QIC Real Estate continued our sponsorship of two awards at NIFA in Darwin in FY25: Canberra Centre, ACT, sponsored the Community Collaboration Award and Eastland, VIC, sponsored the Wearable Art Award. In addition, QIC sponsored the Business Achievement Award and contributed funds to DAAF to support the foundation in offering additional opportunities to future participants of these programs. This work reached a defining milestone in FY25 with Wiradjuri artist Kristie Peters becoming the first ACT-based designer to present her label, Blaklabel Dreaming, on the prestigious ‘Country to Couture’ (CTC) runway in Darwin during DAAF. Emerging ACT First Nations model Jahna Lugnan also walked the runway at the event. Both achievements were supported through QIC’s ‘First Nations Talent Activation Program’.

Our support of this initiative extends beyond the events held in Darwin each year, and in FY25, QIC hosted two showcase installations featuring the NIFA winners, held at Canberra Centre, ACT, and Eastland, VIC. Stories were shared through interpretive signage, digital content and visually arresting installations that celebrated Country, culture and creativity. 

In addition to these showcase installations, NIFA winners were profiled across all 18 QIC Real Estate centre websites and on in-centre large-format digital displays. This multi-channel approach helped extend First Nations fashion visibility beyond event days, reinforcing stories, and providing audiences with ongoing opportunities to connect with artists and their work. It also allowed our centres to celebrate First Nations talent and showcase it to the broader communities in which we operate. 

One of our retailers, Country Road — which is also a proud supporter of DAAF — featured in Eastland’s NIFA Winners Showcase, demonstrating how centres and retailers can align in purpose.

This collaboration supports the delivery of QIC Real Estate’s First Nations Delivery Plan under QIC’s Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan, and demonstrates how retail can be a powerful force for cultural progress. What began as a commitment to elevate ACT talent has evolved into a national platform that helps to build careers and leverage our shopping centres as places of First Nations storytelling.