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COMMUNITIES in the Central Goldfields Shire will have the opportunity to enshrine their stories in public art.
Twelve “story seats” will be crafted to reflect the culture of the communities in which they’re based.
Each of the steel seats, which will be shaped like an open book, will be adorned with images and text.
Once complete, they will be permanently positioned throughout the shire to form a tourist trail.
Go Goldfields, the group behind the initiative, is encouraging community groups and organisations to get involved.
“There’s so much scope for stories to be held, acknowledged and celebrated on these seats,” arts project director Adrian Masterman-Smith said.
The stories will be selected by community groups and organisations.
Mr Masterman-Smith said they could be drawn from a work of literature, such as a book or poem, or from the community itself.
“In every community there’s a wealth of stories that need to be told,” he said.
He was hopeful the story seats would reflect what art meant for a community as a living expression of culture.
“I don’t think it has ever been done before,” Mr Masterman-Smith said.
A similar project, called Books about Town, was a hit in the UK.
It involved 50 book-shaped benches themed around famous authors, illustrators, and works of literature, such as Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and Around the World in Eighty Days.
He said a pool of talented artists would help bring the stories selected by the communities to life.
Harcourt-based company KSD Fabrication and Steel Sales will fabricate the seats.
Story Seats launches on October 12 at the Maryborough Resource Centre from 1-3pm.
Mr Masterman-Smith expected the project would be complete by autumn.
He encouraged community groups and organisations keen to get involved to call him on 0433 111 068.