A Central Business District is usually a place of ownership and boundaries – there are places you are allowed to go, and places that are very clearly 'out of bounds'. Most things you find there cost money if you want to keep them.

But Melbourne's CBD is about to have an injection of life. A CBD-wide installation called 'Placement' will see 1000 small wooden icons – designed and decorated by a variety of artists and architects – appearing all throughout the city streets. And if you happen to find one – you're encouraged to take it with you.

The core group of people putting the installation together are actually Work for the Dole participants. Co-ordinator of the program, Darryl, of Handspan Theatre, initiated the project as a means of creating "an environment where people can come in and create in a non-exploited way". For the people who have found themselves involved with this program – most of who were already active artists – he seems to have provided a very welcome opportunity.

One participant, Kristen, likens the project to "one big Easter hunt" – explaining that, after leaving school early, it has been a great opportunity for her to begin introducing "art-oriented things" into her life again.

According to Bec – "I was really surprised that something like this existed, because I was actually trying to get involved with projects like this at the start of the year".

Another, Emma, comments that she had to give up the other volunteer work that she was doing – which was giving her some valuable career relevant skills– when she got called up to for the program. But says that in this instance it has been worth it. She believes that Work for the Dole "is a good thing if it caters for a complete range of people".

Work for the Dole projects range from cleaning litter from roadsides and maintaining community facilities to more inspiring undertakings like community radio programming and revegetation.

According to the Federal Government website:

"Participants may also be required, from time to time, to undertake activities in response to urgent community needs such as natural disasters."

Anyone that has been on the dole for more than six months is eligible to be called up – and must participate or risk having their payments reduced or completely cut-off. Not everyone has an opportunity to choose the program they are placed into.

Strangely, one of the Placement participants, Sean, comments that he "had a hard time getting on Work for the Dole" – because he apparently had not been on the dole for long enough.

Darryl doesn't "endorse Work for the Dole per se" but admits that he sees this opportunity as a way to take questionable government policy and harness it for good. He comments that John Howard would probably be "pretty pissed off" if he walked in and saw people enjoying themselves – he believes that the program was introduced as a deterrent and "not meant to be nurturing".

The name Placement – says Darryl – is as much a timely statement about the structure of the program – "the placement of people" – as it is about the placement of objects.

The installation will make up the Architecture component of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. From September 26th to October 7th the group will be placing the pieces all throughout the city, taking a photo and then walking away. The photos will then culminate in an exhibition.which will be held at at North Melbourne Town Hall from October 10th - 13th.

If you find a piece, you're encouraged to go the website and register it. Go to http://www.melbourne fringe.com.au and follow the links.