Tumbalong Lights, Vivid Sydney’s magical inclusive playground
It was nearly a year ago to the day that James Patterson, Chief Executive Australia and New Zealand and Anna Town, Head of Strategic Marketing at Cushman & Wakefield first conceptualised Tumbalong Lights.
They were at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, facilitating a ‘hackathon’ style ideation session as the inaugural access and inclusion partners for Vivid Sydney.
It was in this room, surrounded by 100 colleagues, industry peers, leaders in inclusion and disability specialists that James and Anna realised, to their dismay not all children and their families could easily participate in Vivid Sydney.
This realisation, and the desire to make real change has driven a 12-month journey for Destination NSW and Cushman & Wakefield to help make Vivid Sydney as accessible as possible.
Cushman & Wakefield called upon likeminded clients and colleagues to help undertake this mammoth task, and were joined by Vivid Sydney Light Contributors and corporate partners; ARA Group, Australia Post, Charter Hall, Stockland and Westpac. A team of leading Australian brands who collaborated to celebrate the beauty of differences and the joy of play that unites all, regardless of ability.
Also engaged were inclusive play experts, early intervention specialists, government bodies, autism spectrum and sensory consultants and some of Australia’s best light artists and creative minds.
Following a year of hard work, Vivid Sydney 2018 will be home to ‘Tumbalong Lights, Vivid Sydney’s magical inclusive playground’. Housed in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, Tumbalong Lights is a place to be immersed and inspired by the magic of the sea. Designed for all children and the young at heart, the 4 installations are built around inclusive design principles to allow the exploration of light, colour and sensory experiences.
It’s this kind of collaborative effort and inclusive thinking that saw Cushman & Wakefield recently awarded the Property Council of Australia Innovation and Excellency Award for Diversity.
Commenting on the win, James Patterson, Chief Executive said “We have a culture of inclusion that permeates all levels of the organisation and we will continue to make strong statements around diversity in our industry. We make it a priority to demonstrate we are an organisation with a human heart, one that celebrates and supports diversity”.
Visit www.cwtumbalonglights.com to learn more, book complimentary low sensory and tactile tours and special access zone passes for families who have children with a disability or specific access requirements. Vivid Sydney runs May 25 to June 16 from 6-11pm nightly.
Artists’ impression – Tumbalong Lights
James Patterson and Anna Town testing ‘Enchanted Garden’ in Tumbalong Lights
Testing and preview night with students from Fisher Road School