Regional Arts NSW Appoints Four New Board Directors

Following yesterday’s Annual General Meeting, four new Directors have been appointed to the Board of Regional Arts NSW (RANSW) – the peak body and support agency for arts and cultural development in regional NSW.

In welcoming the new Directors Julie Briggs, who has Chaired the organisation since 2019 and been a Board Member since 2016 said:

“Regional NSW is made up of many culturally diverse places that are each inhabited by their own creative identity – from the Northern Rivers to the Murray, West of the Darling River over to the Mid North Coast and everywhere in between.

“We are delighted to welcome four new representatives from various corners of regional NSW to our Board who will bring with them their own diverse set of skills and cultural identity. I look forward to their contribution to the organisation over the next few years.”

The four new Directors of the Regional Arts NSW Board are:

Julia Andrews: Julia is the Director of External Engagement (Bathurst & Orange) at Charles Sturt University and was nominated by Arts Out West. Julia has a diverse background in regional development, tourism, the arts, economic development, agriculture, and local government, and she specialises in stakeholder engagement and strategic project development.

Sally Blackwood: Nominated by Arts North West is artist, thinker and opera architect, Sally, who comes from Quirindi on the Liverpool Plains, has a creative background in visual, musical and performing arts and passionately advocates for connecting individuals and enriching communities through arts and cultural activity.

Ray Davey: Ray is the Director of Infrastructure and Development at Balranald Shire Council and was nominated by South West Arts. Ray has extensive experience in strategic and policy advisory roles within Government and is a passionate advocate for the arts being an enabler of social and economic development in regional areas.

Adam Wills: Adam has been the Director of the Clarence Valley Conservatorium since 2016 and was the Director of the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music for the 10 years prior to that. Away from the Conservatorium, Adam has a keen interest in music theatre and has music-directed several productions in Grafton, with many more to come.

“Regional Arts NSW has been championing the development of creative arts and culture in regional NSW for the past 75 years,” said Julie Briggs; “and following the announcement in late 2020 that Create NSW would be defunding RANSW, our Board and the team at RANSW – led by CEO Elizabeth Rogers – has been working strategically to find ways of repositioning the organisation so that it can continue to support those who make regional NSW the diverse and culturally enriching place to live, work and visit that it is.

“The Board looks forward to working with the team at Regional Arts NSW in continued support of regional artists and arts workers for the next 75 years, and beyond,” concluded Julie.

Regional Arts NSW would like to thank outgoing Board Members Paul Scott-Williams, David Dwyer, Travis Holland and Bridget Guthrie, and acknowledge the contributions they made to the organisation during their terms.

RANSW 2021 Board
Julie Briggs                       Chair
Nicholas Pickard               Deputy Chair
Ray Davey                        Treasurer
Julia Andrew                     Director
Sally Blackwood                Director
Marcus Hughes                 Director
Jane Kreis                        Director
Sarah Parsons                  Director
Adam Wills                       Director


For more information about Regional Arts NSW visit www.regionalartsnsw.com.au