Lelystad Handboek, 2012

Lelystad Handboek, 2012. Design: Roosje Klap.

Schoolchildren as temporary advisors to local government.

For Lelystad Handboek, I convinced the local government of the Dutch town Lelystad to appoint all pupils of one primary school as temporary advisor. During a six-week program, the advisors met a wide range of people working for local government: from landscape architect and mayor to budget checker. They were asked to bombard them with questions and write or draw their advice on a range of topics. From their texts and drawings, Lelystad Handboek was compiled.

The publication uses multivocal editing: contributions by a large amount of authors are welded into one comprehensive text by splicing up and recombing sentences. Multivocal texts combine insight and overview with imaginative examples, surprising details, strange bends in the storyline…

The project was hosted by De Barak, an artist initiative exploring the geographical and cityplanning elements of Lelystad, a town which was planned into existence in the 1950’s. Graphic design of the publication is by studio Roosje Klap.

Lelystad Handboek: ‘The most important things in life.’

Lelystad Handboek: ‘The most important things in life.’

Lelystad Handboek: ‘Things that don’t exist now, but will exist in 2050.’