The Integration Between the Australian Locals and the Asian Population in Melbourne - Assignment Example

rtiсiраtоry and Рrоgrаm Lеd Idеа of Меlbоurnе Fеstivаl Name: Institution: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………….. 3 2.0 Participatory Idea………………………………………………………………. 3 2.1 Objectives of the participatory idea…………………………………….. 4 2.2 Suitable Target Audience……………………………………………….. 5 2.3 The Actual Creation and the Reasons Why……………………………… 5 2.4 Practical and Creative Considerations……………………………………. 6 2.5 Evaluations and Considerations to Ensure Success………………………….. 8 3.0 Asian Friendly Led Program……………………………………………………… 9 3.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………….. 9 3.2 Objectives of the Asian Friendly Led Program……………………………. 9 3.3. The Actual Creation and the Reasons Why ……………………………….. 10 3.4 Practical and creative considerations……………………………………….. 11 3.5 Evaluations and considerations to ensure success…………………………… 12 4. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….. 13 References ……………………………………………………………………………….. 14 Раrtiсiраtоry and Рrоgrаm Lеd Idеа of Меlbоurnе Fеstivаl 1.0 Introduction The Melbourne Festival is one of the greatest cultural events and encouraging more cultures and people to integrate is one of the ways to make the event even better. Thus, having this project that is designed to encourage the Asian population to attend and participate is a major step towards developing diversity, excellence and growth (Amo, 2014). In achieving this therefore, there are two major steps that will be most viable. The first one is having a participatory event or idea where the Asian community is made more comfortable or rather more at home (Professor Yang, 2014). This in this case will refer to adopting a culture or practice most common to them that will make them feel more welcome at the event and create memories. In addition, the project will accommodate another initiative which is a program that makes the event Asian friendly by appreciating the Asian language and culture and incorporating them into the event (Costello, 2015). This is with the intention of appreciating the population and making them feel equally part of the festival. Overall, below is an analytical report on the desired actions for the above two purposes and adoptions for this event. 2.0 Participatory Idea Melbourne festival has the main purpose of using transformational nature of arts and culture to bring about creativity and positivity to individuals and communities that participate (Pang, 2010). The best participatory idea in this case therefore must be one that is effective, easy to achieve, integrative and a common practice among the Asian populace. Therefore, this project has decided on an idea referred to as “the wall of comments” whereby, the attendees of the event get to leave behind their remarks in stickers stuck on a wall. The idea is a major practice in China among other Asian countries and the concept is not foreign hence has a higher chance of success when it comes to articulation. To encourage participation for all people and especially the target audience, the idea will be better actualized if the locations chosen are accessible and conspicuous for all to see. The most appropriate locations can therefore be in two different areas, that is the final show ground and at the Chinatown market. It is a very common practice in Asian culture as the practice is sometimes done to leave a comment of service in restaurants and so on therefore many people will already be aware (Huang, 2011). In addition, placing two walls with one at the performing place and Chinatown gives the opportunity to those that attend giving their feedback and those that did not knowing all about it from a location much closer to home. Image 1 and 2: Showing an example of a wall of comments 2.1 Objectives of the participatory idea This participatory idea has four main objectives, among them; To create a fun and easily understood concept that makes it possible for all people to participate To adopt a cultural practice that connects with the Asian community by making the event more familiar to their cultural practices To portray creativity and art in the course of the event while introducing something new to the locals and other international visitors of the event To find out the reactions that different people had to the event and ways to make it better 2.2 Suitable Target Audience From the objectives above, it is clear that this project intends to primarily attract the Asian community. This is because the culture is adopted from them for the purpose of creating a subtle and comfortable environment that will draw their participation to the event (Professor Yang, 2014). In addition, the event has many people visiting from all around the world and this concept will make the occasion more vibrant and fun to be part of (Zhiyuan, 2013). Looking at the uniqueness and beauty of the idea, people interested in arts and design will also find the concept appealing and hence create a more vibrant bonding session in the course of the event. At the end of the event, this wall may be the greatest way for the organizers to collect feedback, for people to express themselves and many others to get to know each other for the first time. 2.3 The Actual Creation and the Reasons Why The concept of “The comments on the wall” is quite self-explanatory but understanding the planning and execution of the process is important in this case. First, the planning team ought to identify a wall that is most conspicuous in the area of the performing arts or near the Chinatown living quarters. This could be at the entrance or near a common area such as the corridors leading to the restrooms or leading to the theatre where the performances will be. This is because these facilities are commonly used in such events and hence most people will identify the wall and choose to participate. To avoid making the walls untidy, the planning committee can spread a white sheet of paper on the wall to make the place more appealing. In addition, this will ensure neatness and avoid other issues that may have legal consequences (Costello, 2015).Similarly, a clean wall makes it possible to distinguish the area being used for the activity from the rest of the wall and after the festival is over, it is much easier to clean and repaint a particular area. Further, to avoid confusion when placing the stickers, a particular design that controls the individuals may be created, this could be by drawing distinctive lines or circular waves to create a circular shape. Having this kind of order will attract people’s curiosity and many will be drawn to the wall in addition, all the patches will be filled ensuring that the area being used is sufficiently utilized so that people do not miss an opportunity to participate. The activity itself will be advertised beforehand. This means that in explaining the fun activities available in the course of the event, the committee concerned will mention the wall of comments and give a short description of the activity and what is all about (Amo, 2016). This could be by the use of pictorial representations among other suitable means (Professor Yang, 2014). In addition, on the event day itself, an individual will be assigned the role of welcoming people, explaining to those that are new to the idea and to distribute the necessary stickers and writing equipment. If all these issues are taken to consideration and carried out thoroughly, the entire activity is bound to be successful and to draw an even larger crowd next time (Zhiyuan, 2013). In addition, it may create a platform that makes the Melbourne festival an even bigger international event more people of the Asian Heritage may attend. However, these are the basic elements of the idea but there are other creative and practical considerations that will be taken into consideration. 2.4 Practical and Creative Considerations The Lighting- As this activity entails written expressions and other visual-dependent items, the wall used will be of a considerable size and with good lighting. This means that the area will be lit just well enough to draw the attention of those interested and enable other people to read comments already made. In addition, the area should not have other elements that distract people from the actual agenda which is mainly possible if the area is not carefully organized. The availability of the necessary resources- Numerous individuals from all over the world attends this festival and therefore, the size and space of the chosen wall will not be underestimated. In addition, the stickers and the writing equipment will be efficient for the event to avoid crowding and long queues and incase of any faulty equipment, it is important that immediate action should be taken to remedy the situation. The chosen environment- As this is a festival, people tend to walk up and about hence it is necessary to choose an area that will avoid crowding or that will interrupt the access of other facilities. In addition, the area will be sheltered from probable change of weather that may ruin the activity the process. This could mean that the planners will find a tent suitable for the practice or any other means that will allow the activity to run throughout the event. A creative manager of the activity- This will be the person that introduces and explain. In addition, he will hand out the different colored stickers as it makes the wall appear colorful hence avoiding monotony of the whole activity. It is also more interesting for people to find options to use the colors of their choice based on how they best express themselves. This may also include different shaped pieces and sizes of the stickers. This also affects the choice in pens or markers that are made available for this activity as they too will be adequate and will enhance creativity (Buckheimer & Buckheimer, 2012). Similarly, he may be responsible for taking instant photographs of the people attending taken and placed alongside the comments on the wall will make the event even more. Image 2: Showing a heart-shaped pattern and other interesting stickers 2.5 Evaluations and Considerations to Ensure Success First, the main area that will ensure success is defeating Language Barrier. As it is an international event and the target audience may be mainly Asian, it is important to make sure that all those participating are comfortable in expressing themselves. This therefore means that the wall can have a few signs that capture the attention of the possible audiences in their languages such as Mandolin or Cantonese. In addition, the writers will be allowed to use the dialect they feel best suits them without limitation as it will not bar other interested people from participating regardless of race or language proficiency. Timing of the activity is also very important. As this is an activity intended to draw the participation of the Asian population, it is crucial that they are made aware of its existence earlier so that they may look forward to taking part. In addition, it will run throughout the festival, that is from the beginning to act as the initial meeting place of all those attending and in the course of the festival when people have comments to make about their experiences so far. At the end of the festival, the same wall will be the last place people visit as they head home and get to look at other people’s experiences compared to theirs as well as other things they might have missed along the way. When the activity and the event is over, it is important to go through the comments as they will give necessary feedback and problems that may have arisen in the course of the event and ensure an even better and more profitable experience for other events in the future. Similarly, it is important to have earlier requested for a name and the ethnicity of the people participating as part of the comment. This is because it will make this process yet another convenient way of analyzing the impact it has had on people and to what extent locally or internationally. 3.0 Asian Friendly Led Program 3.1 Introduction The participatory idea is one important way of making the function attractive to the Asian community as an activity within the festival that focuses on what they most prefer from their home countries. However, there is another program that will be best suited for this which will involve the choice of venue and the use of Multilanguage boards that will facilitate the main means of communication about the party. In this case, the chosen venue will be the most accessible, safe, comfortable for the target audience and will accommodate a large number of people. In addition all other facilities such as convenience of transportation and the close proximity to the targeted audience in this case the Asians will be highly facilitated while equally considering the probable Asian communities that will be arriving from other areas. 3.2 Objectives of the Asian Friendly Led Program As this program holds the most significance to having a Melbourne festival that is Asian friendly and within reach, the following are the key objectives; To facilitate the participation of the target audience from an area of their convenience To choose a central place accessible by all other people interested To create diversity in the Melbourne festival such that different locations can host the event each year To find better influence based on the environment and find a way to assimilate with the Asian cultural expectations, food and practices as the event is next to the main source of the experience. 3.3. The Actual Creation and the Reasons Why The selected area is the Chinatown where most of the Asian festivities are held as this will create faster awareness and interest to those involved. In addition to having this area, the Melbourne festival intends to have multi-language boards, advertisements, introductions and exhibitions that familiarize the area with the chosen environment and the cultural practices within that area. This will ensure that all those interested within the target Audience are aware of what is going on and feel comfortable and curious enough to attend. The decorations and presentations of the area will also familiarize with the Asian culture whereby china fabrics and artifacts will be part of the main presentation. The music announcement and all other activities will facilitate this such that all people from China, Mongolia, Vietnam and even Melbourne Locals are taken into consideration. This means that various issues or way of describing things can be used as captions that draw their immediate attention to the events taking place. The posters in the area also need to draw more attention to what the event has to offer and therefore, the expected performances. For instance, images that elaborates on the performances such as the Jin Xing Dance from China and the Mongolian “Morin Khuur Ensemble” among others (Zhiyuan, 2013). The accessibility of the area is also another major factor such that the venue allows all those interested to find it and attend. As Chinatown is at the CBD, it is one of the best locations in Melbourne for those within the area and those coming from other places. Similarly, it is also the easiest way to get emergency aid from the relevant authorities in case of any problems that may arise as it is within reach. In addition to this, the area is densely populated with numerous members of the target audience as they have developed a community in which they live as one. This means that there is a high probability that one of the objectives which is to reach the Asian community and another which focuses on offering convenience to all others arriving for the festival will be achieved. Image 3: showing the Chinatown Venue in Melbourne Australia 3.4 Practical and creative considerations The language barrier will be reduced by the use of multi-language boards and explanations as well as outspoken Chinese representatives that will address any concerns and issues in relation to the event (Ameck, 2006). This means that there can be a number of posts and explanations in mandarin and other known community languages about events they are most likely to be interested in. In addition, this information should be precise and detailed just enough to address the relevant issues in this case. Image 4: Showing an explanatory poster in Mandarin Making the chosen venue known to all that want to attend is another important area. The project has posters that incorporate the main theme that portrays the Asian community hence a great way to capture the target audience. Having a targets market will not however bar other interested individuals from attending. Creating a celebratory mood is important. This is possible from the colors chosen, the activities, the availability of food and drinks among others, people will be drawn to the event. Similarly, ensuring that there is comfort in terms of convenience of space, ability to view the performances and find ways to participate as in “the wall of comments” above encourages people to attend the event. 3.5 Evaluations and considerations to ensure success The most important thing is to ensure that the awareness of the venue is made. This can be possible by the use of social media as the Melbourne Festival has a large audience and faster to spread information (Professor Yang, 2014). In addition, distribution of the posters either door to door or to every available individual in the area with information on the event will enable more people to understand the reason behind the theme and the festival. The second consideration is the availability of a large enough and comfortable venue suitable for the weather and the performances at the time (Zhiyuan, 2013). This is because the population at Chinatown is large and many other people will be interested in attending hence it is obvious that the place will be accommodative. The event will also ensure that most of the scheduled performances or practices are attainable and within a reasonable time (Ameck 2006). For instance, the refreshments will be there on time, there will be people given the responsibility of welcoming people and showing them around. In addition, there will be availability of ample facilities such as restrooms to accommodate such a large number of people. Lastly, it is important that sufficient research has been carried out to ensure that the event does not act in any way contrary to the cultures and practices of the Asian community (Gold & Gold, 2005). This means that the planning committee will evaluate the reasons behind the success of previous festivals held in Chinatown and use them to their advantage in the Melbourne festival. Image 5: Showing an example of an event held at Chinatown 4. Conclusion Having a participatory idea and an Asian Friendly environment are the two main ways to facilitate the integration between the Australian locals and the Asian population in Melbourne. Both of these initiatives are cultural-oriented, multi-lingual and most importantly, they have adopted the target audience’s cultural convenience as their own theme. In addition to this, all these take place in a festival that has existed for many years in Melbourne and due to the awareness of such a festival already, there is certainty that people from all calibers will attend. All the collective decisions to make this festival a success such as the right choice of venue, the decision to incorporate all languages, the Asian performances and the creative “wall of comments” will indeed offer a great environment that encourages the participation of the Asian communities in Australia. References Ameck, G. A. (2006). Music as a vehicle in conflict transformation and social integration in South Africa. University of the Witwatersrand. Amo, D.M, (2016).Sasha Waltz And Guests At The Melbourne International Arts Festival. Melbourne Publishing co. Amo, D.M, (2014) Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival: Celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture melbourne.vic.gov.au/miaf Buckheimer, A., & Buckheimer, N. (2012). Equality Through Integration, a Report on Greenburgh SchoolDistrict Number 8. Costello, E. (2015). Melbourne Festival; Melbourne Festival Turns 30 In 2015, Australian Media News Gold, J. R., & Gold, M. M. (2005). Cities of culture: Staging international festivals and the urban agenda, 1851-2000. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Huang, S. (2011). Chinese traditional festivals. The Journal of Popular Culture, 25(3), 163-180. Pang, G.-C. (2010). Mongolia. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. Professor yang, M. (2014). Chinese Investment in Australia - University of Queensland Zhiyuan, Z. (2013). A brief account of traditional Chinese festival customs. The Journal of Popular Culture, 27(2), 13-24. Read More