23/07/2026
Yesterday, we welcomed nearly 80 people for Speaking Plainly: Honest Conversations for a Sector in Transition.
Following a keynote presentation, two panel discussions, and collaborative workshop, we closed with a powerful reflection on what we'd heard together.
▪️ Kate Larsen named what so many in the room are feeling: precarity, fatigue and the relentlessness of doing more with less. But she also reminded us of the sector's enduring strengths: creativity, courage, care, and a growing willingness to speak honestly about the challenges we face.
▪️ Sophie Lieberman reflected on the importance of making space to put things down, to listen, and to recognise the vital role museums, galleries and civil society organisations play in our communities.
▪️ Andrew Hiskens left us with the idea of "adaptive landscapes", where organisations can become so well adapted to one environment that when conditions change, survival demands something different. In that context, failure isn't always the opposite of success — sometimes it's evidence of just how well something worked, for as long as it could.
The thread running through the day was that hope isn't wishful thinking. It's finding agency within changed circumstances and choosing what comes next.
A heartfelt thank you to Michelle Fracaro, Andrew Hiskens and Sophie Lieberman, GAICD, PhD, whose generosity, insight and collaboration helped shape this forum from the very beginning.
We are also grateful to our speakers and panel chairs — Ineke Dane, Amrit Gill, Sophie Kahl, Kate Larsen, Katrina Nitschke, Jo Porter, Emily Sexton and Kent Wilson — for sharing their expertise so openly throughout the day.
Lastly, our thanks to everyone who joined us and spoke plainly. These honest conversations are how we identify what comes next.
Photo credit: Amelia Marra
