For the past 15 years at least, I’ve been hearing the c word uttered more and more often in surveys. It used to be whispered by a small group of people who lamented the demise of community spirit, as we hunkered down behind our automatic garage doors. As blocks were subdivided, and our houses turned into little boxes, our ability to chat with our neighbours diminished. Soon this niggle grew into a collective hankering for the return of the corner store. Now it’s gone mainstream.
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© The Ponder Room
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Consumer demand for a ‘sense of community’ has reached such a height that it’s found its way into council minutes, and when local councils start to take notice you know consumer demand has peaked.
Last year I was fortunate to be invited to a visiting gurus workshop on place making.
David Engwicht of Creative Communities www.creative-communities.com spent several days in town imparting his knowledge about making creative communities. The audience included representatives from most of the local councils.
We’ve seen some changes, the new street art in Vic Park for example, but what was interesting was the strong push back on the community. The message was that the community shouldn’t wait for councils to act, that it should act on its own. Interesting … I’d ponder this says a lot in itself. Given this it was also interesting to ponder that, while some councils were struggling to find solutions one community group – the Beaufort Street Network – was doing just that.
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© The Ponder Room
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The first Beaufort Street Festival ran in 2010 attracting 50,000 people, last year the figure rose to 70,000 and this year they cracked the 100,000 mark.
Impressive?
Sure, especially given the soring heat of the day.
While meandering through this years throng, I kept marvelling at the fact that this was a community run, not-for-profit event.
Having sat in way too many meetings where people attempt to formalise ‘community spirit’, the efforts of the Beaufort Street Network are truly something to ponder. I also pondered …
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With a plethora of local councils now trying to follow their example, what an interesting place Perth is becoming
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Whether some of the initiatives could become permanent fixtures, e.g. street art that fosters community interaction?
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My hat goes off to the organisers, particularly directors Aaron Rutter, Paul Fletcher and co-chair John Carey, or it would have if I hadn’t needed it to shade me from the sun.
The following posts will give you just a taste of what was involved, and hopefully spark some ideas that you could try in your own community. If they do please let me know. Or if you have already created something that has fostered community interaction please let me know and I’ll feature it on The Ponder Room.
For more information about the network go to http://www.beaufortstreetfestival.com.au
