, having conversations in the local park, and sharing flyers across social media and in newsletters and local daycares. 

“Some may commit to coming to the children’s festivals regularly but not the children’s classes, so it’s a good mix,” Shaida says. 

“It’s an opportunity to meet new families and new friends around something a little bit elevated.” 

Both the Baha’is and their friends assist with the facilitation of the festivals, coordinating arts and crafts stations and various activities. Shaida says this has opened the opportunity for a diversity of people to take ownership of the entire educational process. 

“As a Baha’i community, we have to think about how our forums and spaces are outward focused and welcoming of participants from all walks of life,” she says. 

“It starts small and gets bigger and bigger with the community itself spreading the word and bringing others in and that’s when it starts to become a normal pattern of life.” 

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