CEO Blog February 2019Article | Updated 6 years ago New Museum opportunity Newsflash! We are looking for an innovative and experienced leader to plan and implement the delivery of services and programs in our brand new facility, scheduled to open in late 2020. If you are looking for a position where you have the potential to change the lives of generations of Western Australians for the better, consider this. The position is live on the Jobs WA website now: https://search.jobs.wa.gov.au/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=232709 Kylie on Stage This is the week that we launch the Kylie on Stage exhibition at the WA Maritime Museum. Developed by the Arts Centre Melbourne, it features costumes, film footage and other paraphernalia from 25 years of Kylie Minogues’s stage shows. Our ticketed ‘Gold Party’ launch event sold out in no time, so let us hope this is a good omen for the success of the exhibition. For some, it may seem a strange subject to display at the Maritime Museum, but it is in keeping with our commitment to create surprising experiences in surprising places… so prepare to be surprised… http://museum.wa.gov.au/museums/wa-maritime-museum/kylie-on-stage In Visible Ink This is the title of an international symposium to be hosted – also at the WA Maritime Museum – next week which has been organised by Perth’s self-styled Museum of Freedom and Tolerance (MoFT) in partnership with the WA Museum. Places are still available for the symposium which takes place on 21 and 22 February. An independent charity, the MoFT does not occupy any museum premises, at present. However, its values accord with our own. Speakers include Founding Chair of the Federation of Human Rights Museums Dr David Fleming, celebrated human rights lawyer Rabia Siddique and leading Aboriginal cultural commentator and researcher Dr Greg Lehman. In Visible Ink explores the way in which museums can explore and share difficult stories: a challenging but very important subject to consider as we complete the design content for the New Museum. http://museum.wa.gov.au/museums/wa-maritime-museum/visible-ink-beyond-story Foundation for Success Congratulations to the Foundation for the WA Museum! After nearly two years of work, it has achieved Deductible Gift Recipient 1 (DGR 1) status which means it can now receive funds direct from Private Ancillary Funds, including family trusts. This is a huge opportunity that was previously not available to the Foundation. Congratulations are due to Foundation CEO Jenny Allen and her team, and to former Chair Justin Mannolini and current Chair Neville Power, all of whom have worked tirelessly to achieve this milestone. Visit the Foundation website at https://www.fwam.com.au/news/ Chinese Connections I was delighted to be invited to speak on a panel at the Australia – China Arts and Cultural Symposium in Adelaide at the weekend. Organised under the auspices of the Adelaide Festival Centre, the Symposium coincided with the Chinese New Year and the launch of a report: Australia –China Arts and Cultural Exchange Ways Forward produced by a consortium including The University of South Australia’s School of Management and the Beijing Normal University Business School. My fellow panellists were the co-authors of the report, Professor Ruth Rentschler and Professor Ying Zhu, Dr Ryan Webb from the Federal Government’s Dept of Communication and the Arts, and my good friend and colleague, Mr Yang Zhi, the Minister Counsellor for Cultural Affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. We had a lively discussion which identified a number of key areas in which our bilateral cultural exchanges can be facilitated. The report will be widely available, shortly.