a major milestone for the arts and creative sectors

Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS) today marks a major milestone for the arts and creative sectors with the launch of the Fair Play Reflections report at The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne.

The report traces seven years of national impact across one of Australia’s most significant equity and culture-change initiatives. Fair Play was developed to address systemic exclusion in the creative industries, particularly for three focus communities: First Nations people; d/Deaf and Disabled people; and artists and arts workers from underrepresented culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

What began in 2019 as a two-year pilot, funded by Creative Victoria and delivered with 20 Victorian organisations, evolved into a national program reshaping governance, leadership and organisational culture. To date, Fair Play has reached 75 organisations, delivered 356 equity training and mentoring sessions, and supported more than 2,000 people through training, masterclasses and symposia. Among participants, 88% reported an improved understanding of equity issues, and 86% found the training useful or helpful.

“We now have a highly robust program that has proven to be successful in its ability to shift arts, screen and cultural institutions in both their internal workings – whether that be employment, leadership, policy development, and in their public facing work in community engagement, programming and marketing,” said Ade Djajamihardja, Board Member of Diversity Arts Arts Australia.

“We could not have achieved this without the extraordinary support of our funders, partners, educators and mentors, particularly Creative Victoria, Create NSW, Koorie Heritage Trust, Arts Access Victoria, Garuwa and Shifting Ground, and The Wheeler Centre,” said DARTS CEO Lena Nahlous. “Working together is what has sustained and strengthened this program.”

The launch was presented as a seminar-style event featuring reflections and moderated discussions with trainers and mentors, including Dr Lilly Brown (Shifting Ground), Dr Nur Shkembi, Kochava Lilit, Establishment Program Coordinator Margaret Mayhew, Janice Florence (Arts Access Victoria), and video case studies from partners and alumni organisations.

“Fair Play showed us what’s possible when organisations commit to doing the hard work,” said Lena Nahlous, CEO and Executive Producer of Diversity Arts Australia. “But this kind of work is ongoing and needs to be embedded into the sector and the way we work.”

Diversity Arts Australia also announced Creative Equity Training, Australia’s first self-paced cultural equity program for the arts. Based on Fair Play, the program helps embed equity into everyday practice and was developed in response to sector demand.

To learn more and download the Fair Play Reflections report

About Diversity Arts Australia

Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS) is the national voice for ethnocultural and migrant racial equity in the arts, screen and cultural sectors. For over 20 years, DARTS has led capacity-building, research, advocacy and training designed to support structural and systemic change across the creative industries.

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