2023 Festival of Landscape Architecture: UN/EARTH
The 2023 AILA Festival of Landscape Architecture UN/EARTH was held on Kaurna Meyunna Yerta (Kaurna People’s Country) and surrounding regions in Tarntanya / Adelaide. It was a busy and inspiring four days for WAX team members, full of deep listening, learning and discussions.
This year’s Festival bought together four key themes that engage with the elements and life below and within the earth’s surface – DEEP EARTH / RAW EARTH / FERTILE EARTH / SUBTERRANEAN EARTH. These theoretical conversations were enriched by tours, workshops and events held on Country in and around Adelaide. A series of specialist speakers across the design, creative, scientific, cultural and professional fields led the conference sessions.
WAX director Warwick Keates had the pleasure of speaking about how co-design processes with Traditional Owners and how Designing on Country has guided and influenced the design of Yitpi Yartapuultiku. A review of the festival by Landscape Australia says that “Warwick Keates shared the collaborative journey of the Yitpi Yartapuultiku project that will create a new Aboriginal Culture Centre in Port Adelaide’s centre. Traditional Owners have been involved from the project’s inception, enabling meaningful collaboration, shared ownership and the delivery of an outcome that serves the community. Keates’s reflection – that his role on the project was to be an instrument for the translation of ideas, and that true listening requires us to de-centre ourselves – was particularly compelling.”
As a member of the AILA National Connection to Country Committee, Warwick was also in possession of the Darbang Message Stick in the lead up to the festival. He was honoured to respectfully pass on the Message Stick to Niveta Chawla, co-leader of SAILA Fresh for the duration of the conference.
A special thank you to the festival Creative Directors, Cultural Advisors, Speakers, Partners and all AILA staff for their efforts in creating a wonderful event – we look forward to the next one!