by Carla Caruso

All kinds of people love your Adelaide Park Lands – even those who have a dusting of magic!

Fairy and mermaid entertainer Fairy Belle from Adelaide’s south is “305 in fairy years” and enjoys regularly getting out in nature, including ‘forest bathing’.

(The latter term emerged in Japan in the 1980s and involves spending time in nature and mindfully engaging with the environment.)

Recently, we spoke to Fairy Belle about everything from her favourite city park to how we can all enjoy a little magic in our daily lives.

Hi, Fairy Belle. Please tell us about how you became a fairy and mermaid entertainer. What was your background before?

I’m a teacher by trade, but after finishing maternity leave, I was looking for part-time opportunities where I could still use my qualifications and love of creativity and fantasy.

My grandmother had just passed away, and from that grief, it inspired me to live life with more colour and creativity, and thus, Fairy Belle was born.

Prior to teaching, I had studied and worked in the fashion and costume industries, even working for the State Opera SA costume department, and other production companies in theatre and music videos.

So, I have brought across my passion for costumes. I love to design and sew, but with a little baby, I only have time to op-shop and upcycle, which I love for sustainability reasons too.

The mermaid costume [I use] was also a dream of mine, sourced from a professional-grade company – one I hope to swim in once I’m confident enough to!

Some of the kids’ parties and services you provide include colour-change tea parties — and tooth fairy letters. But you also offer wellbeing meditations and nature play as options for parties. Why was this important?

As a teacher, there is so much emphasis now on children’s mental health – one in seven children are now diagnosed with a mental health illness.

I recently did the Walk for Kids’ Mental Health fundraiser by Smiling Mind (the app) to raise awareness and funds for more mental health resources for families and schools.

One of my party packages is dedicated solely to mindfulness and reflective thinking.

So often we try to fill our children’s spare time with sports, clubs, hobbies, and catch-ups, and I really feel for children who haven’t had a chance to pause and do some internal work and reflect on their own feelings and emotional regulation.  

It’s such a big topic in the education sector, across all ages. I love getting out in nature whenever I can, but I need to make a point to make time for it or it won’t happen.

I love the Japanese concept of ‘forest bathing’. So wholesome. Sign me up!

As a nature lover, how often do you frequent the Adelaide Park Lands? And do you have a favourite park?

I used to live in North Adelaide, near the paddocks of Lefevre Park / Nantu Wama (Park 6), and loved walking or cycling around them almost daily to enjoy the wide, open spaces and the horses.

I remember, during the COVID lockdown of 2020, my husband and I especially loved our one-hour-a-day opportunity to leave the house and breathe the fresh air and just be in awe at the silence there: no traffic noises and no planes in the sky. It was surreal. 

I miss that peace a lot but try to make time to leave the suburbs now and get out, especially with my husband and our 12-month-old baby. 

As a mermaid performer, what did you think of the recent whale art installation in Elder Park and at Glenelg?

Absolutely awe-inspiring! The shock value and emotional impact of the art piece was so worthwhile in getting dialogue started about what it means, why is it here, what is the message, how does it affect us?

Some excellent starting points for a conversation with people of all ages and cultures. [Ed’s note: The creation by Belgium-based The Captain Boomer Collective was designed to spark a message about the environment and climate change.]

The universal language of art can be understood globally, and it was wonderful to hear that this international art piece had made its way to Adelaide.

It reminded me of the Art Gallery of SA’s art installation piece from around 10 years ago by Berlinde Bruckheimer of the two horses. [Ed’s note: Taxidermy horses were used as a reminder of the fragility of existence.]

As a university arts student, I chose to analyse and review that art piece, and will never forget the first time I saw it, and then witnessing the reaction of others who stepped into the gallery room.

It created its own atmosphere and was so primal and powerful in hitting you with its message. 

What keeps you busy when you’re not performing?

I’m still very busy juggling life now as a new mum, and ever searching for work as a relief-teacher and ESO (teacher aid).

But I find that the sparkle of Fairy Belle Events is also becoming a big part of my life as this little business starts to grow.

My hobbies (which I miss dearly) included visual art, sewing, music – learning the kalimba, lyre harp, and tongue drum – and writing poetry and children’s stories.

My husband and I used to go for nature walks, which I hope we can resume now that our baby is a bit more sturdy and ready to explore the big world with us.

I can’t wait to show her how beautiful it is out there.

Finally, how can we all get a little more magic in our lives?

I like to try to take it in by appreciating it in all the little things we sometimes take for granted. Look for those ‘glimmers’ as they say.  

At night-time, go outside and try to find the constellations and have a moment of mindfulness.

Next time you’re at the beach, sit for at least 60 seconds in silence and breathe in time with the waves.

Delight in the way children gaze at the world, as they see it all for the first time, and remember the joy of what that was like. And especially, as mentioned earlier, get out in nature and try forest bathing!