A special visit by a group of Thai children will add colour and music to the second anniversary celebrations of Rockhampton City Council's Multicultural Resource Centre, from 10.30am on Thursday, May 10.

The group of 23 Thai children, aged between 12 and 18, will be in Rockhampton from April 23 to May 12 and are this year's Universal Cultural Exchange (UCE) group, hosted by the CQU Rockhampton Language Centre.

The visiting Thai students
Language class in progress

The second anniversary morning tea at the Multicultural Resource Centre will feature the Thai children performing songs and dances in traditional costume, Cr Stephen Schwarten speaking on Cultural Diversity in Rockhampton, and Centrelink Social Worker, Liza Roberts providing an update on services and languages available at Centrelink.

Chair of Council's Community Services Committee, Cr Rose Swadling said the performance by the visiting Thai students was a fitting way to mark the second anniversary of the Multicultural Resource Centre.

"Council aims to foster respect for diversity and the development of an inclusive community and the Multicultural Resource Centre has proven to be a wonderful asset for the diverse community here in Rockhampton," Cr Swadling said.

"The Multicultural Resource Centre provides access to information and resources for those from diverse cultural backgrounds.

"By organising programs to enhance the skills of, and encourage involvement in, the multicultural community, the Centre plays a vital role and I congratulate the staff and volunteers involved who have made it such a focal point for many people," Cr Swadling said.

While in Rockhampton, the Thai group will study at the CQU Language Centre; visit local attractions; perform in costume at St Mary's Primary School on Friday, April 27 at 10am; hold an exhibition and perform in costume at Heights College on Thursday, May 3 from 1.30pm to 3pm; and perform in costume at the Second Anniversary Morning Tea of Council's Multicultural Resource Centre on Thursday, May 10 from 10.30am to 11am.

The exchange group will highlight their promotion of Thai culture in Australia by cooking a Thai meal for their homestay families at the CQU Language Centre on Friday, May 11 at 6.30pm.

For more information on the second anniversary of the Multicultural Resource Centre, contact Council's Multicultural Community Relations Officer on 4936 8368.

For more information on the Universal Cultural Exchange group, contact the CQU Language Centre on 4930 6577.

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