About Us
DanceWize NSW exists to advance and support the health and dignity of festival goers in NSW. DanceWize NSW is a program of NSW Users and Aids Association (NUAA); the leader in peer-led harm reduction in NSW.
We attended our first festival in November 2017with funding and support from the NSW Ministry of Health, aiming to increase the safety of festival patrons. We achieve this by coupling credible, evidence-based information, with delivery of a range of peer-based harm reduction services. These include peer education about safer partying and safer drug use, provision of care Spaces and roving teams at festivals, as well as training programs and advocacy. We work closely with festival promoters, emergency medical, police, and security service to decrease harms experienced by people at music festivals. Our program is comprised of an experienced and dedicated team employed by NUAA, over 300 volunteer Key Peer Educators (KPEs) recruited from the festival and party scene, and a team of dedicated volunteer Team Leaders. All members of the team hold a minimum of a current Provide First Aid and have completed extensive harm reduction care and education training.
DanceWize NSW has attended 80 festivals since our establishment. Some of these fantastic events include Dragon Dreaming, Knockout, Yours & Owls, Groovin’ the Moo, Lost Paradise, Ultra, Festival X, and Subsonic. We successfully work with many promoters including Architects of Entertainment, Mothership, Secret Sounds, and Matt Sims Events. We have provided general health and specific drug and alcohol harm reduction education to over 32,100 patrons; provided back-of-house care to over 2,700 patrons; and over 414,100 rover interactions with patrons. We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver an integrated reciprocal referral model. Our Rovers and Care Space KPE’s have referred 410 people into medical care, and medical has referred 620 people into our care.
In addition to our festival service, we also offer our community harm reduction support and education, including NSW drug alerts, and a digital peer support service, through our social media accounts and website.
STAFF
Tim Powell
Tim has been a DanceWize NSW Program Specialist since May 2022, but began volunteering with DanceWize NSW in 2018. Tim sought out DanceWize NSW after completing a B Criminology and Criminal Justice (Hons) in 2017 where he wrote a thesis on pill testing and festival harm reduction.
Tim has previously worked with Students for Sensible Drug Policy Australia as a drug policy reform advocate, and has worked as a Health Education Officer in other harm reduction services including needle and syringe programs and the Kings Cross Medically Supervised Injecting Centre.
Tim has a passion for drug policy reform and the prioritisation of health and welfare over criminalisation, and for the advancement of drug education to include lived experience as a credible source of knowledge.
Photo credit: Bridget Doyle Photography
Edie-Louise Diemar
Edie is DanceWize’s Communications (Social Media) Worker. They come from a background in journalism and content production but decided to escape media after writing one too many articles about the Kardashians. With DanceWize Edie saw a chance to leverage their experience in content creation and social media management for a cause they actually believe in.
Edie has a bard’s heart without any musical ability. They love dance, art and all things fantasy. If they’re not tearing through a dance floor Edie can be found reading trashy novels or romancing morally dubious characters in various RPGs.