Leadership
Empowering everyday activism at work
Our vision is to create a better world through exceptional heritage solutions and everyday activism.
Whilst our passion is heritage and the environment, our purpose is social and environmental change which adds a deeper level of meaning to what we do.
Our Empowered Business Model is central to our strategy and experience of success as a company – thriving as valued Heritage practitioners while participating meaningfully within the Communities around us. Through this model, every team member has allocated working hours to contribute to positive social and environmental change.
Our story
As a leading heritage and environmental consultancy, Artefact has always championed equality, sustainability and ethical operation.
In 2024, Artefact refocussed as a purpose-led organisation. We explored existing values-based models and accreditations, but nothing seemed to fit perfectly. So in consultation with the team, we took a journey to look at how we would approach Purpose in the company.
The company’s Commitments and Actions were co-created with the team to be fulfilled through the Purpose Program. The program later evolved into the Empowered Business Model we live today.
We are calling on other organisations to find their own fit-for-purpose social activism. It’s part of our journey to share our learnings and cheer on other companies to make their move towards progressive corporate structures.
We love to connect and share our learnings of team development, collaboration and impact and the insights we’ve gathered.
Our purpose anchors us in using Artefact as an agent for change, to make the world a better place.
Whilst our passion is heritage and the environment, our purpose is social and environmental change which adds a deeper level of meaning to what we do.
Our Commitments
FIRST NATIONS FIRST
Be guided by our First Nations Communities.
BE ACTIVISTS
Stand against inequality and injustice.
SUPPORT CLIMATE JUSTICE
Strive to reduce climate impact.
DO THE RIGHT THING
Make ethical decisions.
Our Actions
PURPOSE TEAMS empowered to action our commitments.
CREATE employment and leadership opportunities for First Nations people.
CONNECT with like-minded organisations to push for positive change.
BUILD a successful business that will support our purpose
Empowered Conversations
Our inspiring Empowered Conversation series of monthly events brings guest speakers in conversation with our staff on topics about the environment, heritage and First Nations’ perspectives.
Our speakers to date include the following:
Ash Cooney from The Deli
Amelia Parkins from Wagga Women’s Health Centre
Pam Carne from Teacher in a Box
Urbanism lecturer Dr Pranita Strestha from the University of Sydney
Associate Professor Cameron Logan and Professor Dallas Rogers from the University of Sydney
Matt Poll from Liminal Placemaking
Sea Shepherd
Professor Richard McKay shared news and trends in world and national heritage
Artefact’s Josh Symons on Reclaim the Future
Artefact’s Historian Stephen Gapps (pictured left) on historical truth telling
Artefact’s Elizabeth Bonshek on social change in Papua New Guinea
Thought leadership
The Artefact team offers insights, research and musings on a range of important issues facing our community.
We contribute to research grant projects; support Community history gathering and commemoration; and dialogue about corporate responsibility - see examples below.
Thought leadership articles
-
![Old stone building ruins in a grassy area under a clear blue sky with other structures in the background.]()
ARC Linkage Project Grant - Unsettling colonial history - Architecture in a nervous landscape
-
![Close-up of rippling water on a lake or pond with reflections of trees and sky.]()
A progressive corporate structure by Dr Sandra Wallace
-
![A group of six men standing outdoors at night, dressed in traditional tribal attire with body paint, grass skirts, and headbands with feathers. They are holding sticks, and some are making gestures or poses. Smoke and trees are visible in the background.]()
A very un-civil war by Dr Stephen Gapps
-
![Irregular red and brown rocks on yellow perforated paper, with a black object at the top edge of the image.]()
A better way by Dr Sandra Wallace
-
![Cover of a book titled 'Uprising: War in the Colony of New South Wales, 1838-1844' by Stephen Gapps, showing indigenous people running with weapons and torches, under a dark night sky with clouds, a full moon, stars, and a fire.]()
Uprising book launch
-
![A group of men practicing a traditional dance or martial arts outdoors, with some men shirtless and others wearing dark shorts, raised arms, and focused expressions, gathered in front of a large audience seated on the grass under trees during sunset.]()
Dhuluny truth-telling
-
![A woman in sunglasses, a black cap, and a safety vest stands beside a large tree with peeling bark and a face-like knot, holding a notepad and pen, in a forested area.]()
Don't call me girlie by Dr Sandra Wallace
Meet our Social Activism Manager
“Now more than ever, we can’t afford to look away. If we step back, we leave the conversation to those who speak the loudest, not the wisest. Caring about the world isn’t just radical - it’s responsible. And choosing to act on that care is allyship.”
Our Social Activism Manager, Amy Weidlich leads our Social Activism and Purpose teamwork which activates our Company's social values and crucially our Commitments and Actions. She supports meaningful purpose-driven teamwork opportunities and positive change impacts in heritage and beyond.
Amy is passionate about social values and has worked with high performing teams in creative projects that seek to illuminate our world's history and culture. Her experience includes working as a television programmer and commissioner of content for the ABC; in the factual television commissioning team at SBS TV; a marketing executive at the Australian National Maritime Museum; and as an independent producer of documentaries for broadcasters such as SBSTV, France 5, ARTE, CBC, ABC and NINE.
Amy was invited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to represent Australia at the track 2 diplomatic conference – The Asia Pacific Roundtable, as an emerging leader alongside counterparts from ASEAN countries.