Good futures thinking relies on people being able to identify and question existing assumptions. In Australia, the way society works is underpinned by Western perspectives. As a future-focused museum, MOD. seeks to work within a two-way-minded design principle that deliberately seeks to showcase Aboriginal and Western ways of knowing. Yet this work is hard to sustain as it requires us all to shift between different ways of thinking and often puts unfair cultural loads on Aboriginal staff. What might be ways of better enabling these knowledges in the work we all do?

In November 2023, a group of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal thinkers gathered to create a space for a different type of conversation. To think beyond the current need for truth-telling and recognition, and imagine a vibrant future where Aboriginal people were fully-represented. This group of people sat together intending to imagine new futures for Country over weaving. Each of the contributions was finished and woven together by Sonya Rankine. This collaborative work is a symbol of our commitment to creating thriving futures together.

This workshop is the start of a longer series of projects being led by Director: MOD. Dr Kristin Alford and Dr Jilda Andrews, a Yuwaalaraay woman, cultural practitioner and researcher based at The Australian National University in Canberra. Jilda is Pembroke Visiting Research Fellow at UniSA in 2024.