Silent auction attracts loud applause

Proud Wiradjuri Muruwari woman Christina Coleman is Ernst & Young First Nations Talent Acquisition Manager and the co-lead of Indigenous Women in Mining and Resources Australia (IWIMRA). Each year IWIMRA works with artist Leah Cummins to create an artwork to raise money for the initiative. This year, the stunning artwork went up for silent auction at the annual International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) gala dinner and was won by Managing Director of CRITICAL INPUT Tim Griffiths MAICD, PMI, MCIPS . We chatted with Christina about the artwork and the money it raised for a worthy cause.

Can you tell us about IWIMRA?

IWIMRA is the external support mechanism to ensure mining companies have a culturally safe way to engage, develop and retain their Indigenous staff, particularly Indigenous women. Historically, the industry has been dominated by men and people with a non-Indigenous background, so cultural safety is paramount for Indigenous women. Retention hasn't been great in the sector either, so IWIMRA was born out of a need to support Indigenous women.

Can you tell us about the auction and how Tim Griffiths from Critical Input came to win the painting?

On the night of the gala dinner, the painting was listed in a silent auction that everyone would be able to participate in. As the auction progressed, the room was captivated by how fast the dollars were going up, but no one knew who was bidding. Lo and behold, the winner was Tim! It couldn't have gone to a more amazing gentleman in our opinion, and because of his indigenous background, he really understands the importance of what this means for us. The warmth he was able to convey through a congratulatory hug was overwhelming. Being the winning bidder and having the ability to share that story will last on through decades and add to the rich tapestry that Critical Input is already developing with such a boutique approach to their business.

Can you tell us about the story and symbols represented in the painting?

After the referendum, artist Leah Cummins (from Bunya Designs and IWIMRA's Creative Director), felt compelled to create a storyline or songline for this piece. For this year's theme, we wanted to have a painting big enough so people would walk past and be so captivated by what they saw, they would be motivated to contribute. Over the three days it was displayed, people were coming to add a dot, a line, a stroke, and have a conversation to understand what IWIMRA was all about. This shared activity added to the rich tapestry of what we're doing, and symbolically represents the journey of the struggles of Indigenous women, and more locally, within the mining and resource sector.

What does the funding mean to IWIMRA?

For us, $16,000 is more than what we could have ever hoped to gain from this auction. It will allow us to continue supporting Indigenous women, and to bring about the community initiatives that we're establishing for 2024 in mining communities.

What do you love about your work at IWIMRA?

For Indigenous communities, women are the cornerstones. They are fundamental to who we are as Indigenous people. To have a platform that lifts our women up makes me so proud. One day when I no longer have air in my lungs, I know I’ll be able to say Karina Lynch and I have left a legacy with IWIMRA. We love what we do and we are driven to create more opportunities for our women, their children, and their grandchildren.

About Critical Input

Founded in 2005, Critical Input is a consultancy service offering process improvement and supply chain and project-management activities. It works in sectors from water and energy, to mining and heavy industry. At the centre of everything are three principles: process, because without process, there is no destination; people, because without buy-in, there is no evolution; and principles – because integrity is everything.

Critical Input’s Managing Director Tim Griffiths has handpicked a team that can provide the right resources, the right skillset and the right mindset. Each one is senior in their experience, so they can hit the ground running on clients’ projects. Critical Input takes a simple approach to allow organisational enablers – both people and processes – to improve activities. We see that as critical – hence the business name.

https://www.criticalinput.com.au/

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