We are excited to celebrate 40 years of NETS Victoria this year. Established in 1985, NETS Victoria began as a visionary project initiated by the Australia Council (now Creative Australia), created in response to a noticeable gap in the arts landscape. At the time, there were few organisations dedicated to coordinating touring exhibitions or offering structured support to curators, artists, and public galleries. NETS Victoria stepped into the void with the aim of strengthening connections across the sector and expanding access to contemporary art and craft, especially to regional and remote communities.

Four decades later, NETS Victoria has evolved into a dynamic organisation that continues to champion the presentation of high-quality contemporary art, craft, and design in regional communities throughout Victoria. The organisation remains committed to enriching regional audiences’ cultural experiences while providing professional and practical support to local galleries seeking to deliver ambitious contemporary art programs. In the last 10 years there has been an increased focus on supporting new work of living artists, fair pay through curator and artist fees and commissions, platforming the cultural expression of First Nations artists and the voices of underrepresented people, and along the way NETS Victoria has set new benchmarks in touring standards and supporting cultural safety in venues.

NETS Victoria is also a proud participating member of the NETS Australia network established in 1988 and has since been working alongside state and territory peers committed to best practice touring exhibitions of contemporary visual culture to remote and metropolitan communities throughout Australia.

What began as a modest operation with a single advisory staff member has developed into a skilled team of arts professionals who oversee an evolving and adapting suite of contemporary art initiatives and innovative touring models. Through strategic project grants and a focus on building sustainable programs, NETS Victoria has maintained viability in an often-challenging funding environment, enabling the ongoing creation, management, and regional delivery of vital touring exhibitions and related creative projects to audiences in Victoria and beyond.

NETS Victoria looks forward to the next decade of presenting outstanding tour projects.