Esther Anatolitis

Esther Anatolitis is one of Australia’s most influential advocates for arts and culture. She is Editor of Meanjin, Honorary Associate Professor at RMIT School of Art, and a member of the National Gallery of Australia Governing Council. Esther has led arts and media organisations across all artforms, including Express Media, the Emerging Writers' Festival, Craft Victoria, SYN Media, Melbourne Fringe, Regional Arts Victoria and NAVA. Her consultancy Test Pattern focuses on creative practice, policy and precincts, as well as advocacy and public value. A hallmark of Esther’s arts leadership career has been her tenacious civic engagement, ensuring that artists’ voices and arts issues feature prominently on political agendas. This work has ranged from strategic development and private advice to public events, regional marginal seat forums, candidates’ debates, specialist workshops and Australia’s first advocacy training program for the arts. A prolific writer, Esther’s work regularly appears in literary journals, newspapers, and arts and design media, and she is a regular Arts Hub columnist. Her book Place, Practice, Politics is published by Spurbuch. Follow Esther on Twitter: @_esther.

Esther's Latest Articles

two cocoons and an emerged butterfly
Career Advice

Five strategies for flourishing in political change

Feeling election fatigue already? Esther Anatolitis’ new book Place, Practice, Politics is an indispensable caution against political disengagement, offering galvanising…

Fingers drop a voting form into a slot in a stylised image of Australia.
Opinions & Analysis

Election looming, so where is the arts policy?

We don’t need to wait for political parties to release formal arts and cultural policies when their unwritten policies are…

Budget. Image is fanned out Australian banknotes, a magnifying glass, a pen and paper with figures, and a calculator.
Opinions & Analysis

Temporary measures, uncertain future: Budget 2022-23

How best to imagine our future after floods, pandemic, war and more? It’s the challenge confronting electoral candidates across Australia…

Opinions & Analysis

Practical arts activism for the election year

What can you actually do to swing the federal election? Quite a lot, argues arts advocate Esther Anatolitis.

A woman fills out a ballot paper
Opinions & Analysis

Campaigning for culture this election

With a Federal Election looming in 2022, Esther Anatolitis takes a strategic look at at how the arts can push…

A circle of sparks on a main road
Opinions & Analysis

‘Sculpting’ a plan, ‘igniting’ an economy

The recent Parliamentary Inquiry into the Arts has plenty to ignite passions and inspire change.

Text reading 'Push to reset' with a large red button written ona white crick wall
Opinions & Analysis

Resetting Australia’s public arts agenda

A series of conversations in Adelaide wants to put the arts at the centre of recovery efforts.

Person in leopard-print pants holds a sign saying Save the arts
Features

Making an arts advocacy plan

With the next federal election likely for the first quarter of 2022, arts organisations are gearing up for big impact.

A sign reads 'Lockdown but don't lockdown your heart. Louis the breakfast club.'
Opinions & Analysis

Creating unexpected encounters

Why do we need unexpected encounters in our lives now more than ever? Esther Anatolitis explains and suggests three small…

Colourful jigsaw pieces
Opinions & Analysis

Advocacy that’s local, informed and connected: from research to action

In times of crisis, how can we use research for big picture change?

1 2 3