Part 1:  Ideas for a Monument in Your Community

In this part of the Challenge, you will come up with an idea for a new monument for your own community.  First, think back to all of the examples of monuments you've learned about so far. Now consider your own community. What issues are important to you, your family, your friends, your neighbours, and your fellow community members? What living individuals or historical figures (or groups) have made a big impact in your community and how? Has an important event happened in your community?

Activity

Sketch out 6-10 possibilities for a new monument for your community.  Don't spend too long on the detail of any individual design at this stage - the aim is to get lots of ideas flowing!  A good tip can be to set yourself a time limit of one minute per sketch and don't pause in between.

Brainstorming can be a great way to generate ideas.  It involves getting a group together so that everyone can throw some ideas into the melting pot.  Try it with friends, family or a group of people from your community!

Think about how your monument would make a valuable contribution to your community and what form it might take (just a loose idea is fine at this stage). Remember that the form of the monument is up to you. It could be permanent or temporary; made with long-lasting materials or ones that will biodegrade. We encourage you to be creative! 

Brainstorming Tips

1. Wild ideas lead to creativity: do not filter anything out at this stage, even if it doesn't seem "practical" or "possible." Keep an open mind - ideas can become more specific and feasible as we develop them further. At this stage, anything is possible.

2. Aim for as many ideas as possible: whatever comes to mind, get it down on paper or typed into a meaningful document - make sure you're creating a record of what you're thinking. These thoughts can be words, visuals, ideas, images, materials, objects, places - at this stage, it doesn't matter.

3. Inspiration can come from anywhere: look around your home, your school, and your neighbourhood for inspiration. Explore any designs, artworks, sculptures, and installations that come to mind, and record the maker/designer/artist if possible. This helps build your knowledge of the world of art, design, and monumental architecture and allows you to talk more knowledgeably about your work and research.

>> Proceed to Step 4.

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