Youth Homelessness Matters Day - A Gold Coast Perspective (Free Event - All Welcome)
Experience powerful youth voices + celebrate young people
Every young person deserves a place to call home.
Youth Homelessness Matters Day is an important moment each year to come together as a community, listen deeply, and stand alongside young people experiencing homelessness.
This year we invite you to join us for a special gathering that centres the voices of young people with lived and living experience. Together we will screen the powerful short documentary A Place To Call Home, and exclusive screening of Sold! Who Broke the Australian Dream? A funny and factual, solutions-led look at Australia's housing crisis, and the solutions at our fingertips. We will hear reflections from young people, and create space for conversation, connection and action.
There will also be creative, interactive activities, lunch, and free haircuts available for young people aged 12–25. Youth workers are warmly encouraged to attend with the young people they support.
Everyone is welcome — young people, youth workers, community members and allies who care about ensuring every young person has a place to call home. Come along, listen, learn, and stand alongside young people in our community.
🎤 Hear from young people with lived experience of homelessness
🎥 A Place To Call Home – short 16-minute documentary
🎞️ Sold! Who Broke the Australian Dream? – 1 hour documentary
✂️Haircuts for young people aged 12–25
🎨 Creative art and interactive activities
🎶 Live music
🎁Prizes drawn throughout the day
🍽 Lunch provided
💰 All FREE!
📅 Wednesday 15th April
🕧9.30am
📍 Home of The Arts, HOTA, Bundall
🎟 Free event – everyone welcome as we celebrate Qld Youth Week too
For more information, please get in contact with Event Coordinator Belinda Tessieri, Youth Engagement Officer at Gold Coast Youth Service on e: belinda@gcys.org.au or m: 0402 381 193
FAQs
- What time is everything happening and at which HOTA venue?
This is our current working timeline of the day. Times may change slightly on the day.
9.30am: We welcome your arrival at Cinema 2 with free popcorn as you settle in to comfy seats.
9.45am : Our day will officially start with a warm and rich Welcome to Country
10:00am: Opening Address
10.15am: A Place To Call Home, 16min short film, locally produced on the Gold Coast
10.31am: Short Interval - (Guests can choose to depart the Cinema now and head to the Panorama Room for art activities, merchandise, hair cuts, ice creams and live music by Julia Lockhart)
10.35am: Exclusive Gold Coast Screening of SOLD! Who Broke the Australian Dream?
11.35am: Closing Remarks
11:40am: Guests move from Cinema 2 to the Panorama room upstairs for light refreshments, activities and mingling.
12-12.30pm: Event Wrap Up
- What is Youth Homelessness Matters Day (YHMD) about?
Youth Homelessness Matters Day (YHMD) is a national day to raise awareness and public discussion about child and youth homelessness. It’s a day to start conversations about sustainable and innovative solutions to support the needs of young people experiencing homelessness.
If you want more information about the national campaign, please visit the YFoundations website.
- Who will be attending this event?
This event's target audience is young people but all supporters are welcome. Young people are also welcome to bring along their friends who wish to support the event. We will also have special guests, including local and federal government representatives.
- Will there be catering?
We will provide snacks and light refreshments, including vegetarian and gluten-free options.
- Will media be present at this event? Will there be photography?
We will send a media release closer to the date so that media may be present. To protect the privacy and safety of everyone present, we ask that attendees do not take any photos or videos. We will have a YHMD photographer present - if you don't want to be photographed, please inform the photographer/YHMD staff at the event.
- How do I get to HOTA?
Please explore HOTA's comprehensive parking, public transport information by using this link: https://hota.com.au/visit-and-explore/plan-your-visit/getting-here
- Accessibilty
HOTA has a thorough page on Accessibility in and around their venue and it is represented by following this link: https://hota.com.au/visit-and-explore/plan-your-visit/accessibility
This page presents information in two ways:
Topic heading - We have used headings to group together information based on specific topics (eg. Getting Here, Neurodivergent, d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing).
Venue and Facilities - The Venue and Facilities section lists specific accessibility information for each venue/facility at the HOTA Precinct.https://hota.com.au/visit-and-explore/plan-your-visit/accessibility
If you have Accessibility needs for the Youth Homelessness Matters Day event, get in contact with Belinda, Youth Engagement Officer at Gold Coast Youth Service. She will work to support your needs and inclusion in this important community event.
Join us for a meaningful community gathering marking YHMD.
Join us for a meaningful community gathering marking Youth Homelessness Matters Day. Hear from young people with lived experience of homelessness, watch the short documentary A Place To Call Home, and connect with others who care about supporting young people in our community. The event also features creative art activities, live music, free haircuts for young people aged 12–25, and lunch.
If you have any enquiries, please contact:
Belinda Tessieri
m: 0402 381 193
Youth Engagement Officer
Gold Coast Youth Service
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