MEDIA CALL – WEDNESDAY 2 AUGUST 10AM – MACQUARIE ST
Wesley Mission shines the theatrical spotlight on gambling harm and a unique road to recovery
Wesley Mission, in conjunction with theatrical group Three Sides of the Coin, is hitting the stage in a one-off performance that puts a human face to the horror of gambling harm.
Performing as part of Wesley Mission’s Put Pokies in their Place campaign, Three Sides of a Coin uses theatrical story-telling with people who have experienced gambling harm, to creatively express their journeys into darkness and their process of healing and recovery.
Three Sides of the Coin Rehearsal - filming, photography and interview opportunities with performers and Artistic Director and Wesley Mission GM, Jim Wackett
When: Wednesday 2 August 2023
Time: 10.00am
Venue: Ferguson Hall, St Stephen’s Church, Macquarie St Sydney (opposite Parliament House)
Available for interview – Three Sides of the Coin
CAROLYN
A gambling addiction led Carolyn to prison, she shares her story to show others that she has survived one of the worst times in her life. She is grateful for the support of her sons, grandchildren and long term friends during her journey of recovery. Now a strong advocate for change, Carolyn has been featured in the media, in print, on radio and TV. Her story shocks people and shows that a gambling addiction can happen to anyone.
ANNA
Retired businesswoman, grandmother, writer, performer, singer, original member of the group and recipient of a 2019 Victorian Senior of the Year Award for her tireless advocacy to prevent gambling harm.
Anna lost more than ten years of her life to the pokies. She tells her emotional story in an empowering and uplifting way, speaking honestly about the shame of being a gambler and the struggle of recovery.
Anna has numerous media and speaking credits including the ABC production ‘You Can’t Ask That’.
SUNENNA
A survivor of gambling harm after her life was turned upside-down by her partner’s gambling addiction, Sunenna shares her lived experience through performance art. In her book, The Journey of a Gambler’s Wife, she tells her tale of struggle to freedom. Through speaking engagements and interviews, she uses her voice to say – there is a way out.
Catherine Simmonds OAM
Artistic Director
For three decades Catherine has provided people with a creative space in which to ‘discover the need to speak and speak the unspoken’. Catherine’s focus is the space between the ‘lived experiences’ of communities and the language of art. Catherine leads the creative process that enables participants to embody and transform their experiences of shame and hurt into powerful acts of performance.
Quotes attributable to Wesley Mission CEO, Rev Stu Cameron
Wesley Mission CEO, Rev Stu Cameron, says Three sides of the Coin have become passionate advocates for gambling reform and have raised the curtain on gambling harm as a public health crisis - a crisis that has its foundations in grassroots communities.
“Their powerful story telling of lived experience ignites conversations about the impact of gambling in our community and its links to alcohol, drugs, mental health and family violence.
“We know that gambling harm lies behind so many of the social justice issues we all respond to, but it’s one thing to know that on paper, it’s another to be reminded in our hearts. And that’s where Three Sides of the Coin excel in showcasing the reality of the human face of gambling harm.”
ENDS
Media enquiries
Anne Holt Wesley Mission Public Affairs and Advocacy 0418 628 342 anne.holt@wesleymission.org.au