The Australia Council for the Arts welcomes today’s appointment of Ms Fiona Menzies as Chief Executive Officer of Creative Partnerships Australia. Ms Menzies will lead the organisation which has been established to promote and support social investment in arts and culture.

Creative Partnerships Australia is the single agency created through the consolidation of the Australia Council’s Artsupport Australia initiative and the Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF). The establishment of Creative Partnerships Australia follows recommendations in the report of the 2012 Review of Private Sector Support for the Arts, which was chaired by Mr Harold Mitchell AC.

Chair of the Australia Council and board member of Creative Partnerships Australia, Mr Rupert Myer AM, says, “The Australia Council welcomes the appointment of Ms Fiona Menzies. Her extensive arts sector experience, communications and policy background, combined with her deep commitment to arts and culture will provide valuable leadership to this important new organisation.”

“The Australia Council plans to work closely with Creative Partnerships Australia Chair Ms Carol Schwartz AM and Ms Menzies to extend support to the arts in Australia through philanthropy and social investment,” says Mr. Myer.

“We welcome the opportunity presented through the establishment of Creative Partnerships Australia to build on the strong foundations laid through the work of Artsupport Australia and ABaF. The Australia Council is proud of the achievements of its Artsupport initiative over the past nine years and the additional financial support the program has delivered to Australia’s arts sector. Social investment is vital to build resilience and support ongoing growth of the arts sector and provides artists with opportunities to innovate, explore and create,” he says.

Acting Chief Executive of the Australia Council Ms Libby Christie says: “The Australia Council looks forward to supporting Creative Partnerships Australia and sharing knowledge and experience. In collaboration with the new organisation, we have the ability to create strong, long–term partnerships which will stimulate private investment to complement public support for the arts. I look forward to working with Ms Menzies to bring additional resources to the national arts sector.”