On Saturday 7 May Suburban Land Agency hosted two engagement events to help us develop the Kingston Arts Precinct – Place Brief. The first was a Creative Panel Discussion followed by a Co-Create workshop to capture more detail from the community on the place experiences they would like in the precinct.

The Creative Panel Discussion was something a bit new for the project. The idea was to have a conversation about creativity to bring the voices of the creative community into the design and planning process.

Community don’t always have the same perspectives. This is a good thing; it is what makes us interesting, diverse and unique. The panel discussion provided an opportunity to share diverse perspectives from the Ngunnawal people, the creative and built environment industry, and the ACT Heritage Council.

• Richie Allan - Ngunnawal artist and Knowledge Holder
• Judith Nangala Crispin - poet, visual artist
• Hanna Hoyne – Sculptor and current ACT Government artist-in-residence program
• Ketura Budd - Creative Producer - You are Here
• Catherine Townsend, ACT Government Architect
• Dr Kenneth Heffernan, ACT Heritage Council Chairperson

The conversation was fascinating and all captured live by Digital Storyteller Devon Bruce. We heard about how connecting with the community in public space can influence creativity and artists work, what makes a space feel welcoming, ways we can celebrate Ngunnawal culture and people and shared stories of the place, the finer grain urban design features that can help connect artists (picture a reef ecosystem – a microcosm of life and activity).

The conversation was fascinating, we heard about how connecting with the community in public space can influence creativity and artists work, what makes a space feel welcoming, ways we can celebrate Ngunnawal culture and people and shared stories of the place, the finer grain urban design features that can help connect artists (picture a reef ecosystem – a microcosm of life and activity).

Some of the questions we explored:

• What does an arts-led precinct mean to you?
• What inspires and drives you in your creative profession?
• What has been missing in Canberra you’d like to see here?
• How do we bring together and foster stories and bring them to life within the precinct?

The discussion covered a diverse range of topics, some of the key takeaways from the panel discussion categorised into reoccurring themes and points of discussion:

• The importance of putting the voices, perspectives and practices of First Nations people at the forefront of the placemaking and development process.
• opportunity to create a space that is accessible and welcoming for all artists and creatives. This ties into cultural, economic and physical accessibility while creating opportunities for intergenerational connection and access to the site.
• Opportunity to be a bit messy and organic, to ‘rebalance’ in a City that has been led by design, and that followed a plan.
• In undertaking this process it is important to start with place. This includes creating a sense you are welcome here, please come in. The precinct could have a different language – dynamic, warm, witty, sticky places (a term used to describe a place you feel you can hang out in).
• The future place custodians of the precinct will continue to shape, activate and manage the precinct. Their support, as well as support by others, is needed to help artists value themselves and be valued by society.

Ideas presented during the discussion were further explored with participants during Co-Create Workshop Two which occurred immediately after the panel. The collaborative process of developing the Place Brief aims to ensure a shared vision that represent diverse perspectives and a precinct that is welcoming and loved by all.

We are now looking at ways we can incorporate discussions in the next stage of the project and continue this creative discussion approach in the next stage of the project.