Lismore's annual Lantern Parade has never missed a beat in its 30-year history, despite devastating floods and the COVID pandemic. Now it's one of four locations around the world selected for a global study on revelry and resilience.
Researchers from Canada are trying to understand how a festival can help or hinder a community and its recovery after a disaster.How soon is too soon to dip your toes back into fun after a traumatic experience?
For three decades the Lismore Lantern Parade has been a light in the lives of people in the north-east of NSW.Dr van Winkle, an associate professor in kinesiology and recreation management at Canada's University of Manitoba, and her team are in Australia to research the effects of Lismore's Lantern Parade, which celebrated its 30th year on Saturday.
"However, in other communities, they will say it's never too soon to come back together and have a healing experience. Canadian PhD researcher Kiri Shafto said she was struck by how readily people were willing to talk on the evening of the festival."It seems to be a lynch pin, coming through COVID and then the flood and then to see the Lantern Parade be able to go ahead, it almost was a relief to people," Ms Shafto said.For Lismore business owner Deborah Ray, the parade has been essential to her recovery and she even timed the re-opening of her flood-ravaged store, Music Bizarre, with the 2022 parade.
"People who have maybe been displaced or chosen to leave, seemed to have come back to the Lantern Parade to re-connect."If you can to a community which is still very much in recovery mode, then you are doing something right," Ms Shafto said.Northern Rivers towns pull out all the stops for Anzac Day despite devastating floods'We got the wrong sperm': Anastasia and Lexie are living an IVF nightmare.
Parade Festival Disaster Recovery Revelry And Resilience Study Manitoba University Christine Van Winkle Lismore Lantern Parade Floods 2022 Floods
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