Coffs Harbour Cultural and Civic Space Project Update
August 2020

Hi all,

August has flown by and it’s been another busy month for our design team with the look and feel of our new building taking shape. We’re busily plotting a fun way to give our community a sneak peek inside the walls so you can see where we are up to - stay tuned!

We’re giving our museum some love this month, with a short article on modern museums and the role they play in telling our stories and holding our histories. Speaking of the museum, have you seen the scale model of the Coffs Harbour 1906 Police Station and Courthouse donated to the museum by talented local craftsman Don Langley? It’s on display right now – go and check it out.

We’ve also had a question from a community member asking about maker spaces, so we’ve shared the answer here.

Pssst keep an eye out for more information about the amazing unique spaces inside our new building – there’s a lot more than you realise, with something for everybody.

Warm regards,

The Project Office team.

What is the role of modern museums?

A good museum tells engaging stories and narratives that capture our interest and imagination, taps into our emotions and prompt us to think more deeply and ask questions about the past, present and future of our region. For example, why do we have refugees in Coffs? How are we protecting our natural environment? What kind of innovations are going on in food production?

How have museums changed? Banish the idea of fusty, dusty old museums which focus more on objects rather than stories. Museums are still institutions which collect and safeguard artefacts, but they now use multimedia technology such as touchscreens and touch tables, as well as film and audio to engage visitors in meaningful and interesting ways.

Museums have become more hands on as well, with many providing opportunities for interactive activities. The new museum will host an interactive space where visitors of all ages can sign up for a workshop and learn valuable new skills such as how to look after their family photos and collections, how to handle historical objects and much more.

What can we look forward to in our new museum? Our new museum will be contemporary, highly visual and will showcase many more of the fascinating items in the museum’s collections, including historical artefacts, photographs and multi-media resources. Visitors will be engaged, surprised and energised by what they experience.

Our new museum will be a one-of-a-kind visitor experience, not only for Coffs Harbour locals, who will feel proud of our histories and stories on display, but for visitors to the area who will be drawn to the unique cultural destination as part of their stay on the beautiful Coffs Coast.

Image: Stories to Freedom by and the trees photography

Community Questions from our Have Your Say Page

What is meant by the library’s Maker Space?

A makerspace is a workshop area where people can come together to create, collaborate and play. It's a robust space, known as a 'wet area' in design terms, designed to accommodate a range of uses. The makerspace may have digital technologies such as a 3D printer, scanner and laser cutter - and it may also have much more low-tech items; the main purpose of the space is educational play and collaborative learning in a spirit of invention and fun.

For more information on maker spaces check this article out.
 

If you have a question you would like to ask the project office, you have lots of options!

·         Visit our Have Your Say page and ask us a question;

·         Visit our Facebook page;

·         Email the Project Office at ccsproject@chcc.nsw.gov.au 

The project team will continue to provide you with timely updates on the Cultural and Civic Space project.

To talk to a member of our project team email us at ccsproject@chcc.nsw.gov.au or call us on 66484198