Australia can become a cultural powerhouse whose compelling creativity is locally loved, nationally valued and globally influential. 

ANA is led by a Board of Directors chaired by Rupert Myer AO who, along with ANA’s Reference Group and staff, contribute credible and independent leadership to turn evidence into belief and action so Australia can reach its potential to become a cultural powerhouse by 2035.

ANA is made possible by a unique collaboration of 11 Philanthropic Partners: The Myer Foundation; Sidney Myer Fund; Tim Fairfax Family Foundation; The Ian Potter Foundation; Neilson Foundation; Minderoo Foundation; Besen Family Foundation; Spinifex Trust; The Keir Foundation; Aranday Foundation; The Yulgilbar Foundation; and Lansdowne Foundation.

ANA was established in 2021 as an Australian Public Company Limited By Guarantee and is a registered Charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC).

Read ANA’s Strategic Plan on a page 2023 – 2027

Our Values

ANA acknowledges the cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia and their continuing cultural and creative practices in this land. This reminds us of the importance of sharing knowledge, skills and stories. 

We recognise that Australia’s culture has been uniquely shaped by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, by the generations of people born in this place, and by the people from all around the globe who have made this place their home. All these perspectives can help shape a cultural life that emboldens us.

This aspiration informs the values that guide our work:

Independent

We are non-partisan and philanthropically funded

We prioritise doing what we are uniquely positioned to do

Constructive

We champion practical pathways to strengthen Australia’s cultural future

Pluralist

We embrace Australia’s cultural, demographic and geographic diversity

Rigorous

We are objective and led by evidence

What we mean by arts, culture and creativity

At ANA we acknowledge the cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia and their continuing creative practices in this land. These practices remind us of the importance of sharing knowledge, skills and stories and help us to understand what we mean when we talk about arts, culture and creativity.

At ANA, arts, culture and creativity includes activities such as:

• attending cultural events

• visiting cultural venues

• creating or performing something

• engaging with arts, culture and creative content in your home.

We also know that not all arts, cultural and creative activities appeal to all people but most people feel that there is something that they can enjoy and that is both relevant and significant to them.

The word ‘culture’ has many different meanings. At ANA we use ‘culture’ to refer to ways of living and everyday forms of expression and creativity that we either share as Australians or that we share with other members of our particular social groups or communities.

We also note that arts and cultural activities can sit within the industrial category of the cultural and creative economy which includes industries and occupations that use creativity for production, and where cultural symbolism is evident in the finished product. This includes the activities in the dot points above, but also includes industries and occupations that may be less obvious, like advertising, design and architecture.