My 2024 writing year

Community-engaged practice, for-purpose governance, along with arts and human rights advocacy were the key themes of my 2024 writing year.

The Relationship (really) is the Project

In March 2024, we published the expanded second edition of The Relationship is the Project with NewSouth Publishing (also a highlight of my 2024 reading year).

As well as co-piloting and editing the collection, the book includes my updated chapter on duty of care and a new chapter on the art of facilitation (co-written with my amazing collaborator Jade Lillie). With contributions from more than 40 incredible thought leaders from across the arts, cultural and community sectors, I learned so much from helping make this book – which is one of the great privileges of my life.

Feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with glowing reviews, podcasts, lists and conference appearances. But we mostly love all of the testimonials from community-engaged practitioners themselves about the difference our book has already made in the world.

The art of governance

I am grateful for another massive year of governance conversations and provocations, and every step in their evolution to becoming a full book-length manuscript.

In 2024, this included ongoing work on Palestine as a governance issue, starting with a letter to arts organisations (that was the most-read post on my website last year), which was later republished with my other provocations by The Commons Social Change Library and discussed as part of the Take on Board podcast.

I released 12 editions of my ‘And Another Thing’ vlog (the full versions and archives of which are exclusively available to my Patreon supporters):

• Dear arts organisations: risk and reputation management, crisis communications and duty of care from the pointy intersection of arts and human rights advocacy
• Governance and menopause 
• How to chair a meeting
• On cultural safety 
• The golden rule of governance 
• Organisational ethics and deficit areas 
  • Which went on to be published in ArtsHub.
• SLV as the example you don’t want to be 
• Bad board maths 
• Board solidarity 
• Board observership programs
• Co-CEOs 
• Our cultural workforce crisis 

And I was delighted to find my governance work referenced in the words of my colleagues, including: Andy Butler’s thoughtful, transformative and straight-talking condemnation of Australia’s cultural infrastructure and cultural failure in the Spring edition of Meanjin Quarterly (worth the cost of subscription alone); Heather Robinson’s piece for The Conversation about Australia’s spate of arts leadership departures and how arts, cultural and for-purpose organisations need to get better at walking the talk of their organisational values; and Jo Pickup’s message to arts boards for ArtsHub in the wake of the MSO crisis.

I also ran a governance innovations workshop in Central Australia and gave a TEDx talk about why (nearly) everything you thought you know about boards and governance is wrong.

As usual, if any particular governance issues are irking or inspiring you, I’d love to hear about them.

Arts and human rights advocacy

Advocacy felt like a full-time job in 2024. In addition to my governance work, I wrote dozens of letters and inquiry submissions on everything from Palestine to arts policy, funding to Australia’s femicide epidemic, and the Commonwealth Government’s ridiculous new social media laws.

I even made it into the Albany Advertiser talking about my home town’s fight against intolerance, censorship and hate speech, and the weaponisation of child safety as an excuse to make local children less safe.

But my most-read article of 2024 was a long-form piece for Overland Journal about the statements we make as artists, cultural workers and arts organisations (including the statements many have continue to make with their silence).

“In navigating crises and everyday-business alike, everything we do tells the world who we are. There is no neutral, no position that doesn’t come with risk. And pro-actively managing that risk is necessary business.”

Happy 1st birthday, Public. Open. Space.

In June, it was one year since the good folk at Fremantle Press released my debut poetry collection, Public. Open. Space., into the world.

Thanks to that little green book, 2024 included my first festival appearance as a trade-published author at Perth Festival Writers Week, followed by a workshop on building your author brand with Writing NSW.

“Larsen reminds us that the online world is not a smooth experience of endless flow. Her ‘tinylittlepoems’ are the great command-option-escape/control-alt-delete of our scrolldoms: we pause all processes, reflect and reimagine where we can put our energies right now. Error messages as visual poems; fake news in real tweets; security and privacy and mediated intimacies. ‘The system is corrupt.’ ‘Prove your humanity.’ Larsen re-sensitises us to the enormity of meaning in these words, these world-upturning barn-burning machine-learning words.” – ArtsHub

“Through a fusion of evocative language and thought-provoking imagery, Kate Larsen crafts a compelling exploration of contemporary issues that captivates and challenges readers. The potential of Public. Open. Space. to ignite conversations and kindle empathy makes it a significant addition to the realm of contemporary poetry.” – Writing WA

‘Thought-provoking, insightful, heartfelt … this is poetry at its best. A cultural commentary that gives back to the reader in spades. Laughter, tears, a-ha moments galore. A must-read.’ – Goodreads

I am so grateful that this was a dream that came true, and to all those who helped make that happen.

Misc bits

It was lovely to see my catalogue essay about Adelaide-based sculptor Peter Syndicas gain a second life in The Big Book of Little Art Essays from Flinders Lane Gallery.

I also published two new poems in Voices of the South, a new collection of writing from Albany-Kinjarling and the Great Southern, proud that part of each sale goes to the Albany Community Hospice.

I hope you found the words you needed last year. I will look forward to reading more of them in the new writing year to come.

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