About us
Milangkani (meaning ‘to grow’) weaves together the Pakana Ancestral philosophies of deep listening, yarning and knowledge exchange. Established by aunty and niece duo Theresa Sainty and Zoe Rimmer, Milangkani Projects offers a diverse range of consultancy services across Aboriginal culture, heritage, arts and education.
We are curators, creators and cultural advisors, and we work across Aboriginal heritage, arts and education. We collaborate to explore ideas of co-design and we facilitate immersive engagement to reveal cultural narratives and connection to the deep history of Aboriginal culture. We are inspired to empower First Peoples to tell our own stories, to celebrate who we are, and ultimately promote the protection of Aboriginal heritage, culture and knowledges.
I am proud to be able to reveal cultural narratives and connect people to the deep history of Lutruwita’s Palawa people and culture.
Theresa Sainty
Theresa is a Pakana curator, creator, writer, storyteller, and activist with extensive research experience. She enjoys collaborating to explore ideas and champion those that are co-designed or led by Palawa voices and considers herself privileged to be able to reveal cultural narratives and connect people to the deep history of Lutruwita’ s Palawa people and culture.
She is a highly skilled and experienced consultant with a background in Aboriginal Community Organisation (as Aboriginal Linguistic Consultant), government (state and federal), program evaluation, curriculum development and Aboriginal Cultural Awareness development and delivery.
She is a Senior Indigenous Scholar with the University of Tasmania (UTAS), undertaking a PhD which is a continuation of her decades-long research (since 1997) as Aboriginal Linguistic Consultant with the palawa kani Language Program.
Theresa has also worked independently as a cultural advisor on several projects with Roar Film, the ABC, the National Maritime Museum of Australia (ANMM) and Causeway Films (The Nightingale) as well as developing complementary project-based curriculum resources.
Most recently, Theresa has worked on multifaceted projects with various local councils and engaged in collaborations with artists and writers.
We are inspired to empower First Peoples to tell our own stories, to celebrate who we are, and ultimately promote the protection of Aboriginal heritage and culture.
Dr Zoe Rimmer
Zoe is a cultural historian, curator, researcher and creative practitioner with more than 20 years' experience across the museum, cultural heritage and arts sectors. She is currently Principal Curator, First Nations Cultures at Queensland Museum (QM) and an Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Tasmania (UTAS).
Zoe's work spans curation, cultural heritage management, repatriation, research, public history and community-led cultural revitalisation. Her doctoral research built upon many years of professional practice in museums, exploring the intersections of repatriation, First Nations museology, cultural revival and the role of cultural institutions in supporting First Nations self-determination.
Zoe is passionate about strengthening First Peoples' voices and perspectives within museums, cultural institutions and public spaces. She is particularly interested in how collections and archives can support the revitalisation of cultural knowledge, language and practice as well as how truth-telling can deepen public understanding of Aboriginal histories and contemporary experiences.
Alongside her academic and curatorial work, Zoe maintains an active cultural creative practice grounded in Pakana traditions and contemporary expression. Her practice includes basket weaving, shell stringing and public art, drawing on intergenerational knowledge, cultural continuity and connections to Country. Through making, teaching and community engagement, she contributes to the revitalisation and transmission of cultural knowledge while exploring the relationship between cultural heritage, identity and creative practice.
Throughout her career, Zoe has curated award-winning exhibitions and developed accompanying publications, public programs and multimedia projects that connect audiences with First Nations histories, cultures and lived experiences. She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate innovative approaches to engagement between museums and First Peoples internationally, exploring new methodologies and outcomes that support community authority, participation and cultural resurgence.
Zoe’s consultancy work bridges cultural heritage management, interpretation, strategic planning and the arts. Her practice is grounded in collaboration, cultural integrity and a commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for communities to engage with, reclaim and share their heritage.