Auslan Santa spreading inclusive Christmas joy at Westfield this holiday season

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Photo: Westfield Marion.

Tis’ the season to be making merry memories, and what better way to kick off the festive spirit than by taking some happy snaps with Santa? Westfield is offering a variety of different photo sessions, with something to suit everyone- including an Auslan Santa.

Auslan Santa was introduced as a pilot program last year and has quickly become a heartwarming tradition, offering children who primarily use Auslan as their form of communication the magical opportunity to meet and sign with Santa Claus himself.

This year, Westfield is expanding its Auslan Santa program to multiple centres including Westfield Tea Tree Plaza and Westfield Marion, giving deaf and hard-of-hearing people the chance to interact with Santa in a way that resonates with their unique communication needs.

Developed in close collaboration with Deaf Australia, this year’s Auslan Santa sessions will be even more special, with extended session times and dedicated interpreters on hand to make every moment memorable.

Deaf Australia and event service providers Scene to Believe are continuing to educate and train all Westfield Santa’s to better interact with deaf and hard of hearing children.

The Auslan Santa program follows the success of Sensitive Santa in 2017, another collaboration with Scene to Believe which caters to children with sensory challenges, anxiety, and disabilities, offering a tailor-made experience designed to soothe and comfort.

These special photography sessions take place before stores open, creating a tranquil, sensory-friendly Santa experience.

Westfield Marion has multiple photography sessions to ensure your cherished holiday moments are captured in just the right way. Options include:

Family and Friends Santa Photography Sessions

Christmas is all about being with the ones you love, so gather your friends, family, sports teams, school groups, work buddies, or any other cherished people to create a memory that will warm your hearts for years to come, with packages tailored to groups of all sizes.

Sensitive Santa

This unique experience is designed for families seeking a photo session in a relaxed environment, thoughtfully customised for children with sensory challenges. The calm and comfortable photography sessions take place during quieter hours, before the center opens, ensuring a serene and sensory-friendly Santa encounter.

Auslan Santa

The Auslan Santa program offers children who communicate primarily in Auslan the chance to share their Christmas wishes directly with an Auslan-fluent Santa and will include helpers and an interpreter to ensure seamless communication.

Pet Photography Sessions with Santa

All family members, even the furry ones, can partake in the holiday fun: Bring your pets along for a Santa photo session with the whole family. Most pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small animals, are welcome. Feel free to dress them up in their most festive attire to create the paw-fect Christmas memory.

As an extra bonus, all children visiting Santa will receive a special gift to take home as a token of Santa’s holiday spirit. So, get your Christmas wish list ready- Santa Claus is coming to town!

To book your photography session with Santa at Westfield, click here.