Crafers as you’ve never seen it before

Some of our projects have been significantly impacted by the pandemic, especially community engagement projects. How do you speak to individuals when you are not allowed in the same room?

The Crafers Village Design Framework is one such example. Rather than stop the project and further isolate the community, Adelaide Hills Council and WAX worked with filmmaker Ben Crossley of Bensley Media to make a short documentary video to guide our engagement with the community.

Presented as a walking tour of the village, Warwick Keates leads people through the issues and opportunities associated with the project. The video provides a unique insight into the character of Crafers, with Warwick provoking the community to think about the future.

The video is part of the council’s digital engagement process and enables people to provide feedback in response to the documentary. Other focused engagement sessions are being run using digital conferencing programs such as Zoom.

An in-depth analysis of Crafers has been made possible through virtual engagement processes, including online voting, chat boards and break out rooms. The combination of documentary, video analysis, digital feedback and virtual engagement has enabled the community to remain connected with the planning process, and at the same time, connected with each other.

Click here to join the conversation and shape the future of Crafers.