Greetings from the new CEO

The arts, culture and creative industries are not just expressions of our society's creativity and imagination; they are the fabric that weaves our communities together, reflecting our shared histories, values, and aspirations. The transformative power of arts and culture brings us together under a common purpose, and I can’t wait to help to advance our shared goals.

Our Strategic Business Plan for 2024-2028, shaped by extensive organisational review and stakeholder input, charts an exciting path forward, guided by our core values of inclusion, collaboration, leadership, and integrity.

As CEO, I am committed to building on the Chamber's achievements and strengths in addressing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. This will involve working closely with our Board, staff, members, partners, and stakeholders to deliver strategic and impactful services, programs, events, research, and advocacy that build sector capacity and support the industry's development.

Excitingly, we have a number of initiatives under way or ready to go in the first half of 2024, including the Social and Emotional Wellbeing Through the Arts (SEW) Teacher Artist Training Program, the launch of the RAP RING Principles, developed in collaboration with Reconciliation WA and the sector, and events focused on building leadership skills and tackling critical issues impacting the industry. 

Thank you to our SEW Arts program partners Healthway and The Art Gallery of Western Australia. This program, which was developed to support the professional development and career pathways of artists, is an excellent example of the collaborative approach to industry development that will be key to growing the impact of arts and culture and cementing the need for cross-portfolio collaboration. Our commitment to leveraging partnerships and fostering a culture of shared learning and effective collaborations will be critical to our success.

I am also excited to start growing the Chamber membership, aiming for comprehensive sector representation and increased engagement.

I am eager to meet and re-connect with many of you at our first Member Event for the year, an opportunity to share insights and envisage our collective future. The details of all imminent events will be announced soon.

The coming years will see us making significant strides in aligning with government policies, increasing our visibility in the public sphere, and amplifying the inherent value of creativity in society.

I want to acknowledge the support of The State of Western Australia through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Their investment in and partnership with the Chamber to operate as the Peak Body for Western Australia’s cultural and creative industries is invaluable. I look forward to working with the Department to benefit the sector, and the state more broadly.

I also want to acknowledge and thank our Community Partner, Lotterywest, and Review Project Partner, Minderoo. Their support and investment have truly provided the foundation to seize opportunities ahead.

I will also take this opportunity to express appreciation for our partner Media Super, the industry super fund for print, media, entertainment, and arts professionals, for their ongoing investment and support of the sector as our Better Business Partner. Media Super has been a valued ally and collaborator of the Chamber for many years, and we are grateful for their generosity and commitment. We have some important and exciting events planned with Media Super in the coming months, the first focusing on the issue of gender inequity in the sector and how we can work together to address it.

To our Keystone Partner, Wesfarmers Arts - thank you for your continuing support of the Chamber’s purpose and vision.

The support and engagement of all of our partners are invaluable as we embark on our journey to reinvigorate the Chamber, cement its purpose and embed our strategy. I know that I have the Board’s full support to do this, and I greatly appreciate their ongoing dedication, and that of Chamber stalwart Kelly Reid.

Finally, my belief in the power of relationships has always been a cornerstone of my career, and I am thrilled that this role will give me the opportunity to enhance the relationships I have with people and organisations in this sector, and develop new ones across many portfolios. I hope to meet with as many of you as possible in the near future, to hear your ideas and feedback about how we can make the Chamber an even more effective and impactful organisation.

Please feel free to contact me at any time, via email or phone.

Sincerely,

Tania Hudson

CEO, Chamber of Arts and Culture

Thank you to our Partners