CHAMBER OF ARTS AND CULTURE

 My time as acting Executive Director of the WA Chamber of Arts and Culture is coming to an end. The Board have made a great choice in appointing Rick Heath to the position. Here's the Media Release that I helped craft:

The Chamber of Arts and Culture WA is pleased to announce the appointment of experienced and respected arts consultant, manager and advocate Rick Heath as its new Executive Director. 

Chamber Chairperson Fiona Sinclair said Heath brings both deep sector knowledge and a clear-eyed understanding of the Chamber’s operating context, purpose and potential, as well as the role the organisation can play in supporting the arts and culture sector, government, and the broader Western Australian community.

“Having served alongside Rick for over three years, I am absolutely certain of his commitment to WA's arts and culture sector, and his strong belief in the Chamber's value and potential,” Ms Sinclair said. “Rick enters the role with eyes wide open, fully cognisant of our historic highs and lows, the challenges of our current operating environment and the shifting sociopolitical landscape ahead.”

Heath has served on the Chamber's Board since 2022, most recently as Deputy Chair. During this time, he has played a key role in shaping the organisation’s renewed strategic direction, contributing to the development of the Chamber’s new Strategic Plan and its strengthened advocacy remit. This work has contributed to the Chamber receiving an offer of a Strategic Initiatives Grant from the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport for 2026–2027.

Ms Sinclair said the Board is confident Heath will deliver outcomes quickly and build influence for members and the broader sector.

“Rick’s insight, combined with decades of expertise across a range of artforms and contexts, gives the Board confidence that he can deliver tactical, practical and focused results for the membership and beyond,” she said. “Under his leadership, the Chamber is well-poised to gain momentum, traction and influence from day one.”

The open recruitment process attracted high-calibre candidates from Western Australia, interstate and overseas. Heath’s knowledge of the WA arts and cultural industries, combined with his long-standing commitment to sector advocacy, distinguished him as the standout candidate.

Reflecting on his appointment, Mr Heath said the sector’s contribution to Western Australia is essential, and that the Chamber’s advocacy role is critical to ensuring it thrives.

“The arts and culture sector is fundamental to a socially strong and economically diverse Western Australia,” Mr Heath said. “The Chamber has a vital role in improving the conditions for the sector to thrive.”

He said achieving that ambition would require clarity, discipline and collaboration across funding and investment pathways.

“This requires disciplined advocacy, focused priorities, and partnerships that unlock investment across government, public, private and commercial sources,” he said. “My aim is to articulate arts and culture not as an optional extra, but as infrastructure for public good that contributes directly to state priorities.”

Heath was recently awarded a Churchill Fellowship, which he will undertake at a dedicated time within the next 12 months, investigating impactful and regenerative arts advocacy models in the USA, Canada and the UK. This research will further strengthen the Chamber’s capacity to advocate effectively for arts organisations and independent artists across the state.

Heath said the Chamber’s focus will remain on practical coordination and building the support and settings the sector needs to thrive.

“With effective coordination, a clear focus on what’s possible, and support for social license that enables appropriate investment, we can simultaneously realise our creative potential and deliver significantly greater social and economic benefits for the community,” Mr Heath said.

Rick has led his own management consultancy focused on evidence-based strategy and coalition-building across the arts and local government sectors nationally. He has held senior and executive roles with Community Arts Network, Black Swan State Theatre Company, Perth Festival and Performing Arts Connections Australia. He brings significant experience in strategic leadership, governance, stakeholder engagement, advocacy and government relations.

Rick will commence as Executive Director on a date to be negotiated. In the interim, the locum team of Ann Tonks (Acting Executive Director) and Kelly Reid (General Manager) will continue to lead the organisation.

Rick will step down from the Board before commencing as Executive Director.