Jacky Winter Statement of Commitment

Background: Commercial business operations and strategic decision making within the design and commercial art landscape has often been denied to First Nations people (Martin 2021). We wanted to reimagine this relationship, to focus on creating spaces where First Nations people could lead and engage on their own terms. Working with the Jacky Winter Group (JWG), this meant firstly addressing issues of voice within their own business and wider industry, to understand the importance of sovereignty and self-determination for artist representation. Contribution: The statement, the first of its kind for the design industry, contributes to the development of Victoria's design sector, in how to strategically adapt business practices, to respectfully listen to and include First Nations voices within ways of working, and develop guidelines to positively impact the future representation and sustainability of First Nations voices. A public facing Statement of Commitment sends a clear message to the design industry that we cannot continue silencing or denying First Nations voices in the way we do business in Australia. Significance: This work was awarded as a finalist within the 2022 Victorian Premiers Design Awards, celebrating the best in Victorian-led design. For First Nations artists and broader community, it signals an important step in prioritising First Nations leadership and cultural safety within the creative industries, to be able to hold businesses accountable to addressing change, and to walk together in respectful collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building. The significance of this work therefore lies not only for the JWG, or the inclusion of more First Nations artists and designers within commercial settings, but to the wider design industry in interrogating systemic racism, access, and inclusion.