As we embark on Parlour’s eleventh year of action, advocacy and connection we’re excited to also celebrate the Parlour Collective’s first birthday.
Here at Parlour, 2022 was another busy, productive year – and our tenth birthday! We were thrilled to see so many people and practices get behind our work and join the Collective. This financial, intellectual and emotional support has been instrumental to our success over the last year.
We trust that those who joined have enjoyed being part of the Collective too! We have had lots of great feedback. We hope everyone will continue being part of the Collective – and if you have the means, consider going up a level! And if you haven’t joined already, please do!
Renewals are coming around for those who signed up at the start. This is the first time we have used the system. If you experience any glitches please let us know so we can fix them!
We have exciting new things coming up – including new Parlour Collective collateral designed by Catherine Griffiths, which will be released shortly.
So, what have we done?
The support of the Parlour Collective is helping to build long-term security for Parlour, as hoped. It enabled us to continue to collaborate and advocate for equity in architecture and the built environment. We kickstarted new work, established new event and editorial programs, continued popular current programs, and got going on some of our many exciting plans and ambitions.
We have also been very active behind the scenes in many ways – from the pragmatic but essential work of updating internal systems and processes, to quiet but effective advocacy with key industry players.
The below are just some of the achievements for 2022 and plans for 2023 – all possible thanks to the Parlour Collective and Parlour Partners. Our full activity report is coming soon.
Stepping Up
The new Stepping Up event and editorial program was extremely successful. This collaboration with the Champions of Change Architects group and the ACA offers practical advice, resources and many important conversations about how to run a fair and equitable practice. In 2022 we covered critical workplace issues such as flexible work, parental leave, sexual harassment and bullying, mentoring, career development and sponsorship. The series will be back in 2023, starting in April.
Deadly Djurumin Yarns
We hosted nine fantastic Deadly Djurumin Yarns in 2022. Curated with care by DD Yarn co-creators Sarah Lynn Rees and Danièle Hromek, these sessions are educational and inspirational, packed with the stories, advice and perspectives of these powerhouse women. These sessions are much loved – as is shown by both anecdotal feedback and booking data. If you missed some last year you can watch the videos at your leisure – and remember there is special Collective pricing on all events.
Parlour Seasonal Salons
By the end of 2022 we reached Salon number 80 – and it was fantastic to be back together in person at Salons across the country. Project manager extraordinaire Ali McFadyen took the reins for the full Salon program, ensuring that the popular national series continues to run smoothly and efficiently. Ali has been working with us for a while, but it was fantastic to welcome her as a Parlour Director and a more involved member of the team.
The 2023 Salon series kicked off in Adelaide on 2 February, with upcoming events in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane. The Salons are booking up very quickly, and we are looking forward to an excellent year of convivial conversation.
Parlour Instagram
Our incredibly popular rotational guest hosting program of our instagram account is going from strength to strength. There are now 23.1 thousand accounts who follow along with the many and varied adventures of our weekly guest hosts. Sign up to take your turn!
Parlour POD
We were excited to launch Parlour POD into the world in February. Based in live recordings from Salons across the country, these will be released on a regular basis, sharing generous, heartfelt conversations with a wider audience.
Guides to Equitable Practice review and update
In the second half of 2022, we began the review process for the Parlour Guides to Equitable Practice. Our 12 focus groups were packed with Parlour Collective contributors who generously offered their feedback, advice and ideas.
This work on updating the guides will continue through 2023, and will include the development of a new guide on Harassment and Bullying. (It is disappointing that this is necessary, but it really is!)
What is coming up?
In the coming year we will continue to deliver and develop all of our great programs, including the event program for the year. The Salons are underway and Deadly Djurumin, Stepping Up and Parlour LAB will all be back online soon. We have new things coming up too.
Month of Marion
In March, Parlour is conducting a nation-wide campaign and series of writing workshops to increase the number of women and gender-diverse built environment professionals represented on Marion’s List. With over 760 profiles online right now, we aim to have well over 1,000 by the end of the program. If you’re not on Marion’s List, sign up today! If your practice belongs to the Collective, look into hosting a workshop!
Parlour Census Report
In late 2022 we obtained the data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics from the most recent census. Gill Matthewson and Anwyn Hocking are now busy examining the numbers. Preliminary findings include some very positive news. We will share this shortly, followed by the full report mid-year.
Guides to Wellbeing
Parlour is an active supporter of the Wellbeing of Architects research project. We are now collaborating with the research team to develop the Parlour Guides to Wellbeing. These will follow the model of the Parlour Guides to Equitable Practice and draw on the research undertaken by the team, along with a set of new case studies
Parlour Policy Bank
Our next initiative to be launched is the Parlour Policy Bank. This will enable built environment practices to share their policies relating to equity and workplace culture. It is a platform to support the exchange of knowledge and to enhance the development and improvement of workplaces over time. Coming soon!
And much much more!
We have many more plans, some of which we hope will come to fruition this year. This is possible thanks to the Parlour Collective and the Parlour Partners. Thanks for your support and we hope you are both enjoying the adventure and actively working to improve equity in your own world.
