City of Newcastle shines a light on seniors for statewide festival
Newcastle high school students will be talking tech with seniors as part of an intergenerational IT lesson being rolled out at Newcastle Museum next week during the NSW Seniors Festival.
The digital-focused “lunch and learn”, designed to help seniors become more confident using their devices, is among 50 events and activities being delivered by City of Newcastle and local community organisations as part of the state-wide celebrations, which run from 3 to 16 March.
Chair of the Community and Culture Strategic Advisory Committee Cr Jenny Barrie said City of Newcastle is committed to fostering inclusivity and connection through the comprehensive local program for the NSW Seniors Festival, which this year is themed “Time to Shine”.
"From accessible fitness activities like chair yoga to woodworking or garden tool repair workshops, there is something for seniors to engage, connect with, and discover new passions," Cr Barrie said.
"City of Newcastle is proud to collaborate with leading community organisations for this inclusive celebration, fostering community connections, promoting health and wellbeing, and honouring the invaluable knowledge and experience seniors bring to our city."
The program will kick off with a buzz of activity at the free Seniors Festival Expo on 4 March at McDonald Jones Stadium, featuring live music, interactive demonstrations and up to 50 exhibitors with a range of City of Newcastle services and facilities represented.
The Hamilton clocktower building on Beaumont Street has become a vibrant one-stop hub of information, inspiration and interaction in the lead up to and during the festival, after being temporarily transformed into Shine Central by Hunter Ageing Alliance. The space will host a series of seniors-friendly events during the festival.
Other festival events include art talks from Newcastle Art Gallery staff, and a special dementia-friendly reminiscence program at Newcastle Museum with a performance from City of Newcastle’s Community Group of the Year, The Unforgettables Choir.
Newcastle Libraries will host a range of community sessions, featuring lantern-making workshops, expert-led discussions from Hearing Australia, and informative sessions on fall prevention and stroke awareness.
The festival is curated by the City of Newcastle, alongside the Newcastle Seniors Reference Group. For more information and the full program of events on CN's website at https://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/community/our-community/seniors/seniors-festival-2025
