Published on 22 February 2023
A pearler of an event
This week sees the return of council’s flagship youth event series, Regen, with the Coachella-inspired, Flamingo Fiesta at Reynella’s Base 10 Youth Centre on Friday 24 February (5–8pm).
Think live music, art, fun activities, break demos, arcade games, festival glitter jewels and youth markets at a free boutique festival specifically designed for young people aged 12 to 17 years. There’ll be food and beverages available, and door prizes for best festival fashion.
The next Regen event will then be held eight days later at Aldinga’s Studio 20 Youth Centre on Saturday 4 March (5–8pm), with the circus-inspired Lime-Light—both free events held as part of the Adelaide Fringe.
Lime-Light will feature live performances from South Coast Circus, interactive art activities, food, beverages a live DJ and glitter bar face-painting, with the carnival vibes also specifically designed for 12-17-year-olds.
On the eve of the events—just two of the seven being held across Onkaparinga as part of a revamped Regen—we spoke with one of the young organisers, Happy Valley’s Pearl George (pictured), who has helped plan the events through a partnership between TAFE SA and the Onkaparinga Youth.
ONKAPARINGA NOW (O NOW): What can you tell us about Flamingo Fiesta and Lime-Light?
PEARL: I think the offerings are amazing. The concepts of carnival and fiesta themes are awesome and the fact that the events are part of The Fringe and City of Onkaparinga is bringing The Fringe to the south is so great.
O NOW: Tell us about how you got involved with organising the events?
PEARL: Through knowing Jo and Carly who work for Onkaparinga’s Youth Team, I was encouraged to apply for the Event Management Course (Cert III in Events), which is facilitated by City of Onkaparinga and TAFESA. I was successful, and as a part of that I’ve been fortunate to be a part of planning and implementing events for the Regen Series.
O NOW: What kinds of things do you learn in your course, and how do you plan to use your accreditation in future?
PEARL: I learnt how to plan and implement events including how to work well in a team, problem solve, budget, promotion skills and basically all the things you need to know to create an event. I also made some good friends. The first part of the course is six units of Cert III in Events, and I’m planning to enrol to complete the seven remaining units this year.
O NOW: Why are events such as these so important for Onkaparinga youth?
PEARL: I think it’s a great chance to get out the house, meet new people and have fun. The fact they are free events and are local is awesome.
O NOW: What advice would you give to any young people looking to get into event management, or those who want to plan/host their own events?
My advice would be the event management course is really hands-on and a great course to see how events are created. It’s also great be a part of the community and be a part of young people planning events for young people. The course facilitators are really helpful and make it easy to learn, but also make it fun at the same time.
Book your free tickets to Flamingo Fiesta and Lime-Light now, and visit City of Onkaparinga’s website for more information on studying the Event Management Course with TAFE SA.