On being a cultural ambassador
- 5 Aug 2015
Vivien Harris shares her passion for Brisbane as a Brisbane Greeter and tells how the Greeters program enriches everyone’s experience of the city, including its vibrant cultural life.
How did you find out about Brisbane Greeters and why did you decide to become a volunteer?
I was having coffee with my mother after visiting the William Robinson Gallery in Old Government House at Gardens Point when I noticed a small group of people at a nearby table wearing t-shirts emblazoned with Brisbane Greeters. As someone who frequently takes our overseas visitors on personalised tours of Brisbane, I went over and introduced myself. When I found out what they did, I was sold straight away and joined shortly afterwards. I became a Brisbane Greeter because I love sharing Brisbane with others, be they locals or visitors from interstate or overseas. I value the rich Indigenous and broader cultural heritage Brisbane has, especially through the arts, but also the green spaces for public leisure and relaxation.
Why do you think programs like Brisbane Greeters are important to the city?
I think that programs like the Brisbane Greeters enrich everyone’s experience of the city, even we locals who have lived here all our lives. Local residents are equally amazed as I am at how much there is to see and do here. They often comment that they never knew the city had so much to offer. The Greeters program brings the city alive in intangible ways – moving people’s perceptions beyond the shopping and commercial benefits of the city to a wider and richer appreciation of the artistic, cultural, aesthetic, botanical and intellectual dimensions it offers.
How do different participants respond to the program – visitors, locals, new residents?
One of the most commonly expressed reactions I experience on my Greets is that Brisbane feels so leisurely, so relaxed and so friendly in comparison to other big cities. They also comment about its world-class arts scene. This feeling imbues them with a desire to spend more time here and to return in the future. On one of my Greets, a group of Americans and Europeans off a cruise ship halfway through their journey around the world said Brisbane was the highlight of their journey and that they all wanted to come back one day. I was so proud of Brisbane to hear this!
Brisbane certainly has arrived on the world stage in the arts, not only by attracting international art exhibitions to the Queensland Art Gallery l Gallery of Modern Art, but also by attracting performing artists from around the world, as well as having a lively local arts scene. The genesis of this can, to a significant degree, be attributed to Brisbane hosting World Expo in 1988, when our city experienced an influx of millions of visitors from interstate and overseas. Many of the artworks, particularly sculptures, created by well-known Australian and international artists from World Expo ‘88 are now situated in our city for people to enjoy.
Artworks include the large installation in the open space between the Magistrate’s Court and the Supreme Court, Eyes are Singing Out, by the famous Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. Numerous artworks around the city created by acclaimed Australian and international artists give Brisbane its reputation as a city noted for its public art, including the famous signal boxes. Apart from joining a ‘Greet’ on one of the art trails, you can find out more by visiting Brisbane City Council’s website.
What do you find the most rewarding part of being a Greeter and what would you say to anyone thinking of becoming involved?
The most rewarding part of being a Greeter is meeting people from all over the world and sharing our wonderful city including its arts and culture with them. I have also been on Greets overseas as a visitor to cities in the wider Greeter network and feel the enthusiasm these Greeters have for their cities. Visitors come back to these cities because they’ve had an inspiring time. If anyone is interested in becoming a Brisbane Greeter, I suggest going on some Greets and experiencing for themselves the rich and varied pleasures of Brisbane – Australia’s new world city!
Now in its 4th year of operation, the popular Brisbane Greeters program has grown from 12 volunteers into a strong team of 200. Whether you’re a local, here on business, a student, visiting or choosing Brisbane as your new home, Brisbane Greeters look forward to meeting you. To find out more, visit the Brisbane Greeters website.
Vivien Harris is a volunteer Greeter with Brisbane Marketing, Brisbane City Council. Prior to this she was a university lecturer in early childhood arts education and an early childhood researcher and teacher. As a Brisbane Greeter, she now brings her passion for the arts to the wider community. Vivien is a keen photographer and has mounted two photography exhibitions in recent years at the Richard Randall Art Gallery and at the Royal Queensland Art Society Gallery, with images inspired by the elements of art in nature and in diverse cultures of the world. She has won some local awards for her photography and her photos have appeared in calendars and early childhood teaching publications.
Feature image supplied by Brisbane Marketing