Instigating a catalyst for change, the aim of the BAD Workshop (held in May 2023) was to start problem-solving derelict Brisbane City Council (BCC) buildings and propose real and well considered options for how these buildings could be reused for creatives and designers.

Assemble Brisbane and artisan pooled their intellectual resources to deliver an important workshop for BAD (Brisbane Art & Design Month) in Brisbane. Facilitated by Roz de Waal McKenzie (Markian), Paul van Barneveld (Brave) and Prof Lisa Scharoun (QUT), the Tuesday 9 May workshop was held at artisan in South Brisbane.

In a first for Brisbane Art and Design, Assemble Brisbane partnered with artisan (the Queensland home of craft and design) in bringing together the Brisbane Art, Architecture and Design community to demonstrate the collective power of creative intellect in solving an unsolvable problem brought to them by the BCC.

The workshop asked participating artists, architects, and designers to come together to apply their creative problem-solving skills to resolve the specific challenge facing Brisbane City. The aim of the workshop was to have viable concepts ready to present to the BCC at the end of the session.

The workshop gave participants an opportunity to work with other like-minded creative practitioners from different disciplines and demonstrate to the broader community the value of engaging with Brisbane’s art, architecture and design community to address community challenges, drive innovation and be a catalyst for positive change.

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About Assemble Brisbane

Assemble Brisbane brings together the art, architecture and design communities of Brisbane. This includes organisations and representatives from the Australian Design Alliance, Australian Institute of Architects, leading education and training bodies alongside major arts and craft institutions across Brisbane. 

The primary driver for Assemble Brisbane is to facilitate collaboration between and across disciplines, with the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics as a catalyst. To assemble and celebrate the collaborative value that the art, architecture and design communities bring to Brisbane.

About artisan

This Meanjin (Brisbane) based not-for-profit organisation has provided leadership and advocacy for Queensland’s craft and design sector for over 50 years. The organisation delivers creative and commercial opportunities for its artists across progressive creative programs. artisan is committed to broadening access, discourse and understanding, while driving economic development in the craft and design eco-system. 

Artisan presents an annual program of exhibitions, workshops, masterclasses, retail initiatives and engagement activities. It showcases the excellence and diversity of Queensland, Australian, and international craft and design. In addition to the purpose-built premise in King Street, Bowen Hills which houses the main gallery and retail showcase, artisan launched a dedicated workshop space – Melbourne Street Studio in 2022.

The facilitators

As the co-founder and creative director of Markian, Roz de Waal McKenzie brings her unique style and vision to every project. She is committed to creating designs that are both beautiful and functional, with a focus on classic elegance and surprising contradictions. Her passion for design and her ability to blend art and functionality have made her a respected and sought-after designer in the industry.

As one of Australia’s leading design thinkers and director of Brave (a strategic design studio focused on business innovation and strategic positioning), Paul van Barneveld applies his skills in strategic design to shape and grow the design industry and have a greater impact through a human-centred design approach.

Professor Lisa Scharoun is a multi-award winning teacher, researcher, designer and academic leader with expertise in transdisciplinary design education, tertiary education management, visual communication design, design for health and wellbeing and cross-cultural design research. With a range of leadership roles in design and higher education in USA, UK, China, Singapore and Australia, she has specialised in transforming workplace cultures through building resilient, collaborative and highly effective teams.

Assemble Brisbane
assemblebrisbane.com.au

artisan
artisan.org.au

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