On Aug 8th, This Could Be The Place returned for it's second iteration to The Quay Car Park, Thomastown.
Invite:
Following on from the excellent public input of the first weekend, we’re going to focus on the values that were identified as most important to people, and their community.
Come and join in the conversation, assess your values or add some to the list, find examples of these in action in our lives and surroundings, and imagine other ways we could put them in action through achievable interventions in our lives, in our daily environments and in our communities.
This phase was about building on the ideas put forward at the first stage of the project. The ideas shared at this stage will go on to inform the format of TCBTP #3.
What worked well:
Post its and chalk: I chose to incorporate both post its and chalk to this stage of the project in order to provide more than one method of participation. I think the aesthetics of the post its improved the engagement as people could take some post it's and a pen away and write somewhat privately, rather than having to contribute in a performative style on the board, possibly in front of an audience. It's important for me to think of as many entry points as possible and dissolve any boundaries to participation.
What didn't work:
Imagination: I found it difficult to bring people into an imaginative style of thinking which is what I was hoping for at this stage. This could be to do with the temporary and impermanent nature of this methodology - it might be hard for people to fully engage as they as mostly just casually dropping by without any real intention or desire to engage deeply for a longer period of time - which is what I think might be needed.
What next:
I am going to collate the information gathered from this stage of the project and examine it for patterns and popular ideas or thoughts. From this I will Crete the format for stage three of the project.
Stage three was intended to be the creation of some achievable small actions or interventions (symbolic or physical) to represent the ideas brought to light via the project so far. I have some work to do to figure out how best to present this and engage the public with this project one last time.
The next and final phase of This Could Be The Place will take place in the next few weeks.