FIRST IS...
New Orleans based collaberative. Design, illustration, architecture etc. Seems like a pretty good start in terms of creating a general model for collaberation with a focus on social / community developement. Creating a group such as this was one of my earlier ideas, but the issue is looking into what this group does... it can't be all encompassing on a city level, as that would be too complex / unmanageable.. my thoughts at the moment is that I need to create a system / collab group that is based around a focused cause, which goes beyond simply existing for the direct idea of 'design for social change'
i feel taking a generalized idealistic stand in a collaborative environment, while convenient, is going to prove to be a half baked idea. Originally I proposed collaborative art / design projects in order to strengthen the creative community in Wellington, yet without some focus for these projects it simply becomes pointless. Not having a cause / social issue to focus is a major issue, as it detracts from motivating collaborators / contributors.
From reading 'The Creative City' by Charles Landry, I am trying to shift my thinking about how to deal with facilitating action from within Wellignton's creative class. Landry talks about making creative citizens 'agents of change' using creative thinking to solve social / civic issues. I really like this idea of trying to 'turn the switch on' changing the way people think about the city and interact with it. I feel Wellington is a perfect breeding ground for creating creative ' agents of change' from its citizens. Maybe it is something as simple as reconnecting people with their city environment, encouraging them to experience the city in a new light / through new eyes. (In leu of Shepard Fairey's manifesto... http://obeygiant.com/articles/manifesto)
His ideas of 'reawakening a sense of wonder about one’s environment' seems like it could be relevant to where I want to go. One thing I have been interested in from early on is investigating the way the public interact with community space, and how certain groups reclaim certain spots as there own (once again using the DIY skate park on the corner of The bypass and Tory St as a perfect example) Im not sure why, but this absolutely fascinates me.
Sofar I feel I have pieces of a puzzle, but nothing to hold them together.
Lets say these pieces are
- the activation of a creative class as 'agents of change' / rallying the creative community
- reawakening / redefining the way people experience their environment (wellington city)
- Co - creating this experience with other designers / artists in the city.
- Activating 'dead' public space.
I think the glue for this puzzle is going to be in finding a really solid cause to focus my efforts on. In using a cause as a focal point, the previous aim of my project 'To facilitate conversation and create a stronger network within the Wellington's creative community' will come secondary as a natural progression. In having faith in this as an organic result to whatever I create, I can allow for my previous research efforts and ideas to not go to waste. It def. shouldn't be key focus.
Co-creation within a community ----> Social Change / community development ----- > stronger creative community.
Something like that.
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