Memento Australia
Creative Economy specialises in strategic advisory, sustainable economic development and the strategic development of cultural and creative industries.
The Creative Economy Framework
Our holistic model links cultural, social and economic outcomes resulting in greater sustainability.
Explore our case studies
What we do and who we've worked with
Memento Australia
Bureau of Tourism Research identified the tourism gift market to be worth over $700 million, yet it was flooded with poor quality, clichéd imported gifts and fake Indigenous souvenirs. The research also demonstrated that international tourists and domestic visitors demanded local, authentic gifts and souvenirs, yet such gifts were not easily found especially in major tourist destinations.
Creative Economy identified this as an opportunity for visual artists and designers and founded Memento Australia to set new standards in the quality and innovation of gifts and to promote local authentic mementos.
Memento Australia began as an Awards campaign with distinct criteria based on Australian designed and made, which proved to be the “formula” for a successful memento. Through strategic partnerships Memento Australia grew to include, a touring exhibition, online distribution portal and education program for product development.
In ten years, Memento Australia was able to launch over 2000 new authentic Australian tourism mementos, attract over $4.5 million worth of media value for Australian artists and creative enterprises; engage in exporting Australian products (including participation in the G’Day USA campaign in New York) and secure multiple strategic partnerships to fund its development.
The Commonwealth Bank Group
The Commonwealth Bank Group
The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) is the largest Australian listed company on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), and is the largest bank in the southern hemisphere with brands including Bank West, Colonial First State and CommSec. The Commonwealth Bank Group strategic vision is “to excel at securing and enhancing the financial wellbeing of people, businesses and communities“. Both CBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy and their Reconciliation Action Plan are strategically aligned to this vision and CBA were aware of the need to better understand and improve the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, businesses and communities.
The CBA engaged Creative Economy and The BlackCard to develop a Cultural Capability Framework, that aimed to increase CBA’s understanding of the cultural capability required for the organisation to enhance its relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Cultural Capability Framework was developed using an Aboriginal Terms of Reference based on a worldview of Aboriginal philosophy, logic and knowledge combined with Creative Economy’s methodology that redefines the economy as a linkage and balance of social, cultural and economic outcomes.
The framework introduced people to a different way of thinking and being and includes a cultural continuum describing six stages in reaching cultural capability and recommendations for enhancing cultural capability at Commonwealth Bank Group. Cultural Capability is about operating fully within an Aboriginal Terms of Reference to improve ethical behaviour and improve relationships between all people.
The CBA Cultural Capability Framework informs strategies to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s inclusion in the Group’s vision, and Cultural Capability Training and Accreditation now forms part of workforce development. CBA now role model’s reconciliation with Reconciliation Australia awarding the CBA Reconciliation Plan Elevate status, its highest level.
UNESCO
UNESCO
The International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) is a multi-donor fund established under the 2005 UNESCO Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. IFCD is key to the role of culture in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. Its purpose is to facilitate international cooperation for sustainable development, poverty reduction and dynamic cultural sectors in developing countries that are Parties to the 2005 Convention.
Creative Economy’s Helene George was engaged as one of six international experts in the fields of cultural policy and/or cultural industries to form the UNESCO IFCD Panel of Experts. Experts conduct transparent evaluations assessing probity and accountability of project plans, outcomes, resourcing and budgets against IFCD goals and outcomes.
Since 2010, the Expert Panel’s recommendations to IFCD has resulted in more than US $7 million in funding for nearly 100 projects in over 50 developing countries, covering a wide range of areas such as the development and implementation of cultural policies, capacity-building of cultural entrepreneurs, mapping of cultural industries and the creation of new cultural industry business models.
Brisbane International Contemporary Dance Prix
Brisbane International Contemporary Dance Prix
There is a significant gap internationally for platforms that provide young dancers with pathways in professional contemporary dance and few forums that connect acclaimed international directors, choreographers and teachers with talented young contemporary dancers. The Brisbane International Contemporary Dance Prix (BICDP) is a creatively ambitious project that was founded to address this gap in the contemporary dance world and contribute to Australia’s reputation for innovative, world class arts and culture.
The goal was to establish BICDP as a sustainable annual international initiative. To achieve this goal Creative Economy’s role has been to work with BICPD to establish a professional management framework, and most importantly, to develop a business model to ensure long term sustainability.
Successful staging of the BICDP in 2018 and 2019, has laid the foundation for it to become the most prestigious forum in the world offering talented young dancers training and professional opportunities with leading international artistic directors and choreographers in contemporary dance. Achievements since inception, include:
- 16 international partner schools and companies from Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, UK and Australia;
- 175 young dancers selected to participate;
- 100 offers made by directors to young dancers for professional opportunities and training.
What our clients say about us
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Creative Economy were invaluable to Godinymayin as we pivoted the organisation to a more community focused, innovative approach. The five-year strategic plan they developed focused staff on achieving key KPI’s, which has led to extraordinary results including achieving increased revenue in comparison to pre-COVID levels. The current success and energy at Godinymayin is a credit to the work of Helene and Creative Economy
- Jake Quinlivan , Department of the Chief Minister & Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre Board.
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It has been a great pleasure for the GYRACC Board in Katherine NT to work with Helene George and Creative Economy in developing our new strategic plan and budget. Helene did her research about the organisation before our first planning meeting. She had a good understanding of our strengths and weaknesses and put the hard questions to us as we worked through the plan and created a new business model that will ensure we continue to deliver a great art centre experience in a relevant and dynamic way. We are extremely happy with the outcome of our partnership and would happily recommend Creative Economy services who need to reassess who and where they are in this rapidly changing world
- Toni Tapp Coutts , Alderman - Katherine Town Council & Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre Board.
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For more than 20 years Creative Economy has been working with cultural practitioners and institutions to understand the full cultural value of what they do and how this can translate into lasting change. Creative Economy have consistently shown how cultural value is not the junior partner of economic impact but at its transformative heart and the root of long-term sustainable livelihoods
- Professor Justin O’Connor , University of South Australia.
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We’ve worked with Helene and Creative Economy for more than 15 years. During this time, she has been a trusted strategic adviser and instrumental in the development and success of Oombarra
- Bain Stewart and Leah Purcell , Founders - Oombarra Productions.
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In early 2023, I had the pleasure of inviting Helene George from Creative Economy to develop a Strategic Plan, Vision, and set of Values for the Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin. We took an in-depth look at the organisation’s past in order to steer it towards a bright and thriving future. Helene’s expertise and guidance were invaluable, helping us achieve multi-year funding from Creative Australia for the first time in eight years.
- Petrit Abazi , Director, Northern Centre for Contemporary Art.
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The NT Writers’ Centre wants NT writers to be recognised as distinct storytellers in the nation's literary canon. Creative Economy helped us articulate this vision and our purpose, so we can communicate with everybody why we are committed to developing and celebrating the diverse literary culture of the NT.
Creative Economy helped position us to navigate funding opportunities and to capitalise on how we add value to the NT. From this, we have set compelling goals to ensure that what we deliver is bold, respectful, and inclusive. Working with Creative Economy has expanded what we can achieve and has been a dynamic experience.
- Executive Director , NT Writers’ Centre.
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From the moment we started working with Creative Economy on the review, I knew we had the perfect partners for a rigorous process and a decisive outcome. That never wavered as Helene George and the team put the Board through its paces, providing us with extensive insights and analysis gained through research, consultation, and their long history of business development with creative organisations. At all times, purpose and values drove our shared deliberations, underpinning savvy business thinking about partnerships and initiatives that will sustain the Chamber and grow opportunities for our members.
- June Moorhouse , Chair, Chamber of Arts and Culture WA.