2007 Media Releases
Thursday 26 September, 2007
La Trobe health promotion socks it to Melbourne - Fringe Festival project supports Oxfam and Cambodian land mine victims
Will Angelina Jolie’s sock arrive in time for a La Trobe University event that links public health promotion and the arts during Melbourne’s Fringe Festival, from 29 September to 8 October 2007?
La Trobe University Health Sciences’ students have so far mobilised odd socks from various people including Essendon footballer Michael Long, Backyard Blitz’s Jamie Durie, the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier, and members of the Choir of Hard Knocks.
It’s all part of an innovative installation for the Festival called ‘OddSocks’, brain child of lecturer in Public Health, Dr Priscilla Robinson.
‘Angelina Jolie has been asked to donate a sock because the event supports a University initiative that teaches prosthetics skills to Cambodians to help landmine victims. The program is carried out by La Trobe staff and student volunteers,’ says Dr Robinson.
The centrepiece of ‘Odd Socks’ is a typical Australian backyard clothesline. People from all walks of life will be invited to peg a sock on the line and tell its story. Diabetic educators, podiatrists, physiotherapists and public health professionals will be on hand at various times to provide health information.
‘Half of all Australians will suffer from some sort of foot problem,’ says Dr Robinson. ‘Many people work on their feet and need special attention. So do children, older people, people with diabetes, and those who use their feet for sport and recreation. Good foot health is important to everyone and so are socks.’
At the end of the Festival the socks will be raffled in aid of next year’s Oxfam Trailwalker Challenge and La Trobe’s Prosthetics and Orthotics unit to help with its work in Cambodia.
The La Trobe ‘OddSocks’ installation will be on display during the Festival in the forecourt of StPaul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, from 10am until 7pm.
- Morning sessions will feature activities for children. They will be able to colour in pictures of socks, play with sock puppets and tell stories about how their odd sock became separated while parents learn about foot care for children.
- Lunchtime will be for city workers and shoppers, to rest their feet and find out about health promotion, physiotherapy, podiatry and team-building activities such as Oxfam Trailwalker, while they peg their socks to the line.
- Afternoons it will be the place to ‘hang out’ and meet other ‘OddSockers’ on the way home from work or school, while picking up health information for ‘significant elders’ in their lives.
Further information
Contact Dr Priscilla Robinson, Tel: 0409 020 937 Email: priscilla.robinson@latrobe.edu.au