Soma Play @ The Hub
Known onsite as “Chill Vibes,” this program has been delivered every year since 2018 and is now part of The Hub’s regular calendar of activities. Funded by the City of Stonnington and our Community Wellbeing Fund, we are now in our 7th year of service delivery at Horace Petty Estate.
Our Partner
‘The Hub’ refers to the Prahran Child and Youth Community Wellbeing Hub at Horace Petty Estate. It is one of the services offered by Stonnington Youth Services for children aged 5-12 years who live in public housing in the South Yarra and Prahran areas.
Collective Being has been partnering with the Hub since 2018, making this partnership one of our most enduring and long-term community engagements. This partnership has taken many forms over the years, including restorative yoga for mums and bubs, adapted online programming for children during pandemic lockdowns, and our long-term Chill Vibes program, profiled here.
The Program
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Every Monday throughout the school terms, we deliver our Soma Play Program as an after-school program for The Hub.
Soma Play is a gentle introduction to age-appropriate and trauma-informed movement, mindfulness, and breath practices, art-based activities and games. The focus of this program is on building positive experiences of self-regulation, co-regulation, and play through movement and mindfulness.
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For children aged 5-12 years who live onsite at the Horace Petty public housing estate. Many of the participating children have experienced trauma related to asylum-seeking journeys and forced migration, as well as the intergenerational impacts of trauma.
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Collective Being facilitators, Phil and Alexia, work collaboratively with Hub staff to create a stable, playful and engaging environment for children.
Bringing their skills as trauma-informed somatics practitioners and group-work facilitators, Phil and Alexia ensure that rhythm and structure are central to all sessions, whilst also enabling space for play and curiosity.
Most often, sessions involve starting with energy-expending activities (like movement and games), before settling into rest.
The Outcomes
As of 2024, over 150 children have participated in Chill Vibes.
Since its beginning, the facilitators of Chill Vibes have creatively adapted to the changing contexts (such as COVID-19 lockdowns) as well as different interests and needs of each group. Over the 7 years that we have partnered with the team at Stonnington Youth, we have learnt how to collaborate and adapt our programs based on the changing needs of those who access the services onsite. Program staff have frequently reflected that Chill Vibes is the only program offered onsite that focuses on regulation, relaxation and “chill” play.
What Children Say
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“One of my favourite moments facilitating Chill Vibes was when a child came up to me and said ‘I feel so relaxed’. There is nothing better than hearing that a child who lives in a busy environment has had an opportunity to relax, and is able to share that feeling. It made me feel so proud of myself and of what we do. I couldn’t have been happier!”
- Phil, Chill Vibes Facilitator