Sarah Gardner

Freelance consultant and founding Executive Director of IFACCA

Sarah Gardner is a freelance consultant and advisor with over 25 years’ experience as a leader in the culture sector. She was the founding Executive Director of IFACCA, the global network of arts councils and ministries of culture with members in 70 countries, from 2001 to 2017.

For the ten years prior to that, she held various senior executive roles at the Australia Council for the Arts, principally as the Director, Strategy and Policy.

She was formerly the Director of Public Affairs for the Australian Bicentennial Authority; a consultant to both the private and public sectors for the leading Australian firm Issues Australia; technical manager for German company, Schering AG; and worked freelance in England, Italy, Scotland and Spain.

Sarah has a BSc and Masters in Public Policy from the University of Sydney and has for many years taught Cultural Policy to Masters students.

In 2015 she was appointed to the expert panel for the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. She is currently assisting in the establishment of the Sydney Culture Network and serves as Secretary of the Res Artis global network of artist residencies.