In 2014 I founded the HOLD ME DEAR project - an online curated gallery of personal stories relating to individuals' most treasured places.
Inspired by my profession as a Landscape Architect and Urban Designer, I have a keen interest in how people use and experience spaces, and wanted to find a way to share the great variety of ways we as individuals form associations with place. This is often the result of our memories, experiences and subjective interpretations of place, and can result in places we treasure, but rarely share the stories behind why with others.
Working in an industry which aims to design high quality places which are distinctive, functional, enjoyable and sustainable, I felt the layer missing in this process is how individuals use and experience these places after they have been built. Through the HOLD ME DEAR project, I aim to create a platform from which our individual stories of place can be shared with one another.
An interview with me about the project is currently featured on Dumbo Feather - Conversations With Extraordinary People and Darwin Magazine. The project is also featured on the websites of exhibition partners Testing Grounds outdoor creative space and New Architects Melbourne.
Hold Me Dear evolving exhibition at Testing Grounds, Melbourne
New Architects Melbourne exhibition event of photographs and stories submitted to the Hold Me Dear project
An example submission of a place plus 50 words to the Hold Me Dear project