JCG Curator Talk: Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures

Join Lead Curator, Sarah Roots, for an inside look at Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures, currently showing at John Curtin Gallery.

The curatorial premise of Radical Futures was never simply "what will happen next?", but "what could happen next?".

When living through profound environmental, technological, and social change, the future can often feel uncertain, particularly when living regionally where the effects of many of these changes strike first. With a deep understanding of local challenges and community aspirations, no one is better equipped to envisage a future that transcends current limitations.

Curator Sarah Roots believes that creative practice helps us respond, and that regional artists have the unique ability to finely attune to the world around them. It was with this belief that Radical Futures invited regional WA to imagine an aspirational tomorrow.

In this talk, Roots will offer an inside look into the journey that followed, culminating in a spectacular exhibition that spotlights the diverse and innovative ways regional communities are already imagining, making and caring for the future.

About the Curator

Sarah Roots is an independent curator and creative strategist whose work sits at the intersection of contemporary art, cultural development and regenerative futures. Working predominantly across regional Western Australia, Roots’ practice is grounded in cross-cultural engagement, regional advocacy and collaborative models of creative engagement. Guided by reciprocity and deep listening, their curatorial methodology prioritises meaningful relationships, ensuring diverse cultural perspectives are represented with care, authenticity and agency. Roots’ work explores the relationship between creativity, governance and systems change, investigating how artistic practice can inform more ecosystem-centred approaches to leadership, decision-making and community wellbeing.

She views culture as an essential and sustainable civic resource—one capable of generating new ways of understanding place, belonging and collective responsibility. A passionate champion of regional, rural and remote creatives, Roots creates platforms for local knowledge, cultural continuity and community-led futures. As Lead Curator of the Regional Arts Triennial – Radical Futures, she has worked alongside artists, curators and communities across Western Australia to explore how imagination can help navigate uncertainty, strengthen connection and shape what comes next.

Event Details

Wednesday 11 November
5:30pm - 7pm
Free event, open to the public

Header Image: Portrait of Sarah Roots. Image courtesy of Sarah Roots.

This event may be photographed and/or videoed and images will occasionally be used for promotional and marketing purposes, including social media. If you do not wish to be photographed or videoed, please notify staff at event registration.

Everyone is welcome at the John Curtin Gallery. Plan your visit here.