Collingwood is known for its history of manufacturing and in recent years as one of Melbourne’s most creative areas. The Collingwood public housing estates are known for its diverse community, including migrants, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and its Traditional Owners. The first stage and pilot project called Collingwood Makes involves the design ethnographic mapping of the estates and Collingwood, the building of relationships and networks into the estate, and the tangible outcomes of furniture to be used by the community that reflect community values. The design of the furniture – while highly functional – expresses the stories, values and history is reflected in the visual language and mark-marking techniques on the furniture.

This event is the culmination of a collaboration between staff and students from the Industrial Design Program at RMIT and the Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood House (BANH) situated at the Collingwood estate. It is part of research project called Porous Borders that looks at how design and creative practice methods and strategies can contribute to a community in the short term by expressing its values into tangible artefacts and spaces, and in the long term by skills building through making and creative practice. In this case the community is the Collingwood Estate and the broader geographical area is the suburb of Collingwood.