Archive page from 1996/97: re-published on www.ecoversity.org.au July 2004.

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... because we humans can only work for a future we can imagine.

PAINTING THE FUTURE REAL: Stage I of a multimedia research and development program by Imagine The Future Inc about social and ecological sustainability, 1995-97.

Outcomes of this creative intervention include a virtual possum skin cloak 'incised' with digital composite images of the past, present and possible futures of the eastern rim of Victoria's basalt plain.

Project presentations
Project methodology
Project interviews
Interview questions
Composite images
Project partners
Project team
Sponsors

A special showing of Painting the future real will be hosted by the City of Maribyrnong and the Western Regional Economic Development Organisation at the Maribyrnong Council Reception Room, Napier Street, Footscray, on June 3 1997.

This event will include a presentation of ITF's virtual possum skin cloak created from around 200 individual photographs contributed by project partners. The presentation will be followed by a chaired discussion about stages II (1997-98) and III (1998-2000) of ITF's R&D program.

A second presentation and discussion will be held at the City of Wyndham Civic Centre, Werribee, 3.30-5pm, Monday June 30, 1997.

Painting the future real was first previewed as a work-in-progress at the third Australian planning history/urban history conference, The Australian City Future/Past, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 11-14 December, 1996.

OTHER EVENTS:1997

The virtual possum skin cloak and associated texts will be presented at four conferences in 1997: Emerging Paradigms for Design Education, 12-14 July, University of NSW; Young People - Creators of the Future, 18-19 July, Youth Research Centre, Melbourne University; W.Edge: Open minds, dirty hands, loose tongues, a national symposium organised by landscape architecture students at the University of Westen Australia, Rottnest Island September 24-27; and Global Conversations - What you and I can do for future generations, World Futures Studies Federation's international conference, Brisbane, from September 28, 1997.

ALSO SEE

Launch of Painting the future real -- May 31, 1996 -- New multimedia project imagines the future of Melbourne's west -- June 24 1996 -- Imagining a sustainable city -- September 1996 -- On the flutterings of butterfly wings -- November 1994 -- The power of positive imaginings -- July 1994

METHODOLOGY

In Stage I of ITF's ongoing R&D project (1995-97), a virtual possum skin cloak digitally 'incised' with composite images about the past, present and sustainable future of the bioregion was developed from around 200 different photographs contributed by project partners.

As part of the creative process, local people were interviewed about the futures issues they were concerned about; the most appropriate policies, strategies or actions to address those issues; and what they were doing themselves to make the world a better place. They were then asked to describe their personal visions of a sustainable future. The project team drew on these interviews in creating the possum skin cloak.

Stage II of the R&D (1997-98) will commission in-depth 'storylines' about issues relevant to social and ecological sustainability and 'weave' them into the possum skin cloak.

Stage III (1999-2000) will refine, publish and exhibit the new assets as an interactive community resource for the 21st century.

PROJECT SPONSORS

Imagine The Future Inc gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance contributed by the following sponsors.

PROJECT PARTNERS

ITF also gratefully acknowledges the in-kind contributions of the following partners (to May 1996).

COMPOSITE DIGITAL IMAGES

The Painting the future real digital images of the bioregion's past, present and sustainable futures were composed by computer artist Csaba Szamosy from hundreds of individual images contributed by project partners. The concept was developed by project Merrill Findlay with team members, including Richard Lee and Rebecca Kaye. More than 200 individual images were contributed to the composites by project partners.

The composites were 'stitched' together as a virtual possum skin cloak, which includes references to Aboriginal occupation of the bioregion, the British invasion, the emergence of the pastoral, agricultural and manufacturing industries, the spread of suburbia across the landscape, the cultural and biological diversity of the bioregion, as well as options for a sustainable future.

PROJECT INTERVIEWS

In-depth interviews were conducted with the following people as part of Painting the future real.

Peter Atkins, Project Development Coordinator for the Maribyrnong City Council, Footscray, interviewed 27 May, 1996;

Gaye Hamilton, Director, Werribee Zoo, interviewed 24 May 1996. (As of October 1996, Gaye is Director of Science Works Museum at Spotswood on the Marybyrnong River.)

John Hennessy, Executive Director of WREDO (Western Melbourne Regional Economic Development Organisation), Footscray, 27 May 1996;

Roger Holloway, Williamstown resident and Chief Executive Officer, Greening Australia Victoria, 15 July 1996.

Hue Nguyen, a Vietnamese community worker, St Albans Migrant Resource Centre, 23 July 1996.

Nick Pastalatzis, a young resident of Sunshine, 18 July 1996.

The following interviews have not yet been transcribed and/or approved for publication.

Trish Edwards, a Geelong based visual artist and education consultant working with women and young people (21.8.96);

Peter Ellyard, a Melbourne based futurist who has worked with the City of Geelong to develop a vision of the future for that city (22.8.96);

John Forester, principal of a Woodville Primary School, and president of the Werribee River Association who is concerned about the appropriate management of the whole river catchment area (3.10.96);

Vivienne Grey, a strategic planner with the City of Hobsons Bay; (22.8.96);

Barry Harvey, chairperson of the Werribee Industrial Liaison Development (WILD) Committee Inc and a butcher by trade who left school at 14 and now owns a multimillion dollar meat exporting business based at Laverton (3.10.96);

Olga Kanasaski, a nurse and scholar with a special interest in the health needs of minority groups, especially people of non-English speaking backgrounds (23.7.96);

Helen Millicer, a public radio broadcaster and the Cultural Industry Projects Co-ordinator with the Wyndham City Council (3.10.96);

Bill Nicholson, Aboriginal elder and chairperson of the Wurundjeri Association which under current Victorian legislation, is responsible for all Aboriginal cultural sites around Melbourne.

Heather Noble, Werribee resident, conservationist and very active member of the Werribee River Association (3.10.96);

Greg Parry, a marine biologist from Queenscliff who has worked extensively on the ecology of Port Phillip Bay (20.8.96);

Neil Plummer, a young scientist from the Bureau of Meteorology, who lives in Geelong and is working on Climate Change issues (7.8.96);

Neil Savery, a strategic planner with the City of Greater Geelong, with a well-informed commitment to Ecologically Sustainable Development (21.8.96);

Carol Skinner, a Bureau of Meteorology scientist who is looking at urban design issues (7.8.96);

Mark Trengove, an environmental activist and specialist in indigenous flora who runs a native plant nursery in Geelong (21.8.96);

Nik Tsardakis who lives on the family market garden in Werribee and commutes daily to Melbourne's central business district where he works as a senior executive in the finance industry (8.10.96);

Harry Van Moorst, a community activist and scholar based at the Werribee campus of Victoria University (3.10.96);

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

The Painting the future real questionnaire:

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the 'Painting the future real' project to explore what a sustainable future might look like on the basalt plain between Melbourne's Docklands and the Bellarine Peninsula.

This interview is important because it will help the project team understand what kind of future society people want to live in, and how such an imagined future might be brought about. We'll also use your ideas in developing a composite multimedia image about the past, present and sustainable future of the region.

With your permission, we'd like to quote what you say in project publications, and adapt this interview for inclusive on the project's World Wide Web site, so I am taping it to ensure accuracy. I'll also jot down a few notes while you are speaking.

First of all, let me give you a quick map of what I'd like to cover in the interview. I'll begin by asking you to tell me a little about yourself and what you are doing now. Then I'll ask you about the two or three present-day issues you are most concerned about, what you think should be done about them, and what you yourself are doing. I'll then ask you about your concerns about the future, with specific reference to the western region of Melbourne or the City of Greater Geelong. And finally, I'll ask you for your vision of the kind of future you'd like to live in .

I'd like to explore the issues with you in some detail, so please expect the interview to take up to one hour.

THE 'PAINTING THE FUTURE REAL' QUESTIONS

1. First of all, I'd like you to tell me a little about yourself, your personal background, the work you are doing, and how you've arrived at this position.

2. Now let's talk about the issues that concern you most. What are the two or three issues that most concern you (relevant to social and ecological sustainability) about the way things are at the present time?

a.
b.
c.

3. What initiatives or proposals or strategies do you believe are appropriate to deal with these issues?

a.
b.
c.

4. What are you doing yourself to promote these ideas and move them along, or to actively effect change? What progress are you making?

a.
b.
c.

5. Now let's talk about the future. What are the issues that concern you most about the future?

a.
b.
c.

6. What initiatives or proposals or strategies do you believe are appropriate to deal with these issues? (Please make your comments relevant to the western region of Melbourne and the City of Greater Geelong.)

a.
b.
c.

7. So what then, is your vision of a sustainable future? What might such a future look and feel like?





Thank you very much for your contribution to 'Painting the future real'. Your comments will be very valuable to us.

My job now, is to transcribe what you have said, then edit the transcript into a form that is easy to read. When I have finished the first draft, I'll send it to you for your comments and approval. If you are not happy with it, my colleagues and I can make whatever changes you feel are necessary. When you are happy with the text, we will ask you to sign a standard release form, and then put the interview on the project's World Wide Web site at http://www.ecoversity.org.au/ for other people to learn from.

PAINTING THE FUTURE REAL TEAM

As of November 1996, the Painting the future real team consists of the following people.

Project director/writer, Merrill Findlay, settled in Melbourne about ten years ago and 'fell in love' with the view from the top of the West Gate Bridge. Why? Because within that vista were all the most profound social and ecological challenges we humans must face if we are to ever build sustainable communities and ... This project is her creative response to this view.



Multimedia artist, Csaba Szamosy, arrived in Australia from Hungary via Austria fourteen years ago. He completed courses in art and design, computer science and computer imaging in Brisbane, Melbourne and Switzerland. After receiving a BA in Fine Arts/Intermedia, he founded Anima Multimedia and now works as a multimedia artist, animator and digital imaging consultant.


Illustrator, Rebecca Kaye, graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a BA in Advertising in 1994 but now wishes to dedicate her career to 'a more worthwhile cause'. She works for the Australian Conservation Foundation where she has gained a broad understanding of the issues relevant to ecological sustainability.


Architect Richard Lee graduated in architecture from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, in 1988. After travelling widely and gaining broad experience in his profession, he began to question the established practice of architecture as designing 'machines for living'. He has since worked towards a more responsive and ecological approach to environmental design.



Adam Tiller is the project's computer programmer/technical consultant. Click here to visit his home page at Pegasus.



Janet Ho was born in Vietnam. She came to Australia when she was five years old. She considers herself Australian-Vietnamese and feels very fortunate to have experienced great cultural diversity in her life because it has made her life richer, she says. Janet participated in Painting the future real through a work experience placement as part of the LEAP (Landcare, Environment Action Program) course she is completing with the Western Young People's Independent Network at Footscray. See her interview with community worker Hue Nguyen from the St Albans Migrant Resource Centre. Click here to visit Janet's home page.



Carmen Stewart has a Maltese-Irish background and grew up in the state of Queensland, Australia. After spending several years as a youth worker, she became involved in community education and went to Guatemala. She is presently doing a Graduate Diploma in Social Ecology and is interested in working with young adults and teenagers to explore the values, visions and actions required to create a sustainable future. She is developing this interest in the western region of Melbourne as part of Painting the future real and in 1997 will be working with students and staff at Sunshine High School. She hopes students from Sunshine will be able to share their visions of the future at the 1997 World Futures Studies Federation's Congress in Brisbane, the capital city of her home state. Click here to visit Carmen's home page.



Kirsty Wilson lives at St Albans within the project bioregion and is completing the LEAP (Landcare Environment Action Program) course run for the Commonwealth Employment Service by Western Young People's Independent Network at Footscray. She transcribed some of the Painting the future real interviews as part of a work experience placement with Imagine The Future Inc. Click here to visit Kirsty's home page.


Other members of the 'Painting the future real' team include immunologist Fillipa Shubb, and LEAP trainee Su Tran



About the project
The Bioregion
Painting the Future Real
Imagine The Future Inc

[Page history: created and first published by ITF on www.ecoversity.org.au as part of Painting the future real (1995-97), the prototype for Redreaming the plain (1998-2002); taken off-line in 1998 and re-posted in July 2004 as a web archive. For more information contact redreaming@rmit.edu.au.]