Regional Arts WA invests in ‘Aspirational Futures’ for next Regional Arts Triennial
Through the Regional Arts Network initiative, Regional Arts WA is investing $25,0000 for the next Regional Arts Triennial to deliver community engagement activities across the state.

The Alternative Archive at Goldfields Arts Centre, 2023. Photography by Mellen Burns, courtesy of ART ON THE MOVE.
At Regional Arts WA, we are committed to fostering vibrant and liveable regional communities through increasing opportunities for participation and engagement with locally-led creative, cultural and arts activities. We are proud to announce an investment of $25,000 towards the third iteration of the Regional Arts Triennial (RAT)’s community and creative development activities.
The Regional Arts Triennial has become a flagship project that celebrates contemporary visual arts across WA’s regional sector, and this investment will build its strength by introducing a new component to support 13 regional creative practitioners in delivering community engagement activities across regional WA communities.
These activities will be delivered in the first half of 2025 and will include workshops, curator talks, or other events that align with the RAT3 theme of aspirational futures for the regions. They are part of a suite of opportunities the RAT offers such as state-wide networks of support and exchange, creative career pathways, and showcasing of the creative and cultural expertise of Western Australia’s regions.
“We believe this investment will help deepen the Triennial’s connection with communities, encouraging participation in cultural and arts activities. It will also drive greater involvement in the artistic process, boosting visibility for regional Western Australia’s vibrant creative sector,” Dr. Pilar Kasat, Regional Arts WA CEO.
RAWA has been involved with the project since it evolved in 2017. The Triennial was seeded through a collaborative pilot program by RAWA called the Regional Arts Partnership Program.
During the program Southern Forest Arts worked with the sector to co-create ‘The Creative Grid’ a grass-roots visual art collective, that generated opportunities for creative collaboration across regional Western Australia.
The Creative Grid co-designs the Triennial, which is strongly tied to RAWA’s strategic initiative, the Regional Arts Network (RAN) – a statewide network of arts and cultural organisations that are fostering a strong, connected, and capable sustainable regional arts and culture sector.
“The Regional Arts Network (RAN) has been an avenue for the Triennial to develop and grow, with many of the RAN organisations currently involved in its delivery. The Network is a way to connect and foster collaboration of creative workers and arts and cultural organisations across regional WA,” Fiona Sinclair, Southern Forest Arts General Manager/Artistic Director.

Wangaba Roebourne Art Group’s exhibition ‘First Design’ runway show at the Red Earth Arts Precinct in Karratha. (L-R) Christina Goodman, Sarah Roots (Lead Curator for the 2026 Triennial), Stephany Lockyer-Shaw, William Pitt, Treinaya Phillips, Kalarnee Dick, Sharmeeka Aitchison, Zalailah Councillor, Angelina Sibosado, Scartisha Ningella, Linda Daniel Rowlands.
RAWA is also part of the RAT’s metro stakeholder working party, which includes John Curtin Gallery, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, ART ON THE MOVE, GalleriesWest, and AMaGA. This group recently welcomed Sarah Roots as the Lead Curator for the 2026 Triennial. Based on Ngarluma Ngurra Country in the Pilbara region, Sarah brings over a decade of experience and an enduring passion for the arts. Her leadership will shape a dynamic and inclusive program that reflects the unique narratives of regional WA.
Last year, Regional Arts WA launched a five-year integrated strategy, Thrive! Regional Arts, Culture, and Creativity Investment Framework 2025-29. Through this this strategy RAWA aims to support innovative, place-based programs, products, and services that address specific sector and regional community needs. Investing in the Triennial delivers on this intent.
This investment is part of the Regional Arts Network (RAN) initiative, proudly supported by the Minderoo Foundation and The Ian Potter Foundation, and with funding from the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund.

Open Borders Summit at John Curtin Gallery, 2023. Photography by Daniel Grant, courtesy of ART ON THE MOVE.
About the WA Regional Arts Triennial
The Regional Arts Triennial is a flagship project that celebrates contemporary visual arts across WA’s regional sector. It provides an ongoing series of interconnected professional development opportunities for regionally based artists, curators, arts workers, and arts organisations. These opportunities build networks of support and exchange, embed creative career pathways, and showcase the creative and cultural expertise of Western Australia’s regional areas. Thirteen Regional Arts Triennial regional exhibitions will take place from July 2025 to early 2026, with the regional survey exhibition scheduled for September 2026 at the John Curtin Gallery.
Read more here “Regional connections – a case for a Regional Arts Triennial”.
About Regional Arts WA
Regional Arts WA is the peak body for regional arts in Western Australia, supporting artists, arts organisations, creative workers, groups and stakeholders in regional communities statewide. It provides grants, leads advocacy efforts, seeds initiatives and delivers capacity building activities and support services.
For 30 years, it has played a key role in shaping innovative and unique creative activities across regional WA and the Indian Ocean Territories.