Dear readers,

I’m thrilled to announce a significant milestone this month for Regional Arts WA. Following our AGM on Wednesday May 21st, we warmly welcomed Josephine Johnson as our new Chair. Josephine brings not only extensive arts sector experience but also a deep connection to regional WA, having grown up on Bindjareb and Wardandi Noongar Country. Her unique perspective as both an accomplished artist and business leader, with work featured across Australia, Singapore, and Scotland, will be invaluable to our future direction.

As we bid farewell to Oliver Bazzani, we wish him well, and extend our gratitude for his ongoing commitment to the regional arts sector.

Annual Report

Hot off the press! Our 2024 Annual Report is ready for your reading pleasure.

We’ve grown in remarkable and meaningful ways this year. The Regional Arts Network has blossomed to include 20 vibrant organisations, we’ve touched the lives of more than 105k people through our Artist of the Month program (that’s about the population of Bunbury and Busselton combined if you’re counting), and we’ve distributed $1.66 million worth of creative funding across our vast state. Oh, and of course we launched our Thrive! framework.

Have a peek at our 2024 Annual Report to get the full overview of the successful year it was.

Regional Roundup

We’re thrilled to congratulate all recipients of the recent DLGSC 2024-2025 Arts Project funding. It’s particularly heartening to see regional organisations receiving important additional support. This funding plays a crucial role in strengthening the vibrancy of the arts sector. Read more about the funding boost here.

Earlier this month the Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival delivered a successful literary program, with an all-star cast including Hannah Kent, Jane Caro, Stan Grant, A.C. Grayling, and Tasma Walton. A tip of the hat to Arts Margaret River for orchestrating another outstanding regional arts event.

Up north, Geraldton’s Bandwidth networking gathering brought together creative minds for a thorough pow-wow of ideas, innovations, and invaluable conversations that I’m certain will spark the next big thing.

Stage 1 of the Batik Revival Project on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands also successfully concluded, with 140 community members creating silk paintings that tell their island stories. Under Jacky Cheng’s guidance and with support from various partners, this project has strengthened local cultural connections. Stage 2 begins in early July.

And a final congratulations to our Next Level 2025 Fellowship Recipients who we announced early in May. Karrak Gregory and Laura Sikes from the South West, and Emily O’Brien from the Great Southern are set to push artistic boundaries across music, photography, and dance. Watch this space – these are names you’ll want to remember.

Final Thoughts

As we mark Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to acknowledge the unique challenges our regional communities face when it comes to mental health. With limited access to services and support networks, the impact can be particularly profound in regional areas. We also recognise the vital role of creative expression, storytelling, and truth-telling as powerful tools for healing, connection, and strengthening community resilience.

Stay well and keep creating,

Dr Pilar Kasat