Night Rec

NightRec is a program of activities and events in public spaces that young people access on Friday and Saturday nights. The focus is on areas that face community safety issues. These could include property crime, violence, vandalism, alcohol or substance misuse.

We want to ensure that Brisbane is safe and friendly, so that residents of all ages and suburbs can enjoy the lifestyle that we’ve come to love.

The program aims to:
1. Develop sustainable local partnerships that model effective responses to local community safety issues involving young people
2. Provide diversionary and harm minimisation activities for young people exhibiting risk-taking and harmful behaviours (ie binge drinking, violence, aggression, abuse, intoxication etc)
3. Increase the community’s sense of safety in CBD and suburban hotspots effected by ongoing issues relating to young people and public space.

Since October 2009, the following activities have been organised:NightSafeThe NightSafe trial provided a safe, space for young people to seek support when intoxicated, anxious, victimised or injured. The space was supported onsite by Queensland Police and Ambulance Services, and was connected to Chaplain Watch, CityCare, St Johns and local clubs and venues. Tested throughout the peak time of December / January (including New Years Eve), NightSafe responded to close to sixty young people aged 18-30, fifteen percent of whom were escalated onto authorities (including Queensland Police and Queensland Ambulance).

Street Circus

Working primarily with young people who are regularly sleeping out in Brisbane’s CBD, Street Circus offers the opportunity for young people at risk to participate in a social, healthy and recreational manner with their peers. Professional facilitators experienced with working with vulnerable communities delivers personal training and support, encouraging young people to develop aspects of teamwork, camaraderie, confidence, commitment and positive body language and touching. Circus as a sport is inclusive, requiring little specialised equipment, where participants’ confidence and imagination are their only limitations. Held Saturday evenings in King George Square, Street Circus uses a combination of costumes, equipment and music, offering a highly visual and dynamic activity to passers-by. Members of the public of all ages regularly become involved in encouraging and even working with participants, delivering a unique opportunity for these often feared and ostracised young people to recreate with people from all walks life.

(VI) UpLate

Activating BCC’s Visible Ink space on Friday evenings, VI UpLate provides music, art and dance opportunities for young people who otherwise, by their own admissions, would be ‘drinking in a park’ around Brisbane’s CBD. Food and transport forms an essential component to this activity, minimising participants likelihood to become involved in opportunistic crime such as fare evasion, shoplifting and even muggings and assaults. Participants have responded to the opportunity of expanding their creative talents, regularly turning up to activities, complying with our mandate that activities are drug and alcohol free, and even connecting with the space during the week to continue their creative talents in music, writing and recording.

Acting Out

Held in King George Square on a Thursday evening, participants are encouraged to develop their confidence, communication skills and teamwork by working with facilitators to provide impromptu skits and theatrical performances to members of the public on their transit from the office to home. Outcomes for this activity include both positive effects on the young person (in terms of improved mental health, physical health, teamwork, communication, confidence and independence), but also positive effects on the community (in terms of improved perceptions of young people, increased sense of safety, and positive experience within Brisbane’s public spaces).

Outreach

The Chermside precinct has been identified as an area of interest under NightRec. This is supported by local business and the Queensland Police Service who continue to witness the shopping precinct in particular, used as a regular hang out spot for young people who travel as far as Woodridge to meet others, and less positively, to engage in antisocial activities. In conjunction with Visible Ink Zillmere, outreach activities occurred which resulted in consultation with over 300 young people in and around the precinct regarding their views on safety and socialisation of young people in the area. As a result of this, Friday night activities are currently being negotiated to provide a local source of entertainment and recreation for local young people.

TouchKick

Following consultation with young people in the Chermside precinct, it was identified that marginalised young people lack opportunities to engage in sporting / recreational activities due to issues surrounding finances, carer support and transport. In partnership with local youth agency Jabiru, NightRec is supporting a team of young people from the Chermside (and surrounding) area to participate in a local TouchKick competition on Thursday evenings. Further to the health and social benefits experienced by these young people, this activity supports the broader community by targeting young people who are prone to engage in delinquent behaviour and diverting them into a healthy recreational activity.

ReForm

The ReForm project worked with young people who identified as regular users of King George Square of an evening, engaging them in the development of an arts installation to coincide with Youth Week. Artists from Reverse Garbage, and qualified youth workers supported this process, enabling young homeless people to convert recycled goods into an eye-catching artwork displayed to the public.

Activating the Valley PCYC

Recognising the number of indigenous young people who frequent the Valley on Saturday nights, NightRec in conjunction with PCYC and Queensland Police is trialing a six week activities project throughout May and June in the Valley PCYC. This project will offer indigenous young people an opportunity to participate in art and recreational activities with a cultural flavour, and showcases this venue to young people who otherwise may not know about this space.

Want to know more… If you are a young person who wants to be kept informed of other NightRec activities, simply join the Visible Ink Facebook group at www.facebook.com or email your name and mobile number to jonty.bush@brisbane.qld.gov.au

If you have ideas about what you’d like to see on a Friday and Saturday night around Brisbane, simply email them through to jonty.bush@brisbane.qld.gov.au