Arts sector appointments: quick links
Geelong Arts Centre appoints two Associate Artists
Bron Batten and Keziah Warner have been appointed as Geelong Arts Centre’s new Associate Artists. Both artists receive over $40,000 in cash support to develop new work and focus on their artistic practices, and up to $15,000 in rehearsal studio time and mentorship support.
Throughout the initiative, both artists will contribute to Geelong Arts Centre’s Creative Engine program which is designed to inspire, mentor and help to elevate the work of other creatives in the region.
Bron Batten is a multi-award-winning Australian performer and theatre-maker known for creating contemporary and collaborative performances with community and audience members. Batten has presented her work extensively at home and abroad, and is currently a performer and co-devisor with Back to Back Theatre. Her time as Associate Artist will support the very first stage development of a brand-new performance piece entitled The Natural Order, a work that attempts to deter ‘past Bron’ from pursuing a career in the arts.
Keziah Warner is a playwright and dramaturg whose writing credits include Malthouse Theatre’s Hour of the Wolf and Nosferatu, Control for Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre and Help Yourself for Melbourne Theatre Company’s Cybec Electric program. Her play What’s Yours recently premiered at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre. Warner will dedicate time to working on a project called Desire Lines, a romantic comedy set in Geelong train station and described as ‘a funny, bittersweet and off-beat tale of love, trains and missed connections’.
Warner said of the opportunity, ‘This will be invaluable to the development of my writing and allow me to actively contribute to the wider arts community, which is by far the most important thing I can do as an artist. The chance to embed as a writer at a company with both a salary and dedicated project funding is such a rare and incredible opportunity and a real testament to Geelong Arts Centre’s understanding of and investment in artists.’
Batten added: ‘This position as Associate Artist means such a great deal to me. It’s happening at a point in my career where the structure and support will literally sustain my ability to keep being an artist, which feels utterly remarkable.’
Since launching Creative Engine in 2019, Geelong Arts Centre has invested in 963 Victorian artists, developed 133 projects, delivered 82 grants, 34 professional development initiatives and 9 co-commissions.
The support provided for Victorian artists through Creative Engine covers funding, development and commissions as well as venue hire, staff and equipment costs to the value of $1.2 million.
Rhys Holden, CEO and Creative Director, Geelong Arts Centre, said in a statement: ‘I’m thrilled to welcome Bron and Keziah to Geelong Arts Centre. We can’t wait to have them here for a year in Geelong to create exciting new projects, and also I look forward to the impact they will have on other artists and the wider creative ecosystem.’
Creative Engine is supported by The Ian Potter Foundation, expanding and enhancing the flagship development program by offering a range of new initiatives tailored to the needs of developing artists in the region.
Louise Joel, Arts Senior Program Manager, The Ian Potter Foundation, noted: ‘The partnership between Geelong Arts Centre and The Ian Potter Foundation underscores a shared commitment to supporting artists on their creative journeys. The Associate Artist initiative empowers artists to explore, create, and push boundaries that shape the cultural landscape.’
Creative Australia Board appointments
The Albanese Labor Government has announced the appointment of Ms Rosheen Garnon as Deputy Chair, the reappointment of Ms Caroline Wood AM, and the appointments of Ms Hannah Pelka-Caven and Dr Michael Brand as members to the Australia Council Board of Creative Australia for four-year terms.
The Australia Council Board is the governing board of Creative Australia – the government’s principal arts investment and advisory body.
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said the appointments bring a wide breadth of expertise to the Board.
‘Rosheen has been instrumental in guiding the transformation of the organisation to Creative Australia, bringing strong leadership and extensive corporate capabilities to the Deputy Chair role,’ he said in a media statement.
‘With the reappointment of Caroline and new appointments of Ms Pelka-Caven and Dr Brand, the Board will be well placed to continue the work of Revive to support artists as real workers,’ Burke added.
Rosheen Garnon has over 30 years of experience in the field of taxation and has served on the Australia Council Board previously as Deputy Chair and member; she has also Chaired the Audit and Risk Committee since 2021.
Garnon currently holds Director roles for Retirement Benefit Fund Pty Limited, Venues NSW, Resolution Life Australia, and The Smith Family. From 2018 to 2025, Garnon served as Member and Chair of the Board of Taxation, and Director of Australian Rail Track Corporation. She was also Director of Creative Partnerships Australia from 2013 to 2023.
Caroline Wood AM has been a member of the Australia Council Board since August 2023 and has 30 years of diverse senior management experience spanning academia, publishing and advocacy. Wood is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the Centre for Stories – a literary and community arts organisation using storytelling to improve social cohesion and improve understanding of diverse communities. She was also the owner and founder of the independent publisher Margaret River Press and founder of the Australian Short Story Festival.
Hannah Pelka-Caven is a musician and lawyer. She is currently an Industrial Officer and has extensive experience in employment and industrial relations law. She has advised and represented workers and employers across the Australian arts scene, live performance and screen sectors. Pelka-Caven holds a Bachelor of Music and plays with folk duo, The Raglins, and has performed extensively throughout Australia including at Woodford Folk Festival and the National Celtic Folk Festival. She currently serves on the Board of the National Folk Festival, and Music Theatre Workshop, amongst others.
Michael Brand is an international art scholar and cultural leader who has made a significant contribution to Australia’s art sector and international art landscape. Most recently he served as the Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales from 2012 to 2025 and led the Art Gallery’s significant transformation through the development of the Sydney Modern Project. Brand has also held previous directorships at the new Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Flying Fruit Fly Circus appoints new Marketing and Communications Officer
Albury-Wodonga’s Flying Fruit Fly Circus has appointed Chloe Hall as the national youth circus school’s new Marketing and Communications Officer.
Hall is a Fruities alumna who went on to complete a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) at Charles Sturt University.
‘With a passion for storytelling and community connection, Hall has developed skills in brand development, event promotion and strategic communications. She is excited to combine her professional expertise with her lifelong love of the circus to help share the magic of the Fruities with audiences near and far,’ according to a statement provided by the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.
New Federal Government appointments to arts councils
The Albanese Government has appointed Ms Amanda Heyworth as Chair of the National Archives of Australia Council, Mr Gary Quinlan AO FAIIA as a Member, and Ms Tanya Hosch as a member to the National Library of Australia Council, all for three-year terms.
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said the appointments would strengthen the leadership of two of Australia’s iconic national cultural institutions.
‘The National Library and Archives are integral in safeguarding Australian stories, serving as both our physical and digital memory,’ Burke said.
‘Amanda’s expertise in both government and private sectors will be a great asset to the guidance of the Archives.
‘Gary has represented Australia in a variety of roles internationally and has been an advocate for telling our nation’s stories.
‘Tanya’s extensive experience in sport and First Nations advancement, make her an ideal candidate who will help to ensure those stories, and many others, continue to be recorded and saved for future generations,’ the Minister concluded.
The National Archives is Australia’s Federal Government record collecting agency, preserving and managing documents and other evidence that record important events in Australian history, and making them available to the public.
The National Library of Australia ensures documents of national significance relating to Australia and the Australian people, as well as significant non-Australian library materials, are collected, preserved and made accessible for future generations. It also maintains Trove – an asset that has been safeguarded for the future by the Albanese Government – which brings together collections from Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries and archives and makes them accessible to the public.
Amanda Heyworth is the Deputy of the Archives Council and a professional company director, with expertise in governance, strategy and innovation. Heyworth is the Chair of UniSA Ventures Pty Ltd, a non‑executive Director at People First Bank, and Commissioner of the Essential Services Commission of South Australia. She has previously held senior executive positions in the venture capital, technology and finance sectors. Early in her career, Heyworth served as an economist with the federal Treasury and as Adjunct Faculty in the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales.
Gary Quinlan AO FAIIA is a Fellow at the Australian Institute of International Affairs and a Board member of Advance Global Australians. In 2016, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to public administration in the field of international relations as a senior diplomat and ambassador. Quinlan was formerly an Australian diplomat and senior public servant, having been the Ambassador to Indonesia (2018-2021), Deputy Ambassador to the United States (2005-2007), and the High Commissioner to Singapore (2001-2005). He was Australia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, New York (2009-2015); and Australia’s Representative on the United Nations Security Council (2013-2014) and President of the Council in September 2013 and November 2014.
Quinlan was a Senior Adviser to the Hon Dr Kevin Rudd AC, the former Prime Minister, and Chief of Staff to former Minister and Senator the Hon Peter Cook. He was also the Deputy Secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2015-2018).
Read: I’m a Textile Designer: do you want my job?
Tanya Hosch has a long and distinguished history in Australian Indigenous policy, advocacy, and governance and is an accomplished public speaker. Hosch is currently Chair of the Advisory Board Centre for Indigenous People and Work at University of Technology Sydney, a Co-Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group of the National Australia Bank, a Director of the Goodes O’Loughlin Foundation, and a Member of the Forum of Corporate Responsibility at BHP. She is also a Council Member of the Australian National University and was a member of the Referendum Council that led the process and final recommendation that resulted in The Uluru Statement from the Heart in May 2017.
From August 2016 to June 2025, Hosch was the Executive General Manager, Inclusion and Social Policy at the Australian Football League (AFL) and was the first Indigenous person and second woman in its executive ranks. In October 2020, Ms Hosch was announced as the South Australian of the Year for 2021 and in December 2022, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Flinders University.
