Collective imagination shaping regional futures.
The Regional Arts Triennial (RAT3) is a major cultural initiative connecting regional communities across Western Australia through a statewide program of exhibitions and events. Spanning 2025–26, fifteen locally curated exhibitions invite artists and audiences to imagine bold, aspirational visions for the future.
Our Vision
A connected and creative Western Australia where regional voices lead the way in shaping bold, inclusive, and sustainable futures.
We celebrate the creativity that thrives across regional Western Australia. Through connection and collaboration, we create spaces where local voices can shine, share stories, and inspire change. Radical Futures invites us to listen deeply, create together, and imagine new ways of living that honour both difference and shared hope.
Building on the acclaimed Alternative Archive (2019) and Open Borders (2022), the third iteration, Radical Futures, turns its gaze forward. It explores the role of the arts as a catalyst for change in times of uncertainty, inviting collective imagination, collaboration, and critical reflection on the paths ahead.
Each exhibition responds uniquely to its local context, reflecting the diverse voices, stories, and environments of regional Western Australia. Curators and artists across the state are shaping site-responsive exhibitions that reveal the extraordinary depth and vitality of regional arts practice.
Lead Curator Sarah Roots describes Radical Futures as “reciprocal and nurturing – it cuts through the extractive grind of everyday life and creates space for genuine connection and vision. That’s what makes Radical Futures so powerful.”
Beyond the exhibitions, the Triennial program includes workshops, talks, and creative industry opportunities designed to strengthen regional arts ecosystems and foster long-term collaboration across communities.
The journey will culminate in a metropolitan showcase at John Curtin Gallery in Perth (September–December 2026), followed by a statewide touring exhibition that brings regional futures to metropolitan audiences.
Sarah’s Curatorial Tour and skills exchange in WA regional communities is proudly supported by Regional Arts WA, with funding from the Minderoo Foundation for the Thrive! Framework and Regional Arts Network.
