Convenor: Dr Quentin Stevens E: e83369@ems.rmit.edu.au

This symposium draws together contemporary research in the humanities, social sciences and the design disciplines which looks at the design, use and meaning of public spaces in the particular context of historical commemoration. In contrast to the conventional focus on the meanings that sponsors intend public memorials to convey, such analysis embraces everyday social life around memorials, as well as social practices of commemoration in everyday spaces, and informal, unofficial memorials. From the perspective of design, the symposium will explore how commemorative spaces are shaped through client objectives, competition briefs, juries, and wider planning frameworks. From the perspective of users, it will examine how social memories, meanings and identities are shaped within urban spaces, through commemorative practices and other narratives of collective identity, as well as informal everyday uses. These issues are particularly relevant to the everyday life and the form of Canberra's own urban spaces, which are strongly influenced by the presence of both national and local memorials, particularly during the centenary of Canberra and the upcoming centenary of ANZAC.