LatStudios is forever grateful to have collaborated with the Blaklash team and Claudia Taborda over the last year to curate COUNTRY, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Festival of Landscape Architecture 2022, held in Magandjin (Brisbane) late last week.

Our heartfelt thanks goes to our friend and collaborator Troy Casey for being so instrumental to the success of this powerful and unique moment. Your insight, perspective and energy is inspirational and – as we’ve just seen – highly infectious! That first conversation with you, Uncle Cheg and Aunty Kerry laid a deep foundation for what followed.

To the extended creative team: Tristan Schultz, Owen Cafe, Laree Barney, Jordan Eaton, Erin McDonald, Samuel Davis and Georgina Scriha - we thank you your support, commitment, deep insights and positivity across many late nights and many, many #Juliuspizzas (sorry Owen). You were integral to this festival’s success and the significant impact it is already having. Claire Martin and the AILA Board - the trust you gave us at the start of this process was crucial - thank you.

Across two days we were moved by the generosity, raw honesty and insightful provocations shared by each of the festival’s first nations guests: Jefa Greenaway RAIA MDIA, Danièle Hromek, Ripeka Walker, Tristan Schultz, Angela Leitch, Des Cloake, Jordan Eaton, Paul Herzich, Elisapeta Heta, Kevin O'Brien, Elle Davidson, Deb Duthie, Dr Alayna Pakinui Rā (nee Renata), Carol Vale, GREG KITSON, Georgia Birks, Troy Casey, Tom Day, Craig Kerslake Wiradjuri Nation, Erin McDonald, Jake Nash, Sarah Lynn Rees, Laree Barney, Nathan Brandrick, Owen Cafe, Ezra Jacobs-Smith, Mackenzie Saddler, and Kaylie Salvatori. What a gathering - thank you.

We were also in awe of the deep listening, active participation, and commitment to action demonstrated by the 400+ festival attendees. Relative Creative's break-out sessions gave us all much needed scope for discussion, debate and reflection.
 
Our studio acknowledge that with privilege comes the responsibility for built environment professionals to commit to working together with First Nations People to repair Country to the full extent of our ability. We commit to continuing our support for First Nations People by making space for their leadership as we shape positive solutions for our communities and the natural environment we depend upon.

AILA State President Tessa Leggo captured it well:
“Congratulations for putting together a festival that was like no other I have ever been to. I have never seen, nor heard, nor been a part of any professional conference that has inspired so much discussion.”

Props also to our industry partners (and special mention to Lucas Piperides + Groundworks Australia Pty Ltd for the instant forest + Street Furniture Australia for the instant town square).