So grateful for all those in a position to share or support the Aus Cultural Fund campaign to help publish my new book on arts, cultural and non-profit governance. artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2... All donations over $2 are fully tax-deductible.

This month’s enews is about disrupting the arts and my thoughts on the newly-released Board (lack of) Diversity Index, plus where to stream Banned. With. online, my mid-year reading updates, June book recs, governance book news and more. Read/subscribe at katelarsenkeys.substack.com/p/disrupting...

You guys are the BEST. So grateful for all those in a position to share or support the campaign to help publish my new book on arts, cultural and non-profit governance (link in bio). All grants, donations or publishing partnerships over $2 are fully tax-deductible.

Read more on Australia’s lost literary sector in the latest edition of Griffith Review (from $6/m www.griffithreview.com/articles/aus...). #BeyondBestPracticeBoards #KateLarsen #Governance #ArtsGovernance #AusLit

Need an extra tax deduction this financial year? Thanks to the Aus Cultural Fund, all donations to help publish my unsexy-but-urgent governance book, ‘Beyond best practice boards’, are fully tax-deductible. artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2...

Asking for money is inherently awkward. But I wrote an unsexy-but-urgent book about the broken boards of arts, cultural and non-profit organisations. And I’m so grateful for all those in a position to share or support my fundraising campaign (artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2...).

Can you help us reach $12,000 by July 1st? All donations are tax-deductible and go directly towards sustaining Overland's future. overland.org.au/donate/

Every time I update my incomplete and imperfect list of Australian arts and cultural orgs accused of harming their own artists, cultural workers or audiences since 2023, it immediately becomes out of date. Here’s my latest. Who have I missed? www.instagram.com/p/DZ52jUsExx...

Asking for money inherently awkward. So I am grateful to all those in a position to share or support this campaign to help publish my unsexy-but-urgent governance book: ‘Beyond best practice boards’. artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2...

New enews just dropped with an(other) EOFY campaign for my unsexy-but-urgent governance book and some thoughts on finding hope in hopeless times, plus my May reading recommendations, more info about next month's AMAGA Victoria Forum, and more... katelarsenkeys.substack.com/p/unsexy-but...

Trust is hard right now, and hope is even harder. After the Revive national cultural policy consultation, reactions to the proposed NDIS cuts and more, this month’s ‘and another thing’ vlog is about advocacy as an act of hope. Here’s an extract… www.instagram.com/reel/DZl1gLt...

The last few years has seen our collegiate literary sector move from an ‘us vs them’ form of advocacy to pit ‘us against us’ instead. Read more on Australia’s lost literary sector in the latest edition of Griffith Review (from $6/m at www.griffithreview.com/articles/aus...).

If adopted, arts orgs/Boards will have to decide if applying for fed govt funding actually compromises their values, à la fossil fuel sponsorship etc A truly sad indictment on Australia’s supposed democracy. #auspol @katelarsenkeys.bsky.social @beneltham.bsky.social

URGENT: please have your say on the proposed NDIS cuts by this Monday 1 June (deadline extended by 3 days). You are welcome to copy, paste and edit anything from my own draft response. But all you really need to say is ‘I do not like this Bill’ and why. larsenkeys.com.au/2026/05/26/h...

Due TOMORROW!

In a sector accustomed to deprivation, deprioritisation and crisis, why does the current state of Australia’s literary sector feel so different? Read more on Australia’s lost literary sector in the latest edition of Griffith Review (from $6/m). www.griffithreview.com/articles/aus...

Today’s massive enews takes on some of the issues with representative boards, how we get to next and literary sector censorship. Plus info on how to have a say on Australia’s renewed national cultural policy, and more. Read/subscribe at katelarsenkeys.substack.com/p/issues-wit...

Do we need more artists or more business people on our boards? This month’s ‘and another thing’ vlog talks about ‘representative’ boards that elect, appoint or co-opt people based on demographics, skills or expertise. Here’s an extract… larsenkeys.com.au/2026/05/13/a...

'This is community-powered journalism,' @antoinettelattouf.bsky.social said at the Melbourne Writers Festival's Breaking News panel. 'No billionaires. No governments. Just us.'

'It's never been easier to be a journalist and never harder to break into journalism,' says @amyremeikis.bsky.social. 'It's not difficult to get a job in a legacy media newsroom - it's difficult to survive.'

'If you want to be a racist bogan, there is already media for you,' says @antounissa.bsky.social. Independent media is filling the gap for the left and left-leaning people interested in learning, evidence and truth 'because there's nothing for you out there'.

'Every journalist thinks of themselves as the 'right' kind of journalist,' @osmanfaruqi.bsky.social said at the Melbourne Writers Festival's Breaking News panel. 'But we are among the least trusted professions.'

'There is a proximity of legacy media to power in this country,' @antounissa.bsky.social said at Melbourne Writers Festival's Breaking News panel. 'It's hard to see where each one ends.'

'Not a single person is objective,' @amyremeikis.bsky.social said at Melbourne Writers Festival's Breaking News panel. 'No-one is without bias. We just need to be honest about what those are.'

Independent media 'makes it possible to practice public interest journalism,' @antounissa.bsky.social said at Melbourne Writers Festival's Breaking News panel. 'Not just publish press releases for the powerful - but interrogate them and hold them accountable.'

'Things that are factual are made 'controversial' due to the interests of large groups who don't want those facts to be known' - @antoinettelattouf.bsky.social at Melbourne Writers Festival's Breaking News panel.

Journalists 'are not mouthpieces of any government in the world - let alone one committing a genocide' - @antounissa.bsky.social at the Melbourne Writers Festival's Breaking News panel

Working in legacy media, 'you can feel like your principles are being eroded over time,' @antounissa.bsky.social said on the Breaking News panel at Melbourne Writers Fest this afternoon.

Last day of Melb Writers Fest with Breaking News: The Rise of Independent Media with @antoinettelattouf.bsky.social (@ettemedia.bsky.social), @antounissa.bsky.social (@deepcutnews.bsky.social), @amyremeikis.bsky.social (@thepointau.bsky.social) & @osmanfaruqi.bsky.social (@lamestreampod.bsky.social)

“Disability rights is about reforming the systems in which we live. Disability justice is about building our systems” - Crip Stories co-editor Laura Pettenuzzo at Melbourne Writers Festival.

“Recognising and learning about disability pride and disability justice changed my life,” says Akii Ngo at the Crip Stories launch at Melbourne Writers Festival. “There is a lot of power in being able to utilise your story and lived experience to make change.”

Arty Owens tells us they are “learning to love working slowly, removing from myself the pressure of always being writing and publishing” at the Crip Stories launch at Melbourne Writers Festival. “Embracing crip time, embracing pride, embracing the flow.”

“We as disabled people inherently don’t fit into ableist norms and practices,” Laura Pettenuzzo says at the Crip Stories launch at Melbourne Writers Festival.

BS Windon encourages us to think about ‘being in draft form’ at the Crip Stories launch at Melbourne Writers Festival. If we hear something we don’t identify with, consider it as learning and helping each other to bring the draft to a more complete place.

Laura Pettenuzzo, BS Windon, Akii Ngo, Ann Nguyễn and Arty Owens on stage at Melbourne Writers Fest for the launch of Crip Stories: Nothing About Us Without Us.

Ahona Guha talks about the importance of ‘naming the loss, finding a space for it, and allowing people not to live in the binaries’ at Griffith Review: Lost and Found at Melbourne Writers Festival.

This edition of Griffith Review deals with the sense of ‘foreclosure of the future’ many of us are experiencing, says Carody Culver. Read/subscribe at www.griffithreview.com/editions/los...

Georgia Malu, @madisongriffiths.bsky.social, Ahona Guha and Carody Culver on stage at Melbourne Writers Fest for the launch of Griffith Review Lost and Found (which I have an article in too).

Six critical strategies our sector needs to consider when drafting the next national cultural policy. Part of my consultation response is live in @artshub.bsky.social today). Submissions are due 24/5. www.artshub.com.au/news/opinion...

In line with this week’s publication of my Griffith Review piece on Australia’s lost literary sector, I’ve updated my list of the Australian arts and cultural sector harming its own artists, cultural workers or audiences between 2023 and 2026. Who have I missed? www.instagram.com/p/DX-oNoaD20...

My piece on Australia’s lost literary sector is in the latest edition of Griffith Review this week, talking about the astonishing censorship, harm and lateral violence coming from inside our own house. Read/subscribe at link in bio. www.griffithreview.com/articles/aus...

Trying to find the words to talk about these two extraordinary books: Diary of a Young Doctor by Ezzideen Shehab and Looking at Women Looking at War by Victoria Amelina. Please, please read them. These are the stories all of us need to know www.instagram.com/reel/DX52wzw...

Aus Gov is calling for submissions to update the Revive National Cultural Policy. Artists, cultural workers, audiences and allies can have our say by 24 May. You are welcome to copy, paste and edit anything you find useful from my own draft response (katelarsenkeys.substack.com/p/have-your-...)

ONE WEEK TO GO until Maria Reva, Madison Griffiths and I discuss the late Victoria Amelina’s extraordinary and important war and justice diary, Looking at Women, Looking at War, for the Cities of Literature Book Club for Melb Writers Fest and Vic Women’s Trust. mwf.com.au/program/look...

New enews just dropped on how the Star Entertainment lawsuit has put Company Secretaries back in the spotlight, arts board governance under fire, censorship vs care in Ballarat, plus free Shepparton workshops, Melb Writers Fest panel and more... katelarsenkeys.substack.com/p/star-enter...

Boards, have you delegated your Company Secretary responsibilities to a member of staff? Or are you a staff Company Sec who’s had that work thrust upon them - without understanding the responsibilities or risks? Here’s Part 2 of my latest ‘and another thing’ vlog www.instagram.com/p/DXFyVXrErpd/

Join me, Maria Reva and Madison Griffiths for a discussion about Victoria Amelina’s extraordinary and important book, Looking at Women, Looking at War, for the Cities of Literature Book Club at Melbourne Writers Festival next month. mwf.com.au/program/look...

The Star Entertainment lawsuit has put Company Secretaries into the spotlight this month - and sent a lot of organisations into a panic. But most arts, cultural and non-profit orgs should be alert, but not alarmed. Here’s Part 1 of my latest ‘and another thing’ vlog. www.instagram.com/p/DXFpR5Jknla/

Australia’s NFP incorporation and governance models were always unfit for purpose and are setting our organisations up to fail. Huge thanks to Anna Spargo-Ryan for including me in this insightful piece on arts board governance for AICD. www.aicd.com.au/risk-managem...

Resistence is not a one-person job - @anatolitis.bsky.social at #FootscrayWestWritersFest #FWWF2026