First Nations design and innovation on the world stage

This event highlights Australian First Nations led design and innovation on the global stage. From the extraordinary Home pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architectural Biennale to the significant work of Country centred designers at Western Sydney Aerotropolis, we hear from leading First Nations practitioners and scholars.

Speakers:

• Matte Ager-McConnell, Architecture and Landscape Architecture Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney

• Elle Davison, Aboriginal Planning Lecturer, University of Sydney

• Dr Danièle Hromek, Director, Djinjama

Chaired by Jess Herder, Senior Consultant, Thirriwirri

This event is part of the Festival of Translocal Urbanism 2026 

Translocality describes the interconnectedness between different places and people, beyond national boundaries. The circulation of people, goods, knowledge and capital, though an ancient process, is facilitated and impacted by new technologies, bringing new opportunities and challenges for cities and regions. Increasingly important, a translocal lens highlights these deep and intersecting relationships between people and places over time – from the legacies of colonisation and environmental change to contemporary patterns of migration and cultural diversity. Through panel discussions, debates, exhibitions, and tours, and featuring thought leaders from academia, the arts, industry, and civil society, the 2026 Festival of Translocal Urbanism examines and celebrates the complex social, economic and environmental connections between local and global communities.