Operational Chaos at Creative Australia: Are Aboriginal Artists Being Left Behind?

Recent revelations from an independent governance review of Creative Australia‘s handling of the Venice Biennale have exposed significant operational deficiencies, casting doubt on whether the organisation is adequately equipped to support Aboriginal artists and cultural initiatives.

The external review conducted by Blackhall & Pearl highlighted numerous shortcomings within Creative Australia’s decision-making / operational processes and cccording to the report, Creative Australia faced “multiple oversights, misunderstandings, missteps and assumptions” including poor risk management and unclear accountability structures, leading to the initial cancellation and subsequent reinstatement of artists Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino for the 2026 Biennale.

These operational failures have raised serious concerns within the Indigenous arts community, with artists and cultural leaders questioning whether Creative Australia’s internal disarray negatively impacts Indigenous representation. Operational inefficiencies (including stretched resources and inadequate role clarity highlighted by the review) could disproportionately affect Indigenous projects, which already compete for limited visibility and funding.

Without robust operational frameworks, Indigenous artists face the risk of stalled projects, inconsistent funding and compromised opportunities at the national and international levels. As one Indigenous arts worker put it, “When operational chaos reigns, the first projects to suffer tend to be those already facing structural disadvantages.”

Creative Australia has publicly committed to addressing the identified operational weaknesses… but for Indigenous communities, tangible operational reforms (rather than mere apologies) are critical in ensuring Indigenous artists are not left behind amidst ongoing governance turbulence.