NYC’s Ministry of Culture opens Sydney office
After almost 20 years of business based out of New York, Ministry of Culture have opened their first international office in Australia. Founded by David Art Wales, a Sydneysider himself, the venture will open its doors this month.
The Ministry of Culture (MoC) is a cultural consulting firm which help companies connect with and contribute to global culture. The firm offers three service lines which span cultural insights, cultural creation and company culture.
The consultancy organises a businesses culture based on market research with a focus on trends. As part of their culture creation strategy, the firm helps clients contribute to culture via creative programmes and social engagement. MoC also defines and leverages its client’s mission, values and workplace practices to build up company culture.
The firm has been in operation since 2000 and has worked on 243 projects and has amassed over 127 clients. They include some of the world’s largest multinationals such as; Starbucks, AT&T, Toyota, Microsoft and Samsung. Whilst the firm has been operational globally, it has been concentrated in its New York office, until now.
Sydney local David Art Wales has made the decision to return to Australia and help local Sydney businesses build up their company culture. As Sydney’s culture is currently being sapped from the city due to mismanagement of youth and cultural affairs and an overarching nanny-state, the firm’s presence will no doubt be welcomed.
Moreover, Wales has noted that his decision to open the office in Sydney has been affected by Australia’s shift in terms of conscious capitalism. Many multinationals across the country have been adapting their policy to focus on improving workers experiences, diversity & inclusion, and company culture
“Instead of work being a place that merely extracts a third of an employee’s time, we can make it somewhere that contributes to their lives in a way that makes them more productive. Instead of ads that feel intrusive, we create marketing that contributes something,” he said. “These are modern solutions with win-win outcomes.
Sydney will be the base for the firm’s operations throughout Australia as well as the Asia Pacific - where multiple of the firm’s clients hail from. Before bridging the link across the Pacific Ocean, MoC had worked with the ABC and Triple J, amongst others. “We field a ton of inquiries from Aussie brands and businesses intent on implementing pro-people policies. You see the same trend in the rise of company positions with the words ‘people’ and ‘culture’ in them.”
David Art Wales calls himself the Prime Minister of the Ministry of Culture. The firm’s director and founder will head the setup of the new office. He has a background as an ABC TV presenter, cultural forecaster/trend analyst at Toyota and professor of consumer anthropology at New Jersey Institute of Technology. He has also engaged in multiple ventures throughout his time at the MoC, including Cinelan.com, a a full-service company, overseeing the development, production, distribution and launch of branded entertainment for clients.
