Bringing together designers, academics and changemakers from around the globe, Indigenising Design is a new 10-month long pan-continent webinar series launching this November, exploring the possibilities beyond a colonised design system.
The series has been devised through a collaboration between IDIA (Indigenous Design and Innovation Aotearoa), the British Council for Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, Arts and Culture University of Exeter, and design agency Concurrency.
We exist in a world designed predominantly by and for Western norms, reinforcing the vestiges of colonisation. Yet many indigenous practitioners are returning to their ancestral practices to inform their work, introducing a rich alternative to mainstream methodologies.
Indigenising Design aims to bring together like-minded individuals from across the globe to discuss, unpack and explore the ways in which our world is designed. It celebrates indigeneity and the identities, customs, stories, and practices that make our indigenous communities unique.
The first online webinar of the series will take place on Tuesday 19 November, and will focus on Indigenising Physical Spaces and will be co-hosted by Dr Johnson Witehira and Keita Twist. Johnson is a leading Māori innovator working across art, design, technology, and game development, and is the Co-Founder and Creative Director for Indigenous Design & Innovation Aotearoa (IDIA). Keita Twist is an experienced service design, co design and community engagement practitioner, who is Director and Strategist for IDIA. Joining Johnson and Keita as panellists are Sandeep Virmani, an architect and Non-Executive Vice Chairman of Hunnarshala Foundation, Stella Mutegi, an architect and Co-Founder and Director of Cave bureau and Dr Rebecca (Becky) Kiddle, Director of Te Manawahoukura in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Natasha Beckman, Director British Council Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific said "We are thrilled to see the Indigenising Design webinar series unite global voices. The extraordinary response reflects a deep appetite for conversations about indigenising design practices. The British Council's international network has enabled us to connect Indigenous voices across continents, from Aotearoa New Zealand to communities worldwide. This programme uniquely embodies reciprocity – bringing together Indigenous wisdom and contemporary design to shape more equitable futures. These cultural connections are central to the British Council’s mission, and we look forward to seeing how these conversations will transform design practice globally."
Keita Twist, Director and Strategist for IDIA said “For IDIA, the opportunity to host the Indigenising Design webinar series was one we couldn’t pass up. Creating space for conversation and exploration of indigenous design practices is a subject we are passionate about. We believe conversations are the starting point for us to collectively, globally realize the opportunities we have to see more of ourselves in the world around us, through the design of our cities and buildings, the services provided by our local business and products we buy. We are hugely excited to be involved and humbled to be invited to create a safe space for these important and impactful conversations to flow.”
Sarah Campbell Associate Director for Arts and Culture at the University of Exeter added “I was born in Aotearoa New Zealand, of Scottish ancestry, and moved to the UK in 2000. Consequently, this project has a very special resonance for me. The world of design has been dominated by Western practices, carrying an inherent bias and limiting the creative scope of design solutions. It has been so exciting to be part of this project team, bringing the themes and panellists together to create the programme, Indigenising Design. Even more exciting, I can’t wait to be a member of the audience.”
Each webinar will be recorded and added to the Indigenising Design website, to form a repository of shared learning and practice for Indigenous communities and designers, as well as those practitioners who are interested in supporting, uplifting and enhancing Indigenous approaches.
Upcomming events:
Panel 2: Decolonising Global Systems
Monday 24 February 2025 13:00 – Los Angeles / 21:00 – London // Tuesday 25 February 2025 08:00 – Melbourne / 10:00 – Wellington
Free to attend and co-hosted by: Dr Johnson Witehira and Keita Twist from Indigenous Design and Innovation Aotearoa (IDIA)
Panellists:
- Dr. Jessica Hutchings – (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Huirapa, Gujarati) Founding Trustee of the Papawhakaritorito Charitable Trust that works to uplift Māori kai and soil sovereignty and Hua Parakore through research, development and community practice. https://jessicahutchings.org/
- Prof. Brian Martin – (Bundjalung, Muruwari, Kamilaroi) Director of Wominjeka Djeembana Indigenous Research Lab, Monash University, Melbourne. https://www.monash.edu/mada/art/people/brian-martin
- Dr. Dori Tunstall –design anthropologist, design leader and author of ‘Decolonising Design: A Cultural Justice Handbook’; Founder and Lead Executive Officer of Dori Tunstall Inc., based in Los Angeles. https://doritunstall.com/
This is the second in a six-part webinar series which will run through until September 2025. Please visit the project website to see a recording of Panel 1 from November 2024 – https://www.indigenisingdesign.org/indigenising-physical-spaces
You can sign-up to the Indigenising mailing list to receive updates on upcoming webinars and resources.