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Child safety game on show in exhibition
The University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery will kick off its 2009 program with two community-based exhibitions to be officially opened at 6pm on Thursday 19 February.
Queensland Police Service (QPS) Regional Crime Prevention Coordinator Senior Sergeant Tony Sinn will open the Being Safety Smart exhibition that will feature demonstrations of a recently-launched online safety awareness game for children.
Guest speaker will be the game’s creator, Dr Christian Jones, who is a Senior Lecturer in Interactive Digi-Media at USC.
Dr Jones said QPS had funded the Being Safety Smart initiative to provide an education resource for primary schools. The game is being trialled on the Sunshine Coast before a likely state-wide release.
“Being Safety Smart is designed to raise the awareness of children to situations which might impact on their personal safety,” he said. “It is designed to give them strategies to act appropriately and with confidence.
“The online resource went live February 4 and we invite schools to register with us so they can start using the resource with their children. By having it in the USC Gallery, parents and teachers can see how it works.”
Members of the public and school groups will be encouraged to try out the game online at the gallery. Support information for parents and teachers will be available.
USC Gallery Curator Dawn Oelrich said this project had involved many groups and individuals, including the Queensland Police Service, the University, Chancellor State College, Education Queensland, The Daniel Morcombe Foundation and Always Interactive e-marketing and web design.
The second exhibition, NoWhere … NowHere, will be presented by a community group called the NoWhere Art Group.
“This is a group of Sunshine Coast artists who present new media, stencil and street art that does not vandalise property,” Ms Oelrich said.
“The Collective runs events for young people that promote new art styles and will often take place in venues such as multi-deck car parks, alleyways, transit centres, basketball halls and shop fronts and will include visual and performing arts.
“Key to the events will be careful planning that enables freedom for improvisation.”
Both exhibitions will be open to the public from Monday 16 February until March 21. Schools can arrange class tours Ms Oelrich on 5459 4633.