NAVA In Action
What we're working on this year...
NAVA Board and staff.
ID: Photo of a large group of people standing and sitting amongst a pink pull up banner with the NAVA logo.
February 2026
- NAVA published new Educator Guide for meaningful First Nations projects, written and illustrated by Dr Emma Hicks in consultation with Dr Christine Evans and edited by Jo Higgins, 2 February
- Penelope Benton met with Ros Abercrombie, Executive Director of Regional Arts Australia, 3 February
- NAVA published New federal laws relating to hate and extremism, 4 February
- Penelope Benton and Donnalyn Xu met with Josie Cavallaro, Community Projects & Partnerships Officer (Arts & Culture), Fairfield City Council, 5 February
- Exhibition & PULP Issue 25 Launch: How to dismantle the world (and still feel good about yourself in the morning) at Verge Gallery, 5 February
- NAVA welcomed Dr Shoufay Derz to the team as NSW Professional Development Coordinator, 9 February
- NAVA Board and staff held a strategic planning session, 9 February
- NAVA quoted by Nick Dent in Shuttered art museum to reopen after flood damage, funding cuts, SMH, 9 February
- Penelope Benton participated in Visual Art peak organisations catch up with Creative Workplaces,10 February
- Janel Yau presented to the Local Government Public Art Network, 10 February
- NAVA team undertook a Cultural Cruise with Tribal Warrior, 11 Feb
- Penelope Benton met with Kate Eltham, Co-CEO & Business Director of BlakDance, 12 February
- Penelope Benton and Georgia Mokak met with Hamish Balnaves, 12 February
- Penelope Benton attended the openings of Oliver Watts: Calypso at Chalkhorse and Liz Bradshaw: I didn’t expect to live this long at National Art School, 12 February
- Penelope Benton participated in a cross artform meeting with the Office for Social Cohesion, Office for the Arts and Department of Home Affairs, 13 February
- Penelope Benton facilitated a cross artform meeting with the Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister for the Arts, 16 February
- Penelope Benton met with Lucy Harward, Executive Director of the Australian Society of Authors, 16 February
- Penelope Benton met with Lena Nahlous, CEO of Diversity Arts Australia, 16 February
- Penelope Benton met with Amrit Gill, Artistic Director & CEO of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, 16 February
- Penelope Benton met with Ros Abercrombie, Executive Director, Regional Arts Australia, 16 February
- Penelope Benton met with Emma Fitch and Dylan Bender, Terri Janke and Company, 17 February
- Shoufay Derz and Donnalyn Xu hosted an information stand at UNSW Art & Design (A&D) T1 Community Day, 18 February
- Georgia Mokak attended the opening of Judith Anya Samson Anya’s Puntawarri World! At Agency Projects 18 February
- Janel Yau and Penelope Benton met with Danica Knezevic, 19 February
- Georgia Mokak met with Kent Morris and artists at The Torch, 19 February
- Georgia Mokak attended Melbourne Art Fair Vernissage, 19 February
- Georgia Mokak met with Yhonnie Scarce, 20 February
- Georgia Mokak met with this mob arts collective, 20 February
- NAVA made a submission to the Senate Inquiry into Productivity in Australia, 20 February
- Janel Yau and Holly Morrison met with IncluD, 23 February
- Janel Yau met with Danica Knezevic, 23 February
- Penelope Benton met with Jane Theau, President of Craft Australia, 24 February
- Penelope Benton met with Michelle Newton, Head of Visual Arts, Creative Australia
- NAVA presented Untangling Insurance webinar with Cover for Creatives insurance brokers and artist Keroshin Govender, 25 February
- Penelope Benton met with Olivia Horner, Project Officer, Development and Partnerships, Creative Australia, 25 February
- Shoufay Derz and Donnalyn Xu hosted an information stand at National Art School Orientation Day, 26 February.
January 2026
- NAVA reopened 5 January
- NAVA shared a message to NAVA Members affected by extreme weather, 12 January
- NAVA responded to NSW Parliamentary Inquiry Measures to prohibit slogans that incite hatred, 12 January
- NAVA published Invasion Day/Survival Day Solidarity Statement 2026, 13 January
- Penelope Benton met with Amrit Gill, CEO Theatre Network Australia (TNA), 14 January
- Penelope Benton met with artist Alex Seton, 14 January
- NAVA made a submission to the Review of the Exposure Draft Legislation: Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026 Inquiry, 15 January
- Penelope Benton met with Lena Nahlous, Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS), 15 January
- Penelope Benton met with Joanna Vaughan, Adviser to the Hon Tony Burke MP, Guy Betts, Adviser to the Hon Susan Templeman MP, Jesse Fatnowna, Assistant Secretary, Creative Industries Branch, Office for the Arts as well as Amrit Gill CEO Theatre Network Australia (TNA), Ros Abercrombie CEO Regional Arts Australia, Jamie Lewis and Liz Nowell, Co-Chairs, NAVA, 16 January
- Penelope Benton met with Michelle Newton, Head of Visual Arts, Creative Australia, 16 January
- Penelope Benton attended the opening night of SEARCHERS at National Art School (NAS) Gallery, 22 January
- Penelope Benton met with Ros Abercrombie, CEO Regional Arts Australia 23 January
- The NAVA team participated in Invasion Day/Survival Day events, 26 January
- Georgia Mokak and Donnalyn Xu met with Lily Sawenko, 29 January
- NAVA made a Pre-Budget Submission 2026-27 to Treasury, 29 January
- Penelope Benton attended the opening of Thea Anamara Perkins Reverie at N.Smith Gallery, 31 January.
