Winter has come: A game of draughts
This intervention, designed for the City of Port Phillip in Melbourne, Australia, targeted people living in apartments to draught proof their homes.
This humorous video was created to publicise the campaign.
The program, drawing on Practice Theory, sought to bring together the aspects of “doing” DIY. This meant “stuff” by way of draughty apartments, and the “stoppers” to plug them; organisational factors including the support of the council, the apartment dwellers who hosted the events and community and business organisations that publicised and, in the case of Bunnings Warehouse, hosted events too. The third “ingredient” identified by theory is the necessary skills which was provided by an experienced draught proofing expert demonstrator.
Skills were shared in a convivial atmosphere, typically a gathering of neighbours in a host’s apartment, where people learned, hands on, how to draught proof their homes. The host’s apartment became a laboratory that allowed for all of the participants to assist with its draught proofing. This provided the participants with the DIY skills necessary for them to draught proof their apartments.
Ten very successful events were held and some participants indicated their willingness to champion the program, should Council decide to run it again. There is scope for those now trained in draught proofing to become demonstrators at future events; “snowballing” the program throughout the City of Port Phillip, and beyond.
Key Outcomes:
That programs can be designed that participants enjoy and are effective. That, (in this case) a local council can, in its programs, actually change residents behaviour for environmental sustainability.
The vast majority of the participants valued, (from 100% to 83%): saving energy, increasing comfort, saving money and free advice. This reflected the the design and marketing of the program.
That Practice Theory provides a holistic, theoretically informed method, for actual behaviour change. We do not need to reinvent the wheel for each intervention, as community based social marketing and nudge do. Practice Theory provides tools that create effective change for greater environmental sustainability.
Further information can be found on the City of Port Phillip’s website.