Australia's regional arts bring diverse stories and cultural traditions to life, instigate important conversations, and significantly contribute to local economies by creating jobs, attracting tourism, and creating liveable, dynamic and resilient communities where people want to live and work.
Artlands has been RAA’s flagship sector-wide gathering since 1998, and a cornerstone of its people and place-led approach. Artlands is designed to be responsive, contemporary and strategically positioned – championing best practice, encouraging meaningful exchange and supporting collaboration across sectors and communities.
Artlands 2026, held from 23-25 September, will see the event return to Qld after 20 years, with up to 200 selected delegates meeting on Kabi Kabi Country on the Sunshine Coast. As with previous gatherings, Artlands 2026 will be a carefully curated environment bringing together artists, cultural workers, facilitators, thinkers, and collaborators to meet, exchange, and shape the future of regional arts.
The TFFF has long been a supporter of the arts in rural, regional, and remote Queensland and the Northern Territory. The arts are an essential resource that enrich the liveability, inclusivity, and sustainability of Australia, and the arts in regional and remote areas in particular are integral to our country’s future.
Leadership initiative funding from the TFFF is supporting two part-time roles for Artlands 2026: an Artlands Producer (regional Qld), to lead program development and delivery, and a First Nations Lead (NT), to work alongside RAA’s Indigenous Knowledge Circle and Kabi Kabi Traditional Owners.
The TFFF is pleased to assist the team at Regional Arts Australia to return Artlands to Queensland in 2026, and in particular to facilitate local employment and self-determined First Nations engagement. Leadership is a core value for the TFFF and activities such as Artlands both enact and stimulate leadership from the communities that this Foundation exists to support.
- Tim Fairfax AC
Artlands 2026 will focus on creating the conditions for deeper dialogue, stronger relationships and new forms of collaboration across regional Australia, through the framework Water Connects Everything.
Across regional Australia, water shapes landscapes, ecosystems, industries and livelihoods. It moves between flood and drought, crisis and recovery - revealing the systems communities depend on to live, adapt and endure.
At Artlands 2026, water is the lens, not the topic. It is a connector that opens multiple entry points into conversation, linking Country, culture, creativity and the future of regional Australia. Through this framework, artists, First Nations knowledge holders, scientists, industry voices and policymakers will explore a central question:
What can creativity reveal about the systems shaping regional Australia's future?
Expressions of interest to attend Artlands 2026 are open until 14 May 2026.
Cover photo: Artlands 2023. Photo: Tim Ngo.
Artlands 2026 is supported by the TFFF through the Leadership funding stream.
FY25 saw the TFFF distribute $8.096 million to 43 for-purpose organisations through values-based philanthropy. This included the commencement of three nine-year funding agreements in a new strategic partnership program – the terms of which may constitute a first for Australia’s arts sector – reflecting the Foundation’s belief that long-term, trust-based partnerships enable organisations to focus on their mission with clarity and stability.
The TFFF has long recognised the significance of the work carried out by Indigenous-led organisations in Australia, and the importance of listening deeply to Traditional Owners, amplifying their voices, and supporting their solutions for meaningful change on their own terms. In FY25, the TFFF supported 27 First Nations-led organisations, distributing a total of $3.36M to First Nations leaders, organisations, and projects.
We would like to extend sincere thanks to TFFF Trustees Tim Fairfax AC, Gina Fairfax AC and Jim Peterson, and Advisors Sarah O’Brien, Lucy Coulson, Fiona Poschelk, and Prue Pateras for their commitment to the work of the Foundation. Above all, we thank the for-purpose sector leaders, staff, and volunteers who give their time, energy, and passion to build stronger, happier, healthier, and more inclusive communities. Your work inspires ours.
View the full 2024-2025 Annual Report here.
Cover photo: Lighting the Dark Brisbane Festival Premiere Season - Chris Dyke and the Dancenorth Ensemble. Image: David Kelly 2024, courtesy of Dancenorth.
Bringing compelling new art to Brisbane, the Triennial is a gateway to the rapidly evolving artistic expression of Australia, Asia and the Pacific. Asia Pacific Triennial Kids is a highlight of the exhibition, offering hands-on activities, multimedia interactives, and video works created in collaboration with seven artists from across the Asia Pacific region, including India, Aotearoa New Zealand, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia/Palestine, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste.
The program provides creative, interactive opportunities for children to explore identity, culture, language, and the future through art, including sound compositions, sacred geometry, large-scale digital installations, and storytelling. The TFFF has supported the delivery of these engaging and accessible programs for children and families across Queensland since 2009.
During the design phase of Asia Pacific Triennial Kids, the Children’s Art Centre spent several months trialling activity concepts and materials with children, including students from West End State School and Junction Park State School. Artist Okui Lala also invited bilingual or multilingual students at West End State School to participate in two video projects as part of her work 'Have you ever tried to listen to the sound of Brisbane?' 2024.
The Asia Pacific Triennial Kids projects were:
The opportunity to experience Asia Pacific Triennial Kids projects is extended to families throughout Queensland through the Kids on Tour program, with more than 220 venues across all 77 council areas taking part from January to June 2025. Regional schools, libraries, community centres, and art galleries were supported to host free activities, adapted to local venues and community needs.
Designed to create accessible and inclusive art experiences, the Kids on Tour program provides free, far-reaching community access to Children’s Art Centre programs and allows QAGOMA to make meaningful connections with Queensland communities through art and culture as catalysts for creativity, curiosity, and connection.
[My children will take away] a greater appreciation of arts and culture from the Asia Pacific. APT Kids helps remind adults that art can be fun too, the kids absolutely love it!
- QAGOMA visitor
Super engaging activities for kids in Miles – We LOVE these workshops.
- Z. Diamond, Visitor, Dogwood Crossing Miles, Western Downs Council
This is a wonderful program. Everyone in the gallery enjoyed it and it was wonderful to see so many people, young and old, engaging in the activities.
- April Spadina, Engagement Coordinator, Community & Culture, Fraser Coast Regional Council
Cover photo: Installation view of Okui Lala ‘Have you ever tried to listen to the sound of Brisbane?’ 2024, Children’s Art Centre, Gallery of Modern Art, March 2025 / Commissioned for Asia Pacific Triennial Kids with support from the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation / Photograph: C Baxter / © QAGOMA. All photos courtesy of QAGOMA.
The Asia Pacific Triennial Kids on Tour is supported through the Leadership funding stream.
It's an honour to feature in this new publication from Philanthropy Australia highlighting our new partnership with the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and the journey to build this connection. Non-government partnerships such as this are vital for organisations like MusicNT to continue delivering outcomes across the Territory.
– Mark Smith, Executive Director, MusicNT
MusicNT supports 3,500 members with programs, events, workshops, mentoring, recording opportunities and industry contacts. The organisation has received a three-year operational grant from the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation (TFFF), which Mark said is a gamechanger. “I wish more funders would do it. It’s the missing link,” he said. “It’s given us validation as an organisation, protection from the perils of the live event industry and increasingly fraught government funding model, and freedom to grow.”
The TFFF favours multi-year operating support, in recognition that this is the greatest need for many for-purpose organisations. “That means,” said TFFF CEO Neal Harvey, “finding good people doing good work, and resourcing them to get on with it.
“Mark is absolutely one of those people. It’s been incredible to watch that organisation’s growth in his time. Mark is incredibly well connected across northern Australia, understands community needs and is trusted by the communities, which make MusicNT an ideal partner for TFFF.
“There’s strong evidence that arts and culture are key drivers of social cohesion and wellbeing. But touring and freight is expensive, insurances are needed – all these challenges make it difficult for metro arts organisations to get out to the regions. Tim and Gina are interested in supporting those organisations in the regions already doing the great work.
“If Australia is to become the cultural powerhouse we want to be, we want our art and our artists, particularly First Nations artists, to be celebrated and loved. That’s going to require funding and support. It’s very difficult for future generations to become what they can’t see. MusicNT provides mission-critical leadership and opportunity for Territory communities.”
Read the full publicationhere. MusicNT story pages 46-49.
Cover photo: MusicNT's Bush Bands Bash. Photo by Jeff Tan.
MusicNT is supported through the Resilience stream. Philanthropy Australia is supported through the Leadership stream.
Attracting and retaining teachers in rural, regional, and remote schools is a persistent challenge, marked by staff shortages and excessive workloads that have dramatically worsened in recent years. The 2017 Independent Review into Regional, Rural, and Remote Education highlighted this as “one of the most persistent challenges on the ‘education agenda’”. Despite nearly a third of teachers working in rural, regional, and remote settings, educating over a quarter of Australia’s students, recruitment and retention remain challenging, particularly for those with teaching experience.
Queensland, in particular, faces a crisis of staff shortages. Research commissioned by the Queensland College of Teachers in 2019 found that one in six teachers leave the profession within four years, with current attrition rates likely higher. A Question on Notice response in Queensland’s Parliament in 2022 revealed statewide teaching vacancies increased by 38 percent from 2021 to 2022, peaking at 1,050 teacher vacancies in May 2022 compared to 760 in the same period in 2021. In the regions, the shortage was more acute: the North Coast region experienced a staggering 573 percent increase in vacancies. Other regions saw similar spikes, with Far North Queensland the only region that saw a decrease in vacancies, from 209 in 2021 to 161 in 2022.
Teachers from rural backgrounds show a greater inclination to seek rural teaching jobs, drawn to the appeal of small-sized classes and the opportunity for personal connections with students and their families. Despite challenges like poorly resourced schools, they value the relationships and sense of community rural teaching positions offer. In a study in the Australian Journal of Education, Professors John Buchanan and Paul Burke of the University of Technology Sydney propose early introduction to rural teaching as a strategic approach.
“Teacher education should prepare pre-service teachers for the circumstances they will encounter in rural schools. Core units of study on the dynamics of rural and remote teaching are called for,” says Professor Buchanan. “Rural educational disadvantage should be prioritised as a matter of social justice.”
“Pre-service teachers who gain experiences in a rural school are more likely to teach in rural schools. Even field trips to rural locations can develop confidence about rural or remote teaching,” says Professor Burke.
The Rural and Remote Education Program assists with planning and the financial hardship associated with rural and remote placements, while Coast to Country trips offer pre-service teachers rich immersion experiences through which students can see the best of rural and remote Queensland community lifestyles. Both program elements aim to support decision making upon graduation that secures high-quality teachers for rural and remote schools.
Since 2010, the TFFF and UniSC partnership has enabled 803 bursary-funded placements. This has resulted in teachers accepting positions in rural, regional, and remote schools and the provision of a quality education to children and families in those areas. These bursaries ensure UniSC can deliver life-changing experiences for students and positive outcomes for rural and remote communities.
The students’ positive experiences during these placements often lead to valuable employment opportunities and help address some of the teacher shortages in rural and remote communities.
The impact these teachers have on rural communities cannot be underestimated, and many of our teachers say they get so much in return from the children, families and communities they work in.
- Professor Helen Bartlett, UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President
Financial support and rich immersion experiences provided by UniSC's Rural and Remote Education Program during pre-service teachers' placements have led to valuable employment opportunities. These teachers have a significant impact on rural communities, and many of them have continued to teach in remote locations.
Bursary recipients Denby Batista and Raquel Remigio-Smith both participated in a Coast to Country trip before going on to placements at rural schools. Denby described her time in Blackwater, near Rockhampton, as incredibly memorable.
“[Blackwater State School] welcomed us with open arms and warmth and care. The students that we worked with offered me a whole new perspective on education and the varying needs of students across Queensland.”
Raquel’s placement took place in Moranbah, near Mackay, in “an environment which radiates warmth and inclusivity.”
“The four weeks I spent there were irreplaceable. It showed me the profound impact that quality education can have on the futures of individuals and communities in rural and remote regions of Queensland.”
Denby and Raquel will both return to their respective schools for their final practical experience this year.
Past recipient Blaire Thompson taught in Innisfail, Far North Queensland, an experience that she says was unique.
“I find country kids are more open to forming positive relationships with their teachers, and in doing so we build a sense of community, which has probably been the best part.”
"I never thought I'd be so passionate about it, but coming up here has definitely opened my eyes to how impactful teaching can be, especially for rural students.”
Fellow past recipient Maxine Kirby’s first remote placement occurred in Dysart, near Mackay, where she taught for four years before transferring to Gindie, near Emerald. Here, she had the opportunity to step into a leadership role, serving as the school’s principal from 2019-2020.
Maxine received a Tim Fairfax Family Foundation bursary while in her final year of university, and says it made a “huge difference.”
“It gives people who have that curiosity the push to give it a go.”
Read more about Blaire and Maxine’s experiences here.
Cover photo courtesy of Marie Dunn. All photos courtesy of the University of the Sunshine Coast.
The University of the Sunshine Coast's School of Education and Tertiary Access is supported through the Leadership stream.
The TFFF has long recognised the significance of the work carried out by Indigenous-led organisations in Australia, and the importance of listening deeply to Traditional Owners, amplifying their voices, and supporting their solutions for meaningful change on their own terms.
At a moment of conversation throughout Australia, we felt it important to use our platform to cast a spotlight on the remarkable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and people with whom the TFFF has a relationship, and the transformative work being carried out by those who lead the way toward positive change.
Throughout our 2022-2023 Annual Report, we have identified Indigenous-led organisations or agreements where TFFF funding has directly enabled the employment of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person. In total, the TFFF made 27 distributions in support of First Nations people and communities in 2023, and 16 of the 40 organisations partnered with were Indigenous-led.
37% of total funding in the past 12 months was directed to First Nations organisations, initiatives, or projects, with a total of $3.4M allocated to Indigenous led organisations and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wages.
The Annual Report also highlights three partner organisations led by or working with First Nations members to enact change:
The MJD Foundation is a grassroots, Aboriginal-controlled organisation that partners with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities to support families living with Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD) and Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7 (SCA7).
MJD is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease found worldwide, with a higher prevalence among Aboriginal people with genetic ties to northeast Arnhem Land.
Established in 2008 on Groote Eylandt, the MJD Foundation addresses the lack of services and information for affected families. Its 'Our Way' approach includes primary health and disability support, genetic counseling, therapy, education, respite accommodation, visits to Country, research, and advocacy, and is based on a strong Aboriginal Community Worker two-way engagement model.
Gayangwa Lalara OAM, a Warnindilyakwa woman, plays a vital role in the organisation as Vice Chairperson and Senior Cultural Advisor. Under her leadership, the Foundation has expanded its reach to 26 remote communities, with funding from the FRRR SRC program enabling the development of permanent ‘in-place’ support services in Ngukurr.
Aboriginal Art Co. was founded by Amanda Hayman (Kalkadoon and Wakka Wakka) and Troy Casey (Kamilaroi) in 2019 to combat the issue of inauthentic Indigenous-style consumer products in Australia. The 2022 Productivity Commission revealed that up to 75% of such products were fake, resulting in substantial income losses for First Nations people.
Aboriginal Art Co., as Brisbane's first Indigenous Art Centre, connects Indigenous Art Centres and artists from regional and remote Australia to the Queensland market. It prioritises ethical practices, with approximately 70% of sales revenue returning to artists and art centres, and is working towards the realisation of a self-sustaining and self-determining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander retail and arts industry in Australia.
Aboriginal Art Co. is committed to connecting Indigenous culture and commerce, providing employment and development opportunities that include its artist-in-residence program, retail and gallery assistants, workshop facilitators, caterers, photographers, and models, along with its social enterprise fashion label Magpie Goose.
The Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (TQKP) is addressing the need to ensure all Queensland children and young people have a positive start in life. By working to connect organisations, individuals, services, and systems, and to facilitate shared access to resources, knowledge, and networks, TQKP aims to ensure children, young people and families are supported to thrive.
TFFF has invested in two of TQKP's ten initiatives: the Thriving Queensland Kids Country Collaborative and the Thriving First Nations Kids Initiative (TFNKI). TQKP prioritises supporting the self-determination of child health related First Nations leaders and organisations, working closely with a range of First Nations leaders, organisations and communities, including Queensland Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP) to advance a co-design process for the TFNKI.
Sarah Callinan, a Wangkangurru woman with expertise in early childhood development, has been appointed as the First Nations Strategic Partnerships Lead. Sarah has been involved in a range of initiatives and strategies aimed at improving early childhood outcomes for First Nations children, and has an exceptional understanding of brain and early childhood development. The active involvement of Sarah, Garth Morgan (CEO, QATSICPP) and others will help support First Nations leadership and drive collective effort across systems to better enable Indigenous children to thrive.
View the full 2022-2023 Annual Report here.
Cover photo courtesy of Children's Ground.
As a part of its Futureproof investment stream, the TFFF has worked in collaboration with the University of Queensland Business School (UQBS) to create the TFFF Executive Leadership Program. The program was designed to assist in strengthening impact and growth for organisations supported by TFFF, empowering leaders for long term, sustainable impact. Through this program, TFFF aims to foster collaborative networks, cultivate leadership excellence, and encourage sustainable business practices that have a lasting impact on communities.
The program was facilitated by a team of leading UQ Business School academics in the fields of leadership, social impact, organisational culture, stakeholder management, and innovation. It was co-designed by a working group involving leaders of organisations currently supported by the TFFF.
The inaugural cohort consisted of 12 leaders from organisations across Queensland and the Northern Territory, working in the arts, education, community services, and health sectors. Participants were provided with tools to develop leadership and organisational sustainability under the pillars of people and process: resilience, capacity building, collaboration and networking, along with sustainable business models, governance, and innovation.
Following an online pre-program session, TFFF Trustees, Advisors and staff hosted the inaugural cohort of the TFFF Executive Leadership Program for a welcome event on the evening of the 12th of May. Attendees then embarked on two days of in-person collaborative learning and professional development at the University of Queensland, and later completed a post-program check in.
Participants in the program have shared early reflections and insights following their experience:
"I would highly recommend this program continue and I look forward to connecting with the group members on an ongoing basis."
"I really appreciated engaging with the UQ faculty on Friday evening and during the breaks on Saturday. All UQ staff were passionate, knowledgeable and energized about the course."
"The other highlight was being able to share the time with so many people outside of [my] sector, all of whom are doing really important work. It was a real gift of exchange."
"Deep gratitude to the Foundation for being so generous and invested in the organisations you support."
All photos by Thomas Oliver for Atmosphere Photography.
The TFFF Executive Leadership Program is funded through the Futureproof stream.
Eileen is the Business Development Manager forNTEX, her family-owned construction and demolition business that provides cutting-edge solutions in recycling and remanufacturing waste concrete and asphalt. She is also the co-founder of ecotourism venture Clove Tree Hill in Bali, Indonesia.
Eileen has an interest in circular economies and business sustainability initiatives and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Enterprise at Charles Darwin University as a pathway to an MBA. It’s already been a busy year for Eileen: winning the NT AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award and NTEX being shortlisted in the 2023 Australian Financial Review’s Sustainability Leaders roundup.
Clive works with the remote Warlpiri community of Lajamanu in the northern Tanami Desert. As a community development program manager, he oversees the delivery of youth diversion activities which are aligned with the Closing the Gap targets in health, education, and quality of life.
In applying to the ARLP, Clive said “… as a non-Indigenous person working in the remote Indigenous sector, I believe that leadership must strike a balance between advocacy, action and knowing when to step back to ensure there is space for Indigenous leaders to lead in their own right.”
The ARLP is the flagship program of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF). Completed over fifteen months, it is the most in-depth, cross-sectoral, national leadership program for rural, regional and remote Australians and produces leaders who can influence and advocate in authentic and ethical ways. With over 2000 alumni, the ARLP is building a network of people who are committed to fostering thriving communities and industries, where people work with one another and the environment around them; respectfully, boldly and intuitively.
Applications for the next intake, ARLP Course 31, open on 2 June and close 16 July 2023. Head to the ARLF website to register your interest, or shoulder tap a deserving colleague or friend for consideration. An Applicant Q&A Webinar will be held on 14 June (12.00pm-1.00pm AEST), featuring ARLP alumni and hosted by Matt Linnegar, ARLF Chief Executive. Register now.
TFFF is one of 26 scholarship partners making the program possible and accessible in 2023. If your organisation is interested in supporting a future untied ARLP scholarship, please visit the ARLF website.
The ARLP is Australia’s longest and most in-depth experiential leadership development program giving participants a valuable opportunity to grow their leadership and create a network of change-makers to positively influence their organisations, industries, and communities across rural, regional and remote Australia. The iconic 15-month leadership development course builds leadership capacity and instils a set of values-based practices for individuals committed and ready to respond to regional, rural and remote Australia’s most complex challenges and biggest opportunities.
Each year’s program of activities is delivered across four sessions that are tailored to the cohort by considering the participant group’s demographics, their individual leadership objectives and current issues and events affecting their communities. The ARLF Fellowship that follows provides invaluable opportunities to connect and work with a professional network of more than 2,000 peers across the country.
Applications are now open for the Australian Rural Leadership Program — Course 30, closing 5 August with the cohort announced in February 2023.
Erin Lew Fatt lives in Darwin where she is the Chief Operating Officer of the not-for-profit Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT). Her responsibilities include representing AMSANT and its members at a local, regional and national level. Erin has been involved in the Aboriginal health sector for over 20 years and believes that by developing her leadership capabilities she will have a greater impact in her work and community.
“I am very passionate about advocacy and giving Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people a voice and being heard to make positive changes for our communities in the health and wellbeing space… Whilst I identify as an Aboriginal woman, I am also aware of my rich multicultural heritage through my bloodlines and that I am who I am because of my own experiences and upbringing. Working in Aboriginal health I have had the privilege to be amongst a diverse range of individuals and communities and learnt something from every one of them.”
Eugene Wong is the Director of Medical Services at Bundaberg Hospital where he is responsible for supporting front line staff. He previously worked in a similar role in Emerald and prior to that was the Assistant Director of Clinical Services for Apunimpima Cape York Health Community. He has worked as a rural doctor in Katherine, Longreach, Thursday Island and for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Eugene sits on the Queensland Doctors Health Program Board.
“Rural, regional and remote Australians often have reduced access to health care relative to the city… My goal would be to have a long-term impact within the health system. Not just to make it more accessible and equitable, but a system that is safer for staff and more healing for patients… The impact of the COVID pandemic… has increased my conviction that we are overdue for healthcare to be done differently.
