Running alongside the Radical Futures survey exhibition, the 2026 WA Regional Visual Arts Summit will take place at John Curtin Gallery from 18–20 September 2026, bringing together artists, curators, arts workers and organisations from across Western Australia.
The Summit is an opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the state, share ideas and explore the future of regional visual arts practice. The program features keynote presentations, panel discussions, artist talks, networking events and professional development opportunities, alongside optional activities including Pitch Sessions, Mentoring Circle, Bus Tours and Art Making.
Presented as part of the WA Regional Arts Triennial 2025–26, the Summit celebrates the creativity of regional arts communities while strengthening connections, collaboration and future opportunities across the sector.
Explore the program below to discover the sessions, speakers and opportunities available throughout the Summit.
Please note: This program is provided as a general guide and is subject to minor changes as planning continues. Additional session details and speaker information will be uploaded soon.
Walking Tour – 9am – 9.45am meet @ John Curtin Gallery Reception
Facilitated by: Mikaela Miller – Collection Coordinator
Each of the 40 public artworks in the Curtin University Art Collection are radical objects [of their time] – with recent, and historical, commissions speaking to culture; place; and notions of the future.
Join Collection Coordinator, and artist, Mikaela Miller for a guided tour through the Curtin Bentley campus to explore a few of these.
Artworks are spread across a large campus area – please wear comfortable walking shoes, arrive early.
Please let us know ahead of time if you have any accessibility needs.
Keynote -10am-11am
Atrium
Speaker: Clothilde Bullen OAM
Clothilde re-positions regional art hubs as the centre of community and artistic life in the state, and poses a series of future-focused provocations, asking the audience to consider what it might look like to develop, strengthen and connect all areas of policy and strategy with what happens on the ground – and how this could be imagined as a sustainable new reality.
Panel Discussion – 2pm – 3pm
Lecture Theatre
Facilitated by: Laetitia Wilson (PICA),
Panellists: Amy Rumble (Bennet Litigation), Rebecca Brookes & W. Sze Tsang
As technology continues to impact and shape how we create, communicate and imagine futures, artists have an important role to play in asking the urgent questions of our times – concerning agency, environment, ethics and responsibility. In a moment marked by both excitement and anxiety around artificial intelligence, creative practice can offer ways to think critically about the systems that increasingly mediate our lives. This panel brings together voices from art, sound, research and law to consider how technologies are changing ideas of authorship, art making and the experience of art. Grounded in the themes of Radical Futures, the conversation asks what ethical, sustainable and imaginative futures might look and feel like in the age of AI.
Panel Discussion – 12pm – 1pm @ Atrium
Moderated by: Fiona Sinclair (Southern Forest Arts)
Panellists: Anna-Louise Richardson (John Curtin Gallery), Sarah Roots (BLB Creative) & Professor Susanna Castledon (John Curtin Gallery)
Curatorship is about creating a container for connections and conversations: between artists, audiences and ideas. Join Prof Susanna Castleden, Sarah Roots and Anna Richardson to discuss their roles in Radical Futures and the changing exhibition form across the Regional Arts Triennial project.
Indigenous Curators Session – 11am – 12pm
Kattidj Nagar
Facilitated by: Ron Bradfield
This session is for Indigenous attendees and curators.
Creative Communities and Cultures will focus on the experiences of participating artists and curators involved in the Regional Arts Triennial Program. It will be an open and safe place to connect and yarn about experiences and key learnings. There will be a chance to contribute ideas about future Regional Arts Triennials. It will support the cultural safety of Indigenous attendees and curators.
Networking – 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Atrium
Hosted by: Fiona Sinclair (Southern Forest Arts)
Looking to put faces to names, ask the questions you’ve been sitting on, or simply find out who’s doing what across the visual arts sector? Bringing together organisations from across WA for a series of relaxed one-on-one conversations with delegates.
Whether you’re seeking funding advice, professional development opportunities, partnerships, or just want to better understand the support available to artists and arts workers in regional Western Australia, this is your chance to connect directly with the people behind the organisations.
Book in a 10 minute session at the Registration desk, have a chat, and leave a little more in the loop.
Panel Discussion – 11 am – 12pm
Northern Gallery
Facilitated by: Maxxi, Minaxi May (ART ON THE MOVE)
Panellists: Alex Desebrook (Cannery Arts Centre), Chelsea Hopkins Allen (Independent Artist) & Peter Grant (Artsource)
A conversation that explores artist residencies and how they can support your practice at different career stages.
In this session we will unpack a range of residency models, from socially engaged programs to research and studio-based opportunities. Discover how different residencies work, what they offer artists, and how they can open up new possibilities, connections and ways of working.
Artist Tours – Sign up early, and then meet at Registration Desk
Step inside the gallery and hear the stories behind the work. Walk and Talk with the Artist invites you to join exhibiting artists in a small group for tours of their work. These informal tours share new perspectives on Radical Futures and explore the diversity of creative responses across the state, offering firsthand insight into their creative practice, inspiration and process.
11:30AM-12:30PM (Southern Gallery)
Hosted by: Andrea Tenger (Art on the Move)
Featuring: Athena ‘Shaw’ Boast, Steven Cutts, Karla Tittums, Mitchella Hutchins, Azman Shaw
1:30PM-2:30PM (Central Gallery)
Hosted by: Julianne MacKay (Art on the Move)
Featuring: Peter Hill, Carly Le Cerf, Rachel Falls Williams, Helena & Jenny Butt
3:00PM-4:00PM (Northern Gallery)
Hosted by: Art on the Move
Featuring: Maria Mori, Elisa Markes-Young & Ruth Halbert, Justina Willis, Rebecca Brooks
Art Making Activity
Kattidj Nagar
Conceived by: Amelia Jajko
Open throughout the Summit when the room is available
Seeds for Tomorrow is a quiet, reflective making space that invites people to pause, connect and contribute to a collective exchange of ideas.
Inspired by the theme of Radical Futures, the activity draws on the meaning of a radical as the first shoot to emerge from a germinating seed. Participants are invited to consider the ideas, hopes and acts of care they wish to nurture within their own communities and creative practice.
‘Seeds’ will be shared will be shared with other delegates in a exchange that reflects inspirations and connections from this program and into the future.
Bus tour – 2:30pm – 5:30pm – Departing from outside the gallery
Art Hop takes you behind the doors of a selection of galleries and art spaces where you’ll see exciting exhibitions of nationally renowned and emerging artists, meet curators and gallerists and hear how these venues bring artists and audiences together. Equal parts networking, inspiration and getting out into the world, it’s an opportunity to experience the spaces that keep the visual arts thriving.
The bus tour will end at the last venue with a casual sundowner with our hosts. Participants will need organise their own return journey.
Panel Discussion – 9am – 10am
Lecture Theatre
Moderated by: Sarah Roots (BLB Creative)
Steve Cutts, Elisa Markes-Young, Ruth Halbert, Keely Robertson
Art as a Catalyst asks whether art’s power lies not in producing outcomes, but in creating conditions. Bringing together artists and curators from across the regions, this conversation considers what art makes possible rather than what it is expected to achieve.
Panel Discussion – 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Lecture Theatre
Moderated by: Cathy Cummins
Panellists: Dora Griffths, Japneet Keith & Wiggy Matsuda
Building stronger regional connections while shaping and celebrating our unique identities.
The session will explore how each region developed its own unique interpretation of Radical Futures, the insights curators gained through cross-regional exchange, and the lessons that emerged from engaging with their local communities and contexts.
Panel Discussion – 2:00pm -3:00pm
Lecture Theatre
Moderated by: Sarah Roots (BLB Creative)
Panellists: Caitlin Stewart, Saira Ellen, Mitchella Hutchins
The Radical Grounding panel explores what happens when regional creatives begin with place. Through site-responsive practice, sculpture and installation our panelists reflect on fire, ecology, material memory and the grounded ways regional communities imagine, create and care for the future.
Round Table – 10:30am -12:00pm
Atrium
Facilitated by: Emma Gibben
Where do you fit within Western Australia’s arts ecosystem, and what could we grow together? This playful, embodied session invites artists, curators and organisations to map the people, relationships and opportunities that shape our sector. Through conversation, movement and collective sense-making, we will explore our creative ecosystem, where new possibilities could take root, and how each of us can contribute to its growth.
Panel Discussion – 1:30pm -2:30pm
Atrium
Moderated by: Ricky Arnold (Art On The Move)
Panellists: David Doyle (DADAA), Hannah Smith (Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport), and Lisa Jackson (Lotterywest)
Infrastructure development projects can be complex, expensive and long-term. This session hears experiences of organisations that have undertaken complex development projects, with discussion of the stages they’ve been through, the complexities around Local Government approvals, heritage assessments and risk, and budgeting. Aimed at managers who have ambitions for gallery upgrades, we will also hear from funders about the resources that are available to help you reach your goals.
Artist Tour – Sign up early, and then meet at Registration Desk
Step inside the gallery and hear the stories behind the work. Walk and Talk with the Artist invites you to join exhibiting artists in a small group for tours of their work. These informal tours share new perspectives on Radical Futures and explore the diversity of creative responses across the state, offering firsthand insight into their creative practice, inspiration and process.
9:00AM-9:30AM (Atrium)
Hosted by: Cathy Cummins
Featuring: Georgia Stephania, Jane Tangey, Kyjuan Wesley
11:30AM-12:30PM (Northern Gallery)
Hosted by: Cathy Cummins
Featuring: Amelia Jajko, Jo Wassell & Samala Ghosh, Caitlin Stewart, Katharina Meister
Open Discussion – 1pm – 2:30pm
Northern Gallery
Facilitated by: Dr Ash King (Support Act) and Kate Schaffner (Creative Australia)
Creative work thrives when people do.
As the arts sector continues to navigate challenging ways of working, creating psychologically safe and healthy workplaces has never been more important. Whether you’re an artist, curator, producer, venue manager or arts leader, the way we work together shapes not only individual wellbeing, but the sustainability and future of our creative communities.
This practical and interactive session explores what psychosocial safety means in an arts context and how creative businesses, organisations and individuals can take meaningful steps to build healthier workplace cultures.
Together, we’ll explore some of the most common psychosocial hazards affecting the creative industries – from high workloads and insecure work to unacceptable behaviours including bullying, harassment and discrimination. Through practical examples and discussion, we’ll examine how these risks can be identified, managed and reduced, while building workplaces where people feel supported to do their best work.
Grounded in the principles of fairness, safety and respect, the session combines practical workplace guidance with strategies to support mental health and wellbeing. Participants will leave with practical tools, resources and ideas they can apply in their own workplaces and creative practice, helping to build healthier organisations, stronger relationships and a more sustainable future for the arts.
The session will feature 45–50 minutes of conversation between Kate and Ash, followed by questions and an open discussion with participants.
Open Discussion – 2:30pm-3:30pm @ Central Gallery
Moderated by: Rick Heath (CACWA)
Guests: Dr. Pilar Kasat (RAWA) & James Boyd (Creative Australia)
For many regional arts organisations, sustainability can feel like an endless cycle of grant applications and project funding. Join a lively conversation that explores a broader funding ecosystem, from philanthropy and partnerships to earned income, volunteering and community support. We’ll also ask how funding models might better reflect the realities, strengths and opportunities of regional practice.
Art Making Activity
Kattidj Nagar
Conceived by: Amelia Jajko
Open throughout the Summit when the room is available
Seeds for Tomorrow is a quiet, reflective making space that invites people to pause, connect and contribute to a collective exchange of ideas.
nspired by the theme of Radical Futures, the activity draws on the meaning of a radical as the first shoot to emerge from a germinating seed. Participants are invited to consider the ideas, hopes and acts of care they wish to nurture within their own communities and creative practice.
‘Seeds’ will be shared will be shared with other delegates in a exchange that reflects inspirations and connections from this program and into the future.
Bus tour – 2:30pm – 5pm – Departing from outside the gallery
Art Hop takes you behind the doors of a selection of galleries and art spaces where you’ll see exciting exhibitions of nationally renowned and emerging artists, meet curators and gallerists and hear how these venues bring artists and audiences together. Equal parts networking, inspiration and getting out into the world, it’s an opportunity to experience the spaces that keep the visual arts thriving. Casual sundowners will conclude each tour, and participants can return home at their leisure.
The bus tour will end at the last venue with a casual sundowner with our hosts. Participants will need organise their own return journey.
Panel Discussion – 9am – 10:30am
Atrium
Introduction by: Fiona Sinclair (Southern Forest Arts) & Jane King (AMAGA WA)
Facilitated by: Denice Kickett (Yirra Yaakin)
AMAGA WA, in collaboration with Yirra Yaakin, presents an opportunity to have your say in what Western Australia’s Bicentenary in 2029 will look like. As well as informing the next iteration of the Regional Arts Triennial and helping shape capacity building activities for the sector over the next three years, your views and ideas will feed into the community feedback collated by Yirra Yaakin on behalf of the Premier’s Bicentenary Planning Committee. Your voice is important!