After ten years of building Creative Spaces we thought it was time for a little bit of reflection. Our aim has always been to create spaces that connect people with the environment, cultural places, each other, and the past. Reconciliation is a major social shift that will help us achieve this aim.
Reconciliation benefits all Australians by strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. The work we have done in this space has led us to recognise that for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, Australia’s colonial history has been devastating. We are encouraged by the many large steps towards reconciliation that have been taken recently.
The Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program is one such step and that’s why we have prepared the first Creative Spaces RAP; Reflect. This marks the beginning of a journey to encourage all our clients, peers and colleagues to better understand and respect the intrinsic values of culture and heritage at the heart of our industry.
As designers of public spaces who engage with people, cultures and histories, places and built context; we seek to recognise and engage with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land.