Newsletter September 2007

Our teams have been extremely busy and are now a permanent visible part of the Woodend streetscape for the term of a project with the erection of our promotional, supporter and Indicator boards (above) in Forest St. This has generated a lot of excitement within the town and will be a huge medium through which we can inform the community of our progress and acknowledge our supporters.

Junior Architects & Tiny Town Planners

Woodend Children’s Park committee recently asked the children of our community to design their ‘dream playground’. We gave them some blank posters and a simple brief – think big, dream big and draw big. Our intention was twofold – firstly to let everyone know what we were up to and secondly to garner some great ideas from the main beneficiaries of our children’s park. We are very keen to directly involve the children of our community in the design process of ‘their park’; the art competition was a means to this end and we are delighted with the results.

The posters have been posted and coloured the streets of woodend fantastically through the grey and quiet months. A big thank-you to all the businesses that gladly provided wall space and or materials – we have received some great feedback from our community. If you have had a minute to peruse the artwork you will have enjoyed a great array of styles, mediums, ideas and budgets!

Monochrome graphic art, minimalist cubism, gentle colourwashes and bold post-modern forms were all represented. Luckily for us, many of the children inserted explanatory notes in their design, clearly labelling each piece in their park. Some ideas that spark excitement are: climbing clouds, a painting room, whizzing animals, sliding animals, springing animals, ponds – fenced in for safety and landscape architectural grandeur, ponds – unfenced for fishing, swimming and mud fights, giant chess boards, trampolines, sound machines, telescopes, rocket towers, plane ship climbing structures, pirate ship marauding structures, statues, giant slides, giant flying foxes, climbing walls, fountains, mini golf installations, bike paths, giant mushroom cubby houses, small mushroom pondering houses, tiny mushroom stepping stones, soccer fields, mazes, rope climbing things, waterslides, graffiti walls and err another twenty ‘really big really high super giant flying foxes’.

All in all it was a super effort from all involved and kudos must go to all the local teachers who gently guided all artists in their projects. Thanks also to schools for being as enthusiastic about this assignment as we are. Of course, it goes without saying that it has been difficult to select winners from all the inspired designs! Congratulations to all the entrants, we really enjoyed this process!

Winners have been announced through the relevant schools.

The committee of Woodend Children’s Park wish to advise the community that we are an open committee which would love to have your input, or if you would like to dabble here and there we would love that too. Please don’t hesitate to ring Kellie on 5427 1857 or email childrenspark@woodendweb.org if you would like to know more or have a look at our website – www.woodendweb.org/childrenspark.

The Woodend Children’s Park Team.

Woodend Children's Park Incorporated ABN 76 727 270 589