As Chairman of the Alastair Swayn Foundation, I am pleased to share the Foundation’s key achievements and successes in 2023.

The year witnessed significant developments and opportunities for the Foundation’s central activity in meeting its charitable purposes: our grants program. The program continues to grow, expanding at a national level and reaching a record number of grant applications from around Australia. The grants are substantially concerned with research projects that are shared with the world through the Open Research portal on the Foundation’s website for the benefit of the architecture and design community.

Events, sponsorships and partnerships also continued to be highlights in 2023. These activities are very important in providing educational and exhibition experiences while extending the reach and awareness of the importance of architecture and design to the Australian public. They are mostly initiated and coordinated by The Swayn Gallery of Design, which is an important part of the Foundation’s structure.

This included Material World: A Story of Design, Technology, Material and Culture, presented with our partner, the National Museum of Australia, and launched by Tim Ross. The exhibition also provided content for a series of related programs, including tours for the Design Institute of Australia and the Australian Graphic Design Association, as well as school tours in partnership with the Technology Teachers Association. The exhibition was curated by Adjunct Professor Lyndon Anderson, the Swayn Senior Fellow in Australian Design.

Dr Anderson also hosted the Design Challenge: D-Thinking School Holiday Workshops at the National Museum of Australia for children aged between six and twelve, where participants had access to materials and designed or made their own objects. The educational focus in 2023 was rounded out with a public panel discussion, Nature’s Lab: New Materials in Design, a collaboration between the Swayn Senior Fellow, the Material World exhibition and the National Museum of Australia design issue of the Museum’s magazine.

Simon Robinson was awarded the prestigious inaugural American Academy in Rome – Alastair Swayn Foundation–RMIT Architecture Affiliated Fellowship in 2023 for his research project, Learning from Corviale. The project supported the continuation of Simon Robinson’s existing Melbourne-based research project, Retain, Repair, Reinvest.

Two grant rounds were conducted in 2023. The first, in February, focused on Design Strategy and Design Thinking. This was followed in August by a second round supporting Design Strategy, Design Thinking, International Research and the inaugural Design Audio Grant. An important innovation was the establishment of expert, independent selection panels for each grant category, ensuring rigour and transparency in the application assessment process.

The inaugural Alastair Swayn Legacy Showcase was another significant milestone. Creative Director Ian Wong of Monash University, appointed in late 2022, led the showcase, which was exhibited as part of the 2023 Enlighten Canberra Festival before opening at Canberra Museum and Gallery. The exhibition celebrated Alastair’s architectural legacy in the National Capital, highlighting his use of light and colour and his human-centred approach to design.

The 2023 Alastair Swayn Student Competition encouraged emerging design professionals to consider how, through their chosen discipline, they might contribute to the ‘light, colour and humanity’ of Canberra’s urban environment. Students in their second year (or equivalent) from the University of Canberra’s School of Design and the Built Environment, together with students from the Australian National University School of Art and Design, were invited to participate. The overall winning entry, a collaboration between architecture, landscape architecture and industrial design students, was of an exceptionally high standard and was presented by the Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury.

These valuable research outcomes, inspiring exhibitions and engaging public events represent only part of the Foundation’s work throughout 2023. The contribution of the management team cannot be understated in bringing these and many other activities to fruition while also delivering the Foundation’s day-to-day operations.

I would particularly like to acknowledge and thank Susannah Britt, our inaugural Grants and Engagement Manager, who resigned during the final quarter of 2023. Susie served the Foundation for several years, overseeing the significant growth in both the number and quality of grants.

A significant honour and milestone for the Foundation came in late 2023 with the endorsement of the Foundation as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR), effective from 1 January 2024. This important achievement enables donations and bequests to the Foundation to be tax deductible for donors.

We are deeply appreciative of the continued support of the organisations representing Australia’s architecture and design professions, including the Australian Institute of Architects, the Design Institute of Australia and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, who continue to share our vision and opportunities with their members and audiences.

Without our key collaborators and partners, the work of the Foundation would not have been possible in 2023. Our sincere thanks go to the National Museum of Australia, its Director, Dr Mathew Trinca AM, and the Museum’s senior executive team. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr Lyndon Anderson, the Swayn Senior Fellow in Australian Design, for the extraordinary body of work he delivered throughout the year.

Finally, my deepest thanks go to my fellow Directors, who are the heart and soul of the Foundation. They continue to guide the charity with energy, commitment and a shared determination to honour the memory and legacy of Alastair Swayn AO.

The Foundation’s ability to engage with the broader design community remains our pathway to helping the public better understand why quality design matters and the profound impact it has on improving our lives and the environment.