10 Oct, 2024

Council swings in to help mental health

City of Adelaide has installed a giant bright yellow swing in Victoria Square to promote wellbeing as part of Mental Health Month.

Known as SWING, the free 9m-high structure has been brought to South Australia from Melbourne as part of the City of Adelaide’s ongoing activation program for the CBD and North Adelaide.

Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said she hoped SWING would attract visitors into the city to shop and enjoy other events during October such as Adelaide Fashion Week, Chihuly and the Adelaide Film Festival.

“SWING also will be very close to the Adelaide Central Market so families can have a swing and go shopping while city workers can take time out from their busy days to have some fun,” she said.

SWING creator Ian Pidd said it was visible from a distance and usually created “a buzz” over a large area with the help of acrobats and musicians.

Mr Pidd said SWING was hugely popular when it made its public debut during the Melbourne Fringe Festival last year.

“Commuters passed it and rode on it every day, tram drivers mentioned it in their public announcements, tourists took video after video, people living on the street owned it and loved it,” he said.

“Now it’s in Adelaide as part of Mental Health Month and what a great fit to launch SWING today on World Mental Health Day.”

Mr Pidd said SWING was a “joyful and exhilarating public event, as much fun to watch as to do”. “It is simple, spectacular, enormous fun – and it’s free,” he said.

“The ride is surprising in its thrill, being large and high but people are also placed in the centre of attention as they ride – applauded by strangers, celebrated and sung to.”

SWING opened to the public on Thursday 10 October.

Special sessions for wheelchair users will be held on Saturday, 12 October and Wednesday, 16 October, between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm, while Friday night sessions will be accompanied by live music and food trucks.

Colin James