NAVA champions First Nations equity in the arts on AusArt Day
Help establish a senior First Nations leadership role at NAVA to drive systemic change and address the deep-seated barriers faced by First Nations artists and arts workers.
The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) is proud to launch Champion NAVA's First Nations Policy, a fundraising campaign on AusArt Day to fund the implementation of its First Nations Policy 2024-2029.
This AusArt Day, NAVA is calling on the arts community and the public to help raise essential funds to establish a new senior leadership role: the Deputy Director of First Nations Policy and Advocacy. This position will drive crucial systemic change in the sector, address significant barriers faced by First Nations artists and arts workers, and engage and amplify First Nations voices and knowledges.
Despite making continuous and essential contributions to Australian culture, First Nations creative practitioners face significant inequities. Many earn as little as $3,200-$6,000 annually, a fraction of the sector average. Furthermore, 63% report high identity strain, 39% carry a heavy cultural load, and almost half have experienced racism or unfair treatment in the workplace.
“NAVA’s First Nations Policy provides a framework for embedding cultural responsibility into every part of our work,” said NAVA Executive Director Penelope Benton. “This is not just about supporting First Nations practitioners; it is about transforming workplace culture and setting new standards for the sector. The establishment of a Deputy Director of First Nations Policy and Advocacy will ensure the policy is implemented with accountability and sustained engagement.”
NAVA Co-Chairs Liz Nowell and Jamie Lewis said, “We are excited to launch this campaign on AusArt Day and to build on the important work NAVA has been leading with First Nations artists and communities. The establishment of this new senior position marks a crucial next step in implementing NAVA’s First Nations Policy, which aims to address structural and systemic barriers that exist for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and arts workers.”
The Deputy Director will be responsible for embedding the First Nations Policy across NAVA’s advocacy, programs, and operations. Key goals include lifting cultural competency within NAVA and across the sector, supporting safer employment practices, and strengthening engagement and collaboration with First Nations-led organisations, communities and practitioners.
Investment in this role is projected to generate over $12 million in social value over five years, including an estimated $5 million+ in increased income for First Nations artists, $2.5 million+ in organisational reform benefits, and significant health and wellbeing improvements for artists and communities.
Donations to NAVA’s AusArt Day campaign are tax-deductible and will directly support the implementation of the First Nations Policy.
To support NAVA’s campaign on AusArt Day, visit: visualarts.net.au/champion-navas-first-nations-policy/
Media Enquiries
Leya Reid
media@visualarts.net.au
About NAVA
The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) is a Membership organisation that brings together the many voices of the contemporary arts sector to improve fundamental conditions of work and practice. We do this through advocacy, education and the Code of Practice. For further information on NAVA visit visualarts.net.au
About AusArt Day
AusArt Day is a new national fundraising campaign for the arts, scheduled for Thursday, 23 October, and is coordinated by Creative Australia. It is a 24-hour online giving event that brings together artists, organisations, and supporters to raise vital funds for the Australian arts sector.
Image credit
Illustration by Emily Johnson 2025.
ID: An illustration shows three people collaborating: one writes on a flip chart with phrases like "Strengthen Engagement," "Safer Employment," and "Cultural Competency," while another types on a laptop and a third holds a notebook. The background is bright pink, and markers are scattered on the table.
