USQ Fraser Coast Linking Campus to Community - Community Dialogue Cafe
Hervey Bay: the next Sunshine Coast ?
The University of Southern Queensland Alumni and Friends, Fraser Coast chapter, along with Hervey Bay City Council and Community Connect Fraser Coast Inc conducted Hervey Bay’s inaugural Dialogue Café on Saturday, 28 April 2007.
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Hervey Bay Mayor, Ted Sorensen, talks about his favourite topic - Hervey Bay (image supplied) |
New Zealand graphic recorder, Mary Brake, working on one of her charts during the day |
USQ Fraser Coast Arts student, Jacqui Brooks, gets involved in the dialogue at her table |
The day-long dialogue cafe was held in Hervey Bay on 28 April 2007 |
People came and made a difference
Eighty people came and talked about Hervey Bay City's future using the world café format.
The world café method is based on the natural process by which authentic conversations enable people to think together, create shared meaning, strengthen community and ignite innovation.
Information was gathered for analysis via digital photography and ideas and reflections were recorded on butcher's paper. Graphic recorder, Mary Brake, was brought from New Zealand to document the outcomes of the day-long dialogue as drawings and words and phrases on wall charts - Hervey Bay Future Mapping Cafe Charts (pdf 1224 kb).
Issues which arose included sustainability, affordable housing, the environment and the esplanade, transport, a sense of community, the coastal lifestyle, safety, water supply, diversity of intelligence, the attributes of the civic precinct and walk ways.
USQ theatre and local senior students took part in the talks to produce a Verbatim Theatre piece for the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the USQ Fraser Coast and Hervey Bay City Council precinct on 11 May 2007.
Verbatim Theatre is an age-old method of story telling, where social and political issues are given voice. It is used as a reflection tool and mouthpiece for issues that might seem overwhelming. It uses a documentary-drama style to act out issues and pull them together in a production. Thus, many different sides to an issue can be presented but not necessarily solved; that is up to the audience who receive the messages and discuss them further.
The Café was proudly supported by:
- USQ Alumni and Friends, Fraser Coast Chapter
- Hervey Bay City Council
- Community Connect Fraser Coast Inc.
This event, along with the 'Moving Forward Together Forum' in May, acts as an incubator for themes that will fuel the USQ Fraser Coast Community Debate in November.