The Australian Council for the Arts, once the sole public benefactor of the arts, is now one among many, writes Keith Gallasch. How well does it nurture and sustain our art in the 21st century? Gallasch surveys the history of the Council's relationship with innovation in the arts, describes the cooperative workings of arts ecosystems and how new media and hybrid arts are revitalising our experience of, and thinking about, art. He argues for a radically restructured Australia Council, one focused on contemporary arts and with its eye firmly on innovation and experimentation.