2020 Heritage Futures Forum

The world is in a state of slowing down and recovering as we continue to manage the impacts of COVID-19.

Through self isolation we navigate the complexities of our current global situation, trying to remove anxiety and uncertainty.

As we discover new ways of ‘staying close’ to the things and people we love, it is important heritage is known not only to protect places and objects of cultural and historical significance, but the reveals the tactility of the world around us.

Importantly it is the curve of memory that shapes these experiences, and reminds us of where we’ve been and where we’re going.

In February, the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) hosted the Heritage Futures Forum in partnership with Business Models Inc.

The simple intention of convening a discussion around ‘heritage’ and to explore potential future ‘worlds’ in which heritage plays a key role in unlocking economic, environmental and social benefit.

Supported by Jones Lang LaSalle and Liveability Victoria International, the Heritage Futures Forum provoked thoughtful conversation and stimulated imagination.

What emerged from this discussion was a rich collection of pictures – stories that convey perceptions of the future – for us to read, explore and consider in how we approach the challenges we see today.

This comes with profound timing and the opportunity to prepare for how we all navigate uncertainty and exercise our ability to re-imagine.

It has never been more important to remain focussed for the future and celebrate what ‘heritage’ means to each and every one of us.

As you read through this report and discover new insights and inspirations, please share your thoughts and feedback with us!

We are excited to build on this conversation and uncover new innovations for the face of Australian heritage in the Heritage Futures Lab.

This inaugural event would not have been possible without the help of Liveability Victoria International, JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), and The Big Group, for hosting us at Myer Mural Hall.

CLICK HERE to download the Heritage Futures Forum Report

Heritage Futures Lab

Leveraging design-thinking methodology and a multi-party innovation lab framework, lead by Business Models Inc, the Heritage Futures Lab will be an environment to test and explore innovative solutions and models to reimagine future pathways for Australian heritage. This is an immersive learning exchange that survives by collaboration, mutuality and commitment to exploring aligned areas of opportunity.

Our Speakers

Ben Hamley

Asia Pacific Lead: Future of Work, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)

Ben Hamley leads JLL's Point of View on the Future of Work in Asia Pacific and is responsible for creating an integrated strategic design framework that helps JLL’s clients, partners and people to change why, how and where they work around the world. He works across JLL’s entire business operations in Asia Pacific to connect the dots between research, thought leadership, business model innovation and service design drawing on JLL's expertise in workplace design, consulting, asset management, integrated facilities management, project development and more to help create, shape and manage the future of work in partnership with JLL’s clients.

Ben has an eclectic background that spans the Entertainment, Education, Not for Profit, Culture, Technology and Professional Services industries and is perhaps best described as an Expert Generalist; specialising in not specialising. Ben has built a career out of interdisciplinary multi-party collaborations, working on high profile international projects, including Cisco’s CHILL program, the development of the Asia Pacific Design Library, the re-design of MySpace, the World Science Festival in Brisbane and led the Queensland Museum to be one of the first Australian institutions to partner with Google for their ‘Arts & Culture’ platform.

Ian Hamm

Board Director, National Trust of Australia (Victoria)

A Yorta Yorta man, Ian has extensive government and community sector experience, particularly at executive and governance levels. Ian has overseen major policy and strategic reforms for government and community organisations. He works with people from a vast array of backgrounds, managing complex and sensitive relationships to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Ian was CEO of a major Aboriginal community organisation from January to August 2018. He is now devoting himself to improving the representation of Aboriginal people on boards and other high level governance, through strategic action, advocacy and mentoring.

Natalie O'Brien OAM

Natalie O'Brien & CO

Natalie has her own consultancy Natalie O’Brien & CO providing strategic advice to the tourism, retail and events sectors. Collaborating with an incredible collection of innovative and creative minds many of who are thought leaders in their field. The business is a Customer Experience knowledge bank with proven IP & methodology.

Natalie is the former CEO of Food + Wine Victoria who produces Australia’s internationally acclaimed Melbourne Food & Wine Festival which shines a light on the Australian chefs, winemakers and producers together with profiling international presenters, products and trends.

Natalie was recognised among ‘Australia’s 50 most influential people in food’ in Gourmet Traveller (Nov 2016) and has extensive global networks within the industries she has worked in to create strong business opportunities.

Emma Telfer

Director of Culture & Strategy, Assemble Communities

Emma is a passionate urbanist and well-respected brand strategist and cultural leader. Emma recently joined Assemble as Director of Culture & Strategy, leading all brand, community engagement, and cultural and social initiatives across the business. Emma previously spent three years at the helm of Open House Melbourne, a public architecture organisation and registered charity that works to improve design literacy and appreciation for the value of good design in the built environment. Assemble is a build to rent development and community management company focused on delivering affordable housing projects where good design, community, and sustainability go hand-in-hand.

Food for Thought

Background Reading for Future Visioning

The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse – This landmark 2011 report by the Preservation Green Lab for the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental impact reductions associated with building reuse. The report found that “building reuse almost always yields fewer environmental impacts than new construction when comparing buildings of similar size and functionality.”

Culture: urban future; global report on culture for sustainable urban development – Through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the international community has recognized the essential role of culture as an enabler of development. Among the 2030 Agenda’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 11 on sustainable cities makes it clear that culture has an essential role to play in realizing sustainable urban development, particularly through strengthened efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage. This groundbreaking report, published by UNESCO in 2016, explores the role of culture for sustainable urban development, looking at a range of international case studies.

2050 Scenarios: Four Plausible Futures – What will the world look like in 2050? This report by Arup explores four plausible future scenarios based on the intersection between our planet’s health and societal conditions. By envisioning different futures, we can identify and visualise what is worth striving for, and what to avoid.

Transformative: Impacts of Culture and Creativity – The evidence is clear: when people have opportunities to engage in some form of cultural or creative activity, they generally have better educational outcomes, are less lonely, are healthier both physically and mentally, and enjoy a happier and healthier life in old age. This report by A New Approach, an independent think tank championing effective investment and return in Australian arts and culture, provides a snapshot of current research and findings about the positive impacts of artistic, creative and cultural activity on seven different parts of our lives.

Valuing Victoria’s Heritage – This report by SGS Economics, for Heritage Victoria, in partnership with the Heritage Council of Victoria, looks at the scale and nature of the value that Victorians place on heritage. It found that Victorians place a high value on our heritage places, and that there is strong support amongst Victorians for heritage protection. It also found that there is significant scope for improving community engagement with this field of public policy through better promotion and education, and that there is a strong case for further investment in heritage identification and protection, on cost benefit grounds. The accompanying Literature Review provides an overview of heritage and its cultural and economic values.

Call to action section