^{Cover Image: An interactive map, created through project: Place Names Walyalup. Produced by CAN in partnership with Moodjar, the Noongar community and the City of Fremantle. See more here.}

Community Arts Network (CAN) is seeking to rebuild public trust, staff morale and its board composition after an extraordinary series of events leading up to last week’s AGM and ending in the resignation of several board members. 

The community-based arts organisation, which last year celebrated forty years of operation, has faced mounting criticism over board and governance issues.  

Concern among CAN staff, supporters and several former CEOs escalated over the board’s handling of a successful membership drive that recently attracted 70 applicants, including high-profile Aboriginal artists and senior community arts leaders. All applicants paid a $40 membership fee and received formal confirmation of their CAN membership in a letter dated 30 April. 

However, on 13 May, the board of CAN sent a ‘correction’ letter notifying all 70 applicants that their membership was not accepted due to “lack of clarity” relating to the membership process. 

The letter stated that the lack of clarity related to “the formal ratification requirements associated with memberships.” It said a previous letter accepting applications had been “issued in error prior to those processes being fully confirmed.” All fees paid in relation to their applications would be returned. 

“The board considers it inappropriate for CAN to retain monies received as membership fees where memberships have not been ratified.” 

Barbara Howard, a former CAN staff member and community worker, says she was informed that her membership was not accepted and, therefore, neither was her nomination to seek a board position. “I’m frankly amazed that any arts organisation would have turned down 70 members.” 

The board declined several other nominations for vacant board positions, including that of a respected Aboriginal community leader whose nomination was supported by a former CAN CEO Rick Heath. 

Mr Heath is among four CEOs who have resigned in less than four years, in a pattern of high staff turnover at CAN and a number of staff taking stress leave. Since the resignation of Mr Heath earlier this year, former board member Antonella Segre was appointed interim CEO pending a new appointment. 

At CAN’s annual general meeting, held on 26 May, board members were confronted with numerous questions about their actions. June Moorhouse, a former CAN CEO and arts sector leader, said the board’s refusal to ratify new members or accept board nominations raised concerns “about what the board was attempting to achieve”. She said no reasonable rationale was provided either before or during the AGM. 

“It was suggested that memberships would be considered at the June meeting. However, there was no mention of the board nominations, which opened up the possibility that it was intended to avoid an election. People were naturally concerned by that, and the abrupt closure of the AGM after a brief period of questions did nothing to appease that concern,” she said. 

The day after CAN’s AGM, four board members tendered their resignations – chair Lorraine Keane, deputy chair Isabelle Adams, director Jane Long and secretary Suku Sukunesan. It leaves CAN’s current board with two newly appointed members – Zali Morgan, a Boorloo artist, curator and cultural worker appointed at last week’s AGM, and new treasurer Thomas Franklyn. 

Questions were raised at last week’s AGM about why the two individuals’ memberships – while welcome – had been accepted while 70 others had been overturned on procedural grounds. 

In a media release issued last Friday after the resignations, interim CEO Antonella Segre said the organisation’s first priority “is to restore the board to quorum.” She acknowledged that the board makeup needed to ensure “that it is representative of the community arts and cultural development (CACD) sector.” 

The release, headed ‘A new chapter for Community Arts Network’, stated that the two new board members “are both committed to working with the CAN team and membership, to rebuild trust in the organisation and ensure the continuity of CAN’s work at the forefront of CACD.” 

CAN has enjoyed a strong reputation for community-led artworks in regional and rural communities, in particular First Nations narratives like Place Names and an award-winning Noongar Lullabies program. Other diverse initiatives include Now Sounds’ intercultural arts project for young people and The Creative Age for aged care residents sharing stories and making art. 

Ms Moorhouse told Seesaw that restoring faith among CAN members required the board to immediately review the membership applications and implement a legitimate election. 

“I’m glad that this now looks possible following the board resignations. I think it also signals a healthier future for the alignment between the board and its next CEO. That will be a great relief for all those who want CAN to continue its important work, facilitating the sharing of the untold stories of WA.” 

“Community Arts Network is in a sound financial position, it’s producing wonderful work in its 41st year, and it’s retained the confidence of its funders over those years,” she said. CAN receives multi-year funding from Creative Australia and the state Arts Organisations Investment Program (OIP). 

Ms Howard said she was disappointed by recent events but hopeful for the future. “CAN has done amazing work. I’ve seen the change it’s made in people’s lives. Any CAN board needs to be acutely aware of the complexity of the work and the value it offers communities. It helps bridge understanding and inclusivity.” 

Visit Community Arts Newtwork website for more.