NOVEMBER 1, 2014
Before I Die is a colourful, global, community art project that invites people to reflect on their lives and share their aspirations in a public space. The first wall was started in 2011 by Candy Chang when someone close to her died. Hear her inspirational story at TEDx [6:02]
There are now over 500 walls, in 35 languages, in 70 countries, including 8 in Australia at various times. One of these was the pilot wall we had in Gawler in Conversations Café. For 2 months (Aug-Sep 2014) the Café customers filled in the blanks on the chalkboard wall:
- Before I die I want to … meet the Port Power team
- Before I die I want to … fix all my mistakes
- Before I die I want to … live
Pitching to Council for a Before I Die wall in Gawler, South Australia
We are now proposing a public Before I Die wall for Gawler. I was invited by Councillor Karen Redman to pitch the proposal to Council. Council approved the concept in principle. We are currently working with local service groups and local businesses to make it happen.
Regularly contemplating death is a powerful tool to restore perspective and remind us of the things that make our lives meaningful. Our public spaces can help us make sense of the beauty and tragedy of life with the people around us.
How would you fill in the blank?
Before I Die I want to …