A Year in Review & the Year Ahead

2024 was a busy year for ReMida as we finished the Storytellers Project, built silver webs,

hosted workshops, collected materials and said goodbye to Doug after 13 years with ReMida. There was also a flurry of activity towards the end of the year as we began updating each space to improve our material handling and member experiences. Thanks to the efforts of staff, volunteers, the management committee, suppliers, members and stakeholders, ReMida delivered 124 education sessions to just over 43,000 children, collected 113 tons of materials, all of which was supported by 1103 hours of combined volunteer support.

The first half of 2025 has been no less productive. We are currently on track to exceed last year's stats and are excited to see what the rest of the year has in store for ReMida.

Some things to watch out for in the months ahead:

July: There is still time to book your school holiday session, but spaces are filling fast. Also, just a reminder that the term three school holidays are one of our busiest times of the year, if you're planning to book a workshop during the September/October holidays, get in quick.

August: We will host a special evening event at ReMida, a ReMida-after-dark experience. Subscribe to our Facebook page to ensure you get an early jump on tickets.

October: There will be a series of bespoke arts workshops on Saturdays. Stay tuned for more details.

November: We'll have a special residency and workshop series as we prep for FRINGE 2026.

We also thought this was a good opportunity to respond to recurring questions from the year.

• What's happening with Jellyfish Plastics? JFP is still active, but we need additional volunteers and sponsorship support to move our plastic reuse projects forward. The challenge we face is where to invest our time throughout the week. Collecting, sorting and displaying materials, along with workshop delivery, is our primary focus. About 85% of staff and volunteer time goes to materials, which doesn't leave much spare for JFP.

• Is ReMida Inspired still a thing? Yes, ReMida Inspired is the overarching Project that oversees the building's changes and the expansion of the materials program. A priority for this year is to expand our material storage and display capacity by 30%. After sitting with the project for a while, it naturally evolved to Grow ReMida, which also captures our broader fundraising efforts.

• When will changes to the materials program happen? The prep work has been underway all year, and while not all the change and progress is immediately apparent, we've moved a lot of materials this year, well ahead of previous years. The physical changes to the shelving in the large materials room will likely happen later in the year; we may wait until the December holiday closure to do the bulk of the work to avoid disrupting member collections, but we'll keep you posted.

• Can I still book a workshop for Book and Science Weeks? Yes, we still have spaces available, and we can tailor a session to harmonise with any of the broader themes you've been exploring throughout the term.

• Do you need more materials, volunteers, or support? Yes! If you know a business with materials ReMida can use, you have some spare time, or you'd like to fundraise on ReMida's behalf, we'd love to hear from you. Sharing blog posts and reposting Facebook and Instagram content are easy ways to help ReMida expand its impact.

ReMida turns 21 this year, and we couldn't have reached this milestone without you, past and present, who have lent your time, goodwill, and support to ReMida. While every year has its highs and lows, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the busiest and most successful years ever. Let us know if you have any questions or things you think ReMida should factor into its future plans.

Creatively yours, the ReMida-Bot.