Welcome to our first newsletter of the year as we step into autumn—and my first as President of the APDG. It is an absolute honour to take on this role. As we build momentum for the months ahead, I want to begin with a massive thank you to Michael Scott-Mitchell APDG for his years of dedicated leadership. His tenure has been marked by a profound generosity of spirit and a passion for design that shone so brightly at our 2025 APDG Awards. Thank you also to our creative community, sponsors, and the awards team for a seamless evening celebrating Australian designers, both locally and internationally. To our incoming, returning, and departing National Executive committee members: thank you for generously volunteering your time to advocate for the Screen and Live Performance sectors.
It is a reinvigorating time for the arts in Australia. The renewed Revive arts policy is sparking vital community engagement, and I encourage you all to read its updated framework. We are also celebrating monumental, hard-won victories. After a decade of tireless campaigning, the Make it Australian initiative has finally come to fruition. Furthermore, thanks to the exceptional work of Stephen Curtis APDG, Natalie Beak, and ASIG, we have secured crucial protections regarding Generative AI and quotas. Looking globally, Ireland’s highly successful living wage scheme for artists—which yielded a 148% return on investment—bolsters our core mission: to continuously advocate that creative work is real work requiring fair recognition and remuneration.
We are thrilled to welcome our newest members, among them recent graduates from VCA, NIDA, AFTRS, TAFE and private training colleges across the country. It was wonderful to speak with many of you at the recent showcases and union days. Watching the next generation emerge is always inspiring, just as it has been deeply rewarding to see so much of our members’ brilliant work recognised throughout the recent Sydney Theatre Awards and AACTA Awards.
Ultimately, this guild is built and fuelled by you—our community of visual storytellers. We are currently developing our strategic plan for the coming year, updating our website, and actively exploring ways to advocate for designers at every single stage of their careers. As we settle into the new year, now is the ideal time to start gathering your entries for the APDG Awards 2026. If you know colleagues doing exceptional work, please encourage them to join the guild and submit. If there is enough interest, we will host a Zoom information session soon with tips for crafting a standout submission.
Please reach out with any ideas or feedback—this guild belongs to you.
– Fiona Donovan APDG, President
Image: Fiona Donovan APDG