Kate Larsen

(Much of this applies in artistic and programming contexts too).

#FACTsymposium #FACT2026 #GenerativeAI #AntiAI #ArtificialIntelligence

AI and arts governance Generative AI promises much in arts, cultural and non-profit arts governance. But beware, there are pitfalls ahead...

Last week’s Cultural Industries and Artificial Intelligence Forum from @acmimuseum.bsky.social and Creative Vic was held under Chatham House Rule. But many of my contributions are covered in my recent piece for @artshub.bsky.social about AI and arts governance. www.artshub.com.au/news/opinion...

Grateful for evidence of skepticism, resistance and advocacy in spite of sector exhaustion, and for reminders that our processes matter as much as our outcomes, and those with the privilege of merely playing with AI have a responsibility to address the ethical weight falling on those who need it.

Discomforted by the difficult reality of those navigating ‘how to be good humans in a digital world’, and the queasy complicity of using AI in art making, speech writing and organisational governance when so many people (and our planet) are ‘going under the wheels’ of this problematic technology.

Screen in a cinema reads ACMI Creative Industries artificial intelligence forum

Still depleted from Friday’s ethically challenging Cultural Industries and Artificial Intelligence Forum from @acmimuseum.bsky.social and Creative Victoria.

Handwritten wall graffiti reads social cohesion for who?

Naarm showed up again this week, as once again @ausgov.bsky.social weaponised the language of ‘social cohesion’ to divide and silence, asking: social cohesion for who?

Getting better at endings Are Australia's arts governance models setting us up to fail? | My 2025 writing year Plus free Strategic Planning webinars for regional WA arts... KATELARSENKEYS.SUBSTACK.COM

My latest enews is on getting better at endings and whether arts governance models setting us up to fail (TL;DR version: yes, they are). Plus my 2025 writing year, free Strat Planning webinars for regional WA arts orgs, my Jan reading recs, Feb book giveaway, and more. katelarsenkeys.substack.com

YES!

The "save us" mentality just won't cut it anymore!

This was a good (and fiesty!) panel to end the day

#FACT2026

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Talking about the limitations of governance structures and ways to subvert the dominant paradigm an regulations to meet the future and face the present of cultural organisations. Kate Larsen and Nick Pickard at #FACT2026

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We need a bigger definition of governance, says Kate. Who is around the table? Do we even need a table? Are the actual decision-makers actually in the room? Bring the board to the rehearsal room: forget nonsense moving and seconding! Design something that serves us now and into the future. #FACT2026

We’ve got more flexibility to explore governance practices than we think, says Kate. A lot of the ageing models we use are actually optional. Sustainability is ouch and burnout is real. The high-profile governance failures are more and more frequent and entirely avoidable. Embrace change. #FACT2026

On the next #FACT2026 panel, Kate Larson sums up the GLAM sector leadership challenge during a poly-crisis: "Fewer people making bigger decisions about more difficult problems".

Kate Larsen: As we are now governing in a polycrisis; we have fewer people making bigger decisions in situations with greater complexity. #FACT2026

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And now for the final #FACT2026 session it’s How We Get to Next: This panel of experienced Australian changemakers looks at the challenges for organisations aware of the need for change, but struggling for financial, infrastructural, and cultural reasons. Sam Cairnduff, Kate Larsen, Nick Pickard.

By asking, listening and unpicking the ways ‘things have always been done.’ And by learning the right lessons. Grateful for the wisdom and discussions at, around and about #FACT2026 at @acmimuseum.bsky.social this week.

Conference lanyard reads ACMI SPEAKER Kate Larsen Independent cultural consultant FACT 26

Kate wearing and ACMI speaker lanyard over a readers and writers against the genocide shirt

When hope is so hard, and so many cultural organisations have lost or are losing our trust, how do we get to next? We do it together. By not only asking who’s not at the table, but smashing the table entirely…

Hello, bluesky 👋