Blackhall and Pearl – described in a media assertion launched this afternoon (Friday 14 March) by Inventive Australia as “a specialist supplier of governance and danger recommendation to Boards throughout Australia” – has been appointed to conduct the evaluate into the governance and decision-making course of for the Venice Biennale 2026.
ArtsHub was supplied with an advance copy of the media assertion by Inventive Australia a short while in the past.
The phrases of reference for the evaluate don’t seem to incorporate any consideration of the method behind the choice to cancel artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino’s invitation to signify Australia simply six days after it was introduced.
As an alternative, in line with Inventive Australia’s assertion, the phrases of reference for Blackhall and Pearl are to:
- evaluate the governance and decision-making processes and procedures undertaken by Inventive Australia, together with its Board, by which the creative workforce was chosen to signify Australia on the Venice Biennale 2026 and related choices, and
- evaluate the related insurance policies, processes and procedures associated to the end-to-end choice course of for the Venice Biennale 2026.
In enterprise the evaluate, the assertion continues, the marketing consultant will deal with:
- growing constructive, sensible suggestions for the Board and administration to make sure strong insurance policies, processes and programs are in place for future choice processes
- figuring out any interpretations, misunderstandings or failings within the method taken, and
- figuring out any gaps or weaknesses within the underlying governance, discovery, danger and decision-making processes that contributed to the method taken.
What’s excluded from the phrases of reference?
Dr Ben Eltham is an arts commentator and campaigner; he’s additionally an envoy for the present Save Our Arts marketing campaign.
Eltham tells ArtsHub: “The phrases of reference launched as we speak increase a number of questions. First, whereas we all know the agency, we don’t know the individuals. Who is definitely conducting the evaluate? Second, will the Board or CEO of Inventive Australia step apart whereas the evaluate is carried out? Lastly, the phrases seem to exclude any consideration of the choice to cancel Khaled Sabsabi’s appointment to Venice. However certainly Sabsabi’s cancellation is related and materials to the governance points at Inventive Australia. It runs the chance of skewing the evaluate earlier than it even begins.”
* Please see the footnote for clarification on this level obtained from Inventive Australia after preliminary publication of this text.
Learn: Australian Pavilion may be empty at Venice 2026; no resignations forthcoming
The evaluate might be carried out “over the approaching months” and the Inventive Australia assertion makes no point out of a due date by which the evaluate might be delivered.
In response to the assertion, the Report findings might be made out there to the Board of Inventive Australia upon completion of the evaluate. The Board will then contemplate the findings and share the outcomes.
“The scope of Blackhall and Pearl’s evaluate doesn’t prolong past the phrases of reference. It would contemplate, so far as practicable, the views of all these with a cloth position within the governance and decision-making,” the assertion reads.
Who’re Blackhall and Pearl?
Inventive Australia’s assertion describes Blackhall and Pearl’s shoppers as being “authorities companies, listed firms, superannuation funds and nationwide not-for-profit, neighborhood and member-based organisations”.
The corporate’s web site notes: “Blackhall and Pearl appreciates the big selection of shoppers who’ve put their belief in our agency”, with such clients including monetary companies akin to ANZ, NAB, Westpac, the Australian Army Financial institution, Catholic Church Insurance coverage and Indigenous Enterprise Australia (IBA), which “was created to help and improve the financial growth alternatives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals throughout Australia” in line with the IBA website; companies akin to Western Sydney Airport, BHP and Tabcorp; training service suppliers together with Monash College and Federation College; and the likes of Oxfam, NBN Co (a state-owned company of the Australian Authorities) and Uniting Care Queensland.
No arts organisations are acknowledged as previous shoppers of Blackhall and Pearl on the corporate’s web site.
ArtsHub will proceed to report on this story in additional element within the coming days.
Modification at 6.26pm Friday 14 March 2025
After shut of enterprise as we speak, ArtsHub obtained an e-mail from Inventive Australia clarifying the remit of the evaluate. “The evaluate will contemplate the Board’s resolution to not proceed with the creative workforce. This kinds a part of the evaluate into general finish to finish processes and governance. It won’t contemplate the deserves of the choice,” stated a Inventive Australia spokesperson.
