Ensuring Meeting of Key Criteria
RESPONSE TO THE SITE & CLIENT BRIEF
How does my creative concept respond to and activate the site? It considers the yerrol that existed at the site before colonisation, re-introducing native plant species to the Workshops Precinct, which currently seems very industrial, as mentioned in my recorded observations during the site visit. My creative concept activates the site as it encourages community engagement with nature!
Does it address one of the client's key challenges? My creative concept addresses Challenge 1 in the Client Brief, enhancing the interconnection, inclusiveness, and accessibility to and within the Workshops Precinct. As mentioned above, it increases interconnection between the residents and community, who can gather near the garden and share their wisdoms. Inclusiveness of Indigenous communities are also enhanced. Accessibility within the Precinct is enhanced by this concept, as residents can learn to be more self-reliant, and are able to get some food from right outside their doorstep. Specifically, part b) of this Challenge - "interventions that attract and better connect wider community to the Workshops Precinct" - is addressed by my concept, as non-residents are also able to visit this community garden and learn from the classes and workshops held here.
Does it reflect the client's objectives, vision and brand? Absolutely! According to the Client Brief, EDQ wants to utilise this concept to attract visitors to Northshore, especially from Monday-Thursday, and daylight hours Friday-Sunday. The Indigenous plant garden will likely achieve this, as gardening is far easier in the day time, and workshops could run on weekday afternoons/evenings to encourage visitation during these times whilst still accounting for peoples' work/school schedules. Furthermore, the Client Brief stated that the concepts need to consider the history of the site. As aforementioned, my concept directly connects to Northshore's Indigenous history. This concept addresses EDQ's target audiences of residents, visitors, and youth. Residents will gain the most benefit from this activation, with regular access to the garden and workshops, and cheaper tickets to the workshops. Visitors can also benefit from the workshops, enhancing their Northshore experience. Finally, this garden provides an immensely educational experience for youth. All of these benefits combined ensure that my concept meets EDQ's purpose "to challenge the conventions of business, culture and lifestyle with bold and new experiences for all of Brisbane."
Does it fill a need/gap at Northshore? If so, how? My concept fills a very important gap at Northshore - the current lack of engagement with native flora and fauna. This Indigenous garden will also encourage native animals to visit the site, as many of these plants provide food and shelter for Indigenous wildlife (Brisbane City Council, 2023).
Is my concept site-specific? My concept is site-specific, because it involves native plants from the Northshore area.
Does it enhance Northshore's features? Yes! Firstly, it enhances the geographical, historical, and cultural features of Northshore by incorporating Indigenous plants that would've covered the area pre-colonisation. Furthermore, the physical features of the Workshops Precinct are enhanced, because there is currently a large blank piece of ground/road in the middle of the area.
What is my creative contribution (if it is a space/venue/event, what is its content/program)? My creative contribution is to host different and consistent workshops/events about the different uses of the plants, focusing mainly on food but also medicinal and practical applications.
Can my project be easily produced/replicated without my creative involvement? (If so, you may need to focus on a different concept) This led to a slight roadblock for me, as theoretically it is an idea that could be expanded in other areas. To ensure that the originality is maintained, I propose that we also decorate the garden with Indigenous artwork from the Yuggera and Turrbal people. While a similar idea could be implemented elsewhere, which would be beneficial for those areas, this exact concept could not be produced/replicated without my creative involvement. Additionally, the creation of something similar elsewhere does not detract from the originality of this concept, because each area in Australia has its own Indigenous plants with their own unique uses.
How does my concept compare to existing creative projects (locally, nationally, overseas)? Locally, the most similar existing project is the Epicurious Garden at Southbank. However, as I mentioned in a previous post, this garden does not consist of Indigenous plants, per se, and there are no classes provided on the uses of these plants. When researching similar national projects, I have found multiple courses on the identification of these plants, or for the growing, but there have been none explaining the different applications (see image below). No similar international projects could be found.
AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT, ETHICS, & DIVERSITY
Who is my target audience? (You must identify one, specifying an age group) My specific target audience are the residents that will be living in the community housing in the Workshops Precinct, especially those aged between 18-25, who may just be figuring out how to live alone.
How can my project inspire, ethically engage, & sustain this target audience? My project can inspire, ethically engage, and sustain this target audience because it helps them learn to be self-sufficient.
Can my project attract a wider audience (beyond the target group)? Yes! As mentioned in all my previous posts, this project honestly attracts an extremely wide audience, including children, the elderly, immigrants, etc.
Will (and why would) visitors (re-)visit Northshore to engage with my project? I absolutely believe that visitors would visit Northshore to engage with my project, as its unique value proposition is something completely novel to Meanjin (Brisbane). People would also likely revisit as there would be a rotating roster of classes and workshops throughout the years, and the variety of plants could also be expanded.
FEASIBILITY, SUSTAINABILITY, & ENDURING SIGNIFICANCE
Does my concept fall within the client's budget and timeframe? As shown in the budget post (coming soon), my concept does fall within the client's budget! Whilst the client has not provided a specific timeframe, my Implementation Timeline shows that this project is deliverable in the next few years, thereby allowing it to be fully ready by the 2032 Olympics.
Is my project a one-off, or can it be refreshed/adapted/delivered in stages/on multiple occasions? My project is definitely not a one-off. As mentioned above, it can absolutely be refreshed with a new rotation of Indigenous plants, and/or different classes/workshops. It can be adapted into different locations to include the native plants of that specific area. As shown in the Implementation Timeline, it will definitely need to be delivered in multiple stages.
Is it sustainable (environmentally and economically) and can it withstand the test of time? This concept is definitely environmentally sustainable, as it's revitalising the native flora of the Hamilton area. Likewise, it is economically sustainable as demonstrated in the budget. It can withstand the test of time, given that it is well-maintained, and can nourish generations to come.
Does it need regular upkeep/maintenance? Yes! The garden needs to regularly be watered, monitored and weeded, etc.
