Beyond “Tokenism” in First Nations Design
Beyond “Tokenism” in First Nations Design
2 Formal CPD Points
A frequent question that we hear from designers is how can they go beyond the surface level of recognition of First Nations principles to something more purposeful?
How do designers put meaningful “First Nations Engagement” into practice and manage First Nations Engagement from the beginning and through the lifecycle of the project and beyond?
Some clues on achieving a deeper level of engagement may be found when First Nations representation fails to meet the desired outcomes of the building owner and stakeholders, users and authorities.
These may include:
Missing important cultural aspects of place/site - what strategies can be used to manage risks around these issues, focussing on the input from the local aboriginal community?
Not recognising the different cultural understanding between community and developer of land ownership and the meaning of “country”. What is the risk to your project if these do not align? How might you manage this risk?
The risk of not engaging with the “whole” community – have you included the local aboriginal communities as a stakeholder/user of the building/ built form you’ve been commissioned to design? (as a group they have often been a forgotten stakeholder?)
Clashing with authority codes and requirements and desired outcomes from the community/stakeholder/building users
The risk of leaving aboriginal consultation too late in the design process.
This webinar will consider the above factors and the strategies to manage risks around these issues focused on the input from the local aboriginal community?
A focal point of the webinar will include a case study of the Kamay Ferry Wharves Project which was led by Arup and the Gujaga Foundation as the Aboriginal representation on the project. The Gujaga Foundation worked with key people with ancient links to Kamay, the La Perouse Aboriginal community, Elders, knowledge holders and local artists to translate stories into elements that will be incorporated in the design of the wharves.
Our panel will provide insights and learnings from their extensive experience with cultural engagement with First Nations communities.
Join us for an invaluable insight into what “real and meaningful” engagement means in practice.
Our Expert Presenters/Panel
Josh Loyd
Wajarri Yamatji
Josh is the First Nations Director – Buildings and Places for AECOM, leading co-design and engagement for the business. He has more than 12 years of experience with global consultants and industry leading organisations - in Aboriginal affairs, heritage, engineering, and design – spanning Australia in metro, regional, and remote communities. Josh is passionate about strategically embedding traditional ways of being, knowing and doing into major projects. His approach centres around the ubiquitous principles of Country, culture, and people, follows the three tenets of reconciliation: relationships, respect, and opportunity, and aligns with the Australian Indigenous Design Charter (AIDC:CD) and United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Troy Casey
Kamilaroi
Troy is the founder and Director of Blaklash and is passionate about harnessing economic opportunities to create positive social change for First Nations Australians. He combines his extensive community engagement experience spanning the government, non for profit and higher education sectors with his curatorial practice, working collaboratively with communities to ensure First Nations voices are embedded across projects with public art, placemaking and urban design
Luke Smith
Arup
Luke leads Arup’s Architecture team in NSW & ACT. He has considerable experience leading major projects across multiple sectors, including transport & infrastructure, commercial office, tertiary education, adaptive reuse, heritage, arts & culture, and public realm upgrades. Luke’s career started in London where he worked on key projects in the city and as part of the legacy program for the 2012 Olympic Games. Luke relocated to Sydney in 2014, where he played a leading role in the development of a major commercial tower and station interface, Wynyard Place. Luke has gone on to lead numerous projects for significant government and non-government clients in Australia.. Luke has experience in leading multi-disciplinary design teams through all project stages, from inception to completion. He places great value on establishing and embedding core design principles into projects, driving a unified design vision and enabling benefits beyond a site’s boundary to positively impact the wider context. Luke is currently leading the architectural design Kamay Ferry Wharves for TfNSW, in collaboration with the Gugaja Foundation. The project commences on site this year.
Ray Ingrey
Chairperson - Gujaga Foundation
Ray Ingrey is a Dharawal person from the La Perouse Aboriginal community. Ray has a number of leadership roles within his community, including Chairman of the Gujaga Foundation. Ray believes it’s important “our young ones grow up with a solid cultural foundation and become strong with who they are and where they belong” which will put them on the right path in achieving any goal they set in the future.
CPD - Participation in this webinar will deliver 2 formal CPD points.
Learning Outcomes:
List 3 examples of “meaningful engagement processes” with First Nations Communities in design services
List 2 examples of how designers at Kamay Wharf translated the cultural narrative into a design outcome incorporated into the building fabric
Define the concept of land & ownership for First Nation Communities and how these differ from contemporary understanding
Describe the importance of site context, traditional knowledge, and cultural narrative /s for translation throughout the built form
