‘Collage Brunswick’ Community Workshop
On November 1st, 2023, the RMIT PlaceLab Team, in collaboration with ‘that paper joint’ and RMIT researcher Georgie Nolan, hosted a Community Collage Workshop at the Brunswick Town Hall as part of the RMIT PlaceLab’s Voice, Vibe Vision Research Project. This event aimed to explore the essence and characters of Brunswick neighbourhood through collaging and community engagement.
The evening began with a warm welcome from the PlaceLab Team and Chris Cheal from Merri-bek City Council, as participants gathered at the Brunswick Town Hall. The space was transformed into a hub of creativity, where individuals from the community came together to express their thoughts, dreams, and imaginings through the art of collaging.
The workshop featured two activities: individual solo collaging and collaborative group collaging. Here is a recap of how the evening went.
Attendees at the ‘Collage Brunswick’ Community Workshop.
Image: Suzanne Phoenix.
RMIT PlaceLab Team, Chris Cheal from Merri-bek City Council, ‘that paper joint’ and researcher Georgie Nolan welcomed and introduced attendees to the research project and workshop. Images: Suzanne Phoenix
First Part: Collaging Individual’s Connection to Brunswick
The first segment of the workshop focused on individual solo collaging. Participants used small, colored cards as a medium to visually articulate their personal connections to Brunswick. To guide this process, Place Lab provided a collection of expressive words obtained from the Brunswick Community Survey. Additionally, Max from ‘that paper joint’ shared a few collage methods to inspire participants.
Brunswick’s words for Inclusion and Change from our Research survey and Walking interviews. Interactive data visualisation created in Flourish.
‘Collage Brunswick’ tutorial, inspiration Slideshow. Created by Max from ‘that paper joint’.
Guided by a collection of expressive words from the Brunswick Community Survey and Max’s (from ‘that paper joint’) collage methods, attendees explored their creativity freely.
Max’s advice, shared with the participants, offered valuable insights into the world of collage while creating a supportive environment:
‘With collage, you can’t always plan everything, it can be helpful to start by simply finding a few things to cut out!’
‘Sometimes less is more! Other times go maximalist!’
– Maximillian Malone
Attendees at the ‘Brunswick Collage’ Workshop at the Brunswick Town Hall. Images: Suzanne Phoenix.
After completing their solo collages, participants scanned and digitised their creations at a designated station, facilitated by ‘that paper joint’ team.
The digital copies now find a home in the Brunswick exhibition, running from December 6th to December 20th, and are showcased in the community book ‘My Brunswick, Our Brunswick.’
‘that paper joint’ team at the scanning station, ‘Brunswick Collage’ Workshop. Images: Suzanne Phoenix.
Second Part: Collaging Future Vision for Our Brunswick Neighborhood, Together!
The second part of the workshop introduced collaborative group collaging. Large-scale panels, featuring Brunswick photographs taken by Brunswick-based photographers, provided a canvas for the community to collectively envision the future of their neighborhood.
In this collaborative exercise, participants added layers of creativity, ranging from small, playful cut-outs to more significant, personal contributions. The original Brunswick photos served as a starting point, fostering conversations among community members as they worked together on the panels.
Similar to the individual collages, these group panels are showcased at the Brunswick exhibition and featured in the community book, showcasing the collaborative effort to visualise Brunswick’s future.
‘Don’t be shy, let’s collectively combine collage elements atop these images, and let’s see what happens! There are no wrong answers.’
– Maximillian Malone
Attendees contributing to the shared collages at the ‘Brunswick Collage’ Workshop at the Brunswick Town Hall. Images: Suzanne Phoenix.
Concluding Part: Sharing Our Collages!
The workshop concluded with a ‘sharing our creations’ session. ‘That paper joint’ projected individual collage scans onto larger screens, allowing community members to appreciate and connect over the diverse expressions of their Brunswick experiences.
Zoe Crook from ‘that paper joint’ facilitated the session, adding a touch of warmth and humour to the conclusion of the event. It was a cosy and enjoyable ending to an evening of artistic exploration and community connection.
Attendees gathered to see the outcomes at the end of the ‘Brunswick Collage’ Workshop. Images: Suzanne Phoenix.
A sincere thank you extends to all the participants who joined us at the ‘Collage Brunswick’ workshop. Witnessing the abundant creativity within the Brunswick community was truly delightful, and the outcomes of the night were nothing short of beautiful.
These creations have served as valuable inspiration and material for the PlaceLab team as we diligently worked on the ‘My Brunswick, Our Brunswick’ community book. Each creation from the community holds a special place, and we’ve made every effort to represent them with care and appreciation.
We invite you to attend our RMIT PlaceLab Brunswick Cycle #2 Exhibition, running from Wednesday, December 6th, to Wednesday, December 20th. It’s an opportunity to view these community collages in person and secure a copy of the ‘My Brunswick, Our Brunswick’ community book for yourself. Your contributions have made this project truly special, and we look forward to sharing it with you.