Speeches
Tuesday, 05 May 2026
Reception to launch the Helpmann Academy 10-Year Impact Report and Endowment Fund
As patron, it is a great pleasure to welcome with Rod the Helpmann Academy community to Government House to celebrate this milestone occasion.
During my term, Rod and I have had the privilege of engaging with the Helpmann Academy board, staff, supporters and, of course, the artists they support.
With every visit to a graduate exhibition or showcase, we are deeply encouraged by what we see: the confidence of artists stepping into their careers, and the profound impact that sustained, personalised support can have on a life in the arts.
As Governor, I note that South Australia’s reputation as a centre of creative excellence, and indeed a Place to Create, depends, in no small measure, on organisations like the Helpmann Academy: organisations that identify emerging talent and walk alongside artists as they make that vital transition from study to professional practice.
I am pleased to congratulate the Academy on the launch of its 10-year Impact Report.
The report is an evidence-based, independently produced document that gives us the data to demonstrate what many of us have long understood: that investment in early-career artists generates profound and lasting returns, for individuals and for our state.
The report’s findings are striking: 88 per cent of artists report Helpmann Academy’s support has had a positive impact on their confidence and inspiration, and 35 per cent say they may have exited the sector entirely without it.
The reports also notes that, over the past decade, the Academy’s work has added some $82 million to South Australia’s Gross State Product, a compelling demonstration of the economic importance of the creative sector, and of the organisations that sustain it.
I thank the Academy for the foresight shown in establishing the Helpmann Future Fund, building on the momentum generated by the report.
I am pleased that this endowment will safeguard the organisation’s independence and ensure that, for generations of emerging artists to come, the support that has proven so transformative to many will remain available.
I thank the board, the staff, and the many donors and supporters who have contributed to both the report and to this endowment.
Your dedication to the Academy’s mission, and your belief in the importance of investing in people as well as art forms, is what makes tonight possible.
I also wish to acknowledge the artists in this room whose stories appear as case studies in the report: you are the reason for the Academy’s existence, and your stories bring its vital work to life.
I am heartened by the Academy’s commitment to amplify artist voices, to forge new opportunities, and to deepen its ties with university partners, the State Government, and the broader community of donors and supporters who share its vision.
South Australia is richer, artistically and economically, because the Helpmann Academy exists.
May it continue to shape the lives and careers of emerging creative professionals for decades to come.