The 2024 Summit was held on Tuesday 8th October at Old Parliament House, Canberra with keynote lectures, panel discussions and presentations by diverse speakers. The program was designed to unpack the cultural ambition of creativity across regional and remote Australia as each panel and speaker wove the interconnectedness of the creative arts across multiple industries and sectors.

Speakers included:

• Welcome to Country & Smoking Ceremony by Uncle Warren Daley & Jay Daley
• Warren & Donna Mason, Tin Camp Studios | Holding space and Cultural Protocols
• Opening Keynote by: Ashley Bland, Vic McEwan & Melissa Brooke
• Collaboration Canvas Launch with Australian Rural Leadership Foundation | Matt Linnegar
• Systems Change Panel Discussion: Mikaela Jade & Dr Colleen MacMillan. Facilitated by Nearne Carter
• Regional Futures Launch: Simon Spain
• Artist Address: Jane Bamford
• Looking Beyond The Arts Sector Panel: Jess Herrington, Scott Baker & Katherine Trebeck. Facilitated by Natalie Eagleton
• Parliamentary Address - Senator Perin Davey

Photography credit: Paul Chapman - @ModeImagery

What our delegates said:

"Thank you for 2 days of deep immersive learning. I am very grateful to be on this journey of transformation with you all. 
You are an amazing team to collaborate with."
- Felicity Chapman

"An inspiring couple of days in Ngunnawal Country, Canberra, at the Creative Regions National Summit. We engaged in powerful panel discussions on system change, cross-sector partnerships, and arts collaborations. Hearing from incredible speakers, mostly women! left us energised and motivated. A big thanks to our colleagues at Regional Arts Australia for their vision and leadership!"
- Dr Pilar Kasat

"It was such a pleasure, and a privilege, to be part of the Regional Arts Australia National Summit in Canberra yesterday. So many passionate, clever and creative people all striving to improve the situation for regional artists - it was an inspiring day."
- Monica Davidson

"Amazing Creative Regions National Summit earlier this week by Regional Arts Australia. Wonderful stories of artists and creatives making huge differences to their communities. And the launch of new Regional Futures research into the many roles of the creative arts in regions."
- Kim Houghton

"Thanks to Regional Arts Australia for bringing together so many thought-leaders and facilitating these conversations across the country."
- Lena Nahlous

"One of the most impactful moments for me was exploring the concept of art created for innovation and sustainability, rather than solely for human enjoyment. Jane Bamford’s ceramics, inspired by the spotted lungfish, penguins, and oysters, were absolutely mesmerizing. Her work beautifully illustrates how art can drive ecological awareness and conservation efforts. Hearing from Katherine Trebeck about the well-being economy was another highlight. Her insights resonated deeply, making perfect sense as we strive for a more equitable and sustainable future. The idea that economic success should be measured by the well-being of people and the planet is both revolutionary and essential."
- Melissa Brooke (read full post here)

"The focus of this beautifully curated event was on valuing the human interface and experience of collaboration at any given point in time. Although driven by the intention to deliver high level “systems change”, the event gently led an awkward group of strangers through a process of listening through the holding space created by skilful cultural facilitators and a ceremonial smoking ceremony led by Ngunnawal elders through to engaging with presentations and discussions on what systems change is and what it can achieve, and ending with a Parliamentary Address. It emphasised the value of personal engagement and the important role of culture – and cultural ways – in being and bringing and educating people together and showed that we all can step outside of the dominant systems within which we work to design more relevant ones – be they for education or social or environmental justice as well as the unique role played by the humanities and arts in exploring how to identify new boundaries for old systems as well as the new futures that new systems may create."
- Kylie Message – Jones (Read full post here)

"Great learnings at the Regional Arts Australia Creative Regions National Summit today demonstrating the power of arts to transform communities."
- Melanie Bish

Downloadable Files: