Discover how the Thrive! Framework through Regional Arts WA is strengthening WA’s regional communities through arts, culture, and creative leadership – powered by local voices and designed to spark lasting change.
- Nicola Forrest AO
Western Australia is as vast as it is diverse.
As the largest state in the country, WA spans an extraordinary array of landscapes, from crystal-clear waters and pristine white sands to striking red rock formations, expansive deserts, flourishing wine regions, and rolling countryside.
Did you know?
WA covers the entire western third of Australia. It’s more than ten times the size of the United Kingdom.
And it’s not just the geography that makes WA unique – it’s our people and our communities.
Take the AIATSIS map, for example. It’s a powerful reminder of the rich tapestry of history and culture that define the different regions across our state.
In Western Australia, there is over half a million people living outside city areas, across this vast and remote landscape.
It’s essential we support regional and rural communities to stay connected – to each other, to the wider world, and to their sense of purpose.
And what better way to do that than through the arts? The arts bring people together. They tell the stories that shape us and create experiences that forge lasting connections.
That’s where strategic partnerships become essential.
When we invest in local leadership and strengthening the creative ecosystem, the impact isn’t just cultural – it’s social, economic, and deeply human.
That’s why Minderoo Foundation has announced a $3.3 million partnership with Regional Arts WA. This transformational three-year collaboration will support WA’s regional creative industries and help communities to thrive.
Minderoo has backed Regional Arts WA (RAWA) since 2019, helping establish WA’s Regional Arts Network. Now, with this new investment, RAWA is taking this work to the next level by deepening its role and impact in driving grassroots community participation through capacity building and collaboration.
We’re proud to support the rollout of RAWA’s Thrive! Framework, an ambitious, sector-informed strategy designed to expand access, deepen participation, and ensure that regional voices continue to shape the cultural future of our state.
Together, the 20 local arts organisations of the Regional Arts Network reach 44 local government areas, employ over 1,200 artists and engage more than 2,000 volunteers annually. They drive cultural connection at scale across the whole of Western Australia.
This investment will assist to support the organisations located across regional WA to expand their services and bring diverse and place-based experiences to children, families, and communities.
These services connect people with art, culture and creativity no matter how remotely they might live.
With a distinctive decentralised model, RAWA enables deep local engagement and tailored support where it’s needed most.
As WA’s peak regional arts body – and the only multi-arts organisation solely focused on regional Western Australia – we are proud to continue to partner with Regional Arts WA and support their innovative work.
“This strategic partnership represents a pivotal moment for regional arts in Western Australia,” says Dr Pilar Kasat, CEO of Regional Arts WA.
“Minderoo Foundation’s investment is a timely and powerful endorsement of sustained, place-based arts development – supporting the people, skills, and creative capacity that underpin vibrant regional communities.
The Thrive! Regional Arts, Culture and Creativity Investment Framework is a five-year integrated strategy to support arts and cultural organisations across regional Western Australia.
It aims to foster collaboration, build cross-sector partnerships, and increase investment in the regional arts and culture sector and regional communities.
Thrive! is more than a strategy: it’s a roadmap for long-term, regional cultural growth.
It focuses on four key domains that are shaping a stronger, more connected creative ecosystem across Western Australia. These are:
- Sustainable organisations
- Statewide leadership and career development
- Industry excellence and connection
- Regional liveability and vibrancy
More than 70 per cent of our investment is focused on capacity building, industry connection, and the establishment of a new Creative Collaboration Fund (CCF).
The CCF is a new model designed to accelerate statewide community impact and unlock co-investment across the regions.
Led by Regional Arts WA, the CCF will adopt a cross-sector co-investment model designed to:
- strengthen the capacity of the regional creative sector
- ensure investment reflects the aspirations of WA’s growing and diverse communities
- foster the sustainability of local organisations.
This model aims to shift how regional arts organisations are supported, and to help build the foundations for more sustainable, collaborative futures beyond short-term project funding.
Minderoo’s investment: 6 creative focus areas for regional WA:
1. Placemaking and tourism
We’re supporting regional arts organisations to activate their towns through festivals, events, installations, and cultural tourism offerings.
Backed by the Creative Collaboration Fund, these activities are locally led, place-based, and designed to reflect the unique identity of each community while creating opportunities for creatives, small businesses, and visitors alike.
Desired impact:
- Boosted regional tourism and visitor engagement
- Jobs for local creatives
- Vibrant community hubs and venues
- Greater local pride and economic activity
2. Truth telling and cultural connection
Programs led by First Nations people are vital to this work.
Thrive! creates space for truth-telling, cultural exchange and intercultural respect and cultural equity to occur, with dedicated support for Aboriginal leadership.
These initiatives aren’t just artistic – they are vital pathways to understanding, reconciliation, and connection.
Desired impact:
- Employment and leadership opportunities for Aboriginal people
- Greater social cohesion and intercultural respect
- Stronger mental health and wellbeing
- Contribution to Closing the Gap targets
3. Next generation art jobs
We’re building pathways for students and emerging creatives across WA’s regions through structured placements, paid roles, and leadership development.
Initiatives like the Future Regional Creative Workforce project are helping to retain student and graduates to gain work experience in regional communities while boosting workforce readiness and regional capacity.
This area of focus is not just about creating jobs, but also keeping creative talent in the regions and helping the next generation to thrive where they live.
Desired impact:
- Practical industry experience and career confidence
- Higher retention of graduates in regional WA
- Increased access to arts careers and paid jobs
- New talent and skills flowing into regional arts organisations
4. Community development and wellbeing
The CCF will support organisations to provide inclusive, creative programs tailored to each community’s needs, especially for youth, children, and underrepresented groups.
These programs are designed and delivered by local organisations that understand the unique needs of their communities and are best place to lead these services in collaboration with artists, groups and local governments.
Desired impact:
- Stronger community bonds and social inclusion
- Improved youth and child wellbeing
- Greater participation from at-risk and marginalised groups
- Enhanced community pride and belonging
5. Cultural planning and policy
The CCF will support local organisations to collaborate with local governments, Regional Development Commissions and other stakeholders to put cultural planning into action.
The local organisations and creative workers play a key role in turning strategies into real-world initiatives, supporting place-based cultural development driven by local voices.
Desired impact:
- Leveraged regional investment from multiple avenues
- Strong community voice and community-led place-based projects
- Government policy and community visions are realised
- Improved aesthetic and sense of place
6. Climate adaptation and resilience
Through the CCF, regional organisations will be able to explore with their communities how the arts can respond to the impacts of climate change, from caring for Country to building community resilience.
Creative practices are helping people process change, strengthen local identity, and act in sustainable and meaningful ways.
Desired impact:
- Community-led climate responses
- Cultural leadership in sustainability
- More resilient and connected regional communities
At the heart of these goals is more connection, more inclusion, and more of the life-affirming vibrancy the arts brings to our lives.
“We encourage others including the WA state government, philanthropists and the corporate sector to deepen their support for the regional arts sector,” says Josephine Johnson, Chair of Regional Arts WA’s Board of Directors.