CEO Update April

As we move further into the year, we do so in the heart of Djeran —the Noongar season of renewal. It’s a time that invites reflection, clarity and action, and it feels like the perfect moment to lean into some important opportunities ahead of us.

One such opportunity, and a genuinely exciting one, is the consultation to develop Australia’s next National Cultural Policy. For the first time, we are seeing back‑to‑back national cultural policies, signalling a renewed commitment to the arts at a federal level. This is something to celebrate, and something we must actively participate in.

At the same time, we need to be honest about what’s missing. Regional, rural and remote voices are not adequately represented on the high‑level advisory committees appointed by the Arts Minister. Western Australia remains under‑represented, with just one WA voice at the table. We extend our sincere congratulations to Chad Creighton from AACHWA on his appointment and we thank him for carrying the WA banner. But we also know we cannot leave Chad to do the heavy lifting alone.

This is exactly why submissions matter. This is when they matter most.

I’m very pleased to share that Regional Arts WA is supporting Regional Arts Australia, who are leading a national campaign to promote widespread and meaningful engagement in this policy process. In consultation with RAWA and our counterparts across Australia, they have developed clear, accessible and user‑friendly resources to help artists and organisations prepare submissions.

Regional Arts Australia are facilitating two online open discussion sessions on 6 and 7 May to bring together regional and remote arts workers, community members and organisations to discuss shared priorities and how to make submissions count.

I cannot stress enough the importance of bringing a strong Western Australian lens to this process. We are geographically distant, and that distance does create real barriers for WA artists and arts organisations operating in regional contexts. This is a vital opportunity to ensure our lived experience, challenges and strengths are heard directly, clearly and collectively.

RAWA will be working on our own submission in the weeks ahead, and my door is well and truly open if you would like to discuss ideas, concerns, or ways to contribute. This is our moment to speak up and I encourage you to take it.

We have a couple of team updates to share, along with our heartfelt thanks.

Our Communications Lead, Sophie Mathewson, will be stepping away from her role to focus on her creative agency, Hey Liminal. While we will miss her, we recognise the importance of supporting regional creative businesses to grow and evolve, and we look forward to staying connected to her work into the future.

We also want to acknowledge Annie McFie, who joined us on a 12‑month contract and has successfully delivered a key project milestone. We’re so grateful for her contribution and hope this isn’t goodbye, just see‑you‑later.

We thank both Sophie and Annie for everything they’ve brought to RAWA and wish them all the very best for what comes next.

With warm regards,
Dr Pilar Kasat

Header image: Community participant creating a sand labyrinth with artist Naomie Hatherley for ‘Ebb+ Flow’ project, Kimberley Arts Network. Image by Halina Storm.