GROUNDING: Practice, Process & Place

**Researcher**
Collective Territories and artist Dr Jo Scicluna

**Published**
28 May 2025
**Funding**
Design Strategy Grant

GROUNDING is a collaborative, interdisciplinary framework developed by Collective Territories and photo-sculptural artist Dr Jo Scicluna.

Adaptable and site-responsive, the framework aims to establish respectful modes of working on Country and with landscapes that inform our projects, while also expanding the boundaries of our respective practices and disciplines.

The work has been guided by ongoing conversations with Wurundjeri Elders, and draws on learnings from written, visual and practical First Peoples references. Guidance from and – where possible – collaboration with Traditional Custodians and Aboriginal communities is essential for the ongoing implementation and evolution of the framework.

The process outlined in GROUNDING supports meaningful collaboration with clients, communities, stakeholders, and contributors across art, architecture, landscape architecture, and the broader built environment.

It brings together resources that have shaped our practices, helping us find new connections and develop an approach unique to our collaborative dynamic.

The GROUNDING framework is designed to be a living document, shaped by our experiences, conversations, and relationships with each other, Traditional Custodians, community members, and the Merri Creek. It is not a theoretical text on collaboration; instead, it remains open and unfinished to allow for ongoing learning and change. The approach outlined here will be applied across a range of projects, including installations, landscapes, pavilions, and buildings.

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