The Secretariat comprises a small team of committed staff who apply their knowledge and expertise to execute the IFACCA Strategy and meet its objectives, manage programmes and services, and ensure the smooth administration of the organisation. The Secretariat maintains a comprehensive overview of the international arts and culture landscape and serves as the central hub for the Federation. It nurtures relationships with – and between – members and creates trusted, confidential and informal spaces for collegial exchange. It designs and delivers programmes and resources that respond to members’ needs. And it provides members with trusted advisory services, informed by its unique bird’s-eye perspective. In addition, the Secretariat maintains relationships with international experts; partners with key organisations to extend the influence of the Federation; and regularly participates in international forums to lead global thought on arts and culture, profile the role of public agencies, and raise awareness of concerns shared by members and the sectors they support.

 

Magdalena Moreno Mujica, Executive Director

Magdalena has been IFACCA’s Executive Director since 2017. She is a Chilean cultural administrator and is also a member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility (2023-2026) for the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expression. She is the author of the chapter, Building resilient and sustainable cultural and creative sectors in the 2022 UNESCO Global Report, Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity – Addressing culture as a global public good.  

Prior to her current role, Magdalena was Head of International Affairs at the National Council for Culture and the Arts, Chile (CNCA) – now the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Chile – and Ministerial Adviser on international affairs. In this role, she oversaw Chile’s international arts and cultural strategy; served as Programme Director of the 6th World Summit on Arts and Culture (Santiago, 2014); delivered Chile’s participation in three Venice Biennales; served on the Board of Fundación Imagen de Chile; and represented Chile on the IFACCA Board (2012-2014).  

Before this Magdalena was based in Australia, where she was CEO of Kultour, the national peak body supporting cultural diversity in the arts (2008-2011); a member of the National Cultural Policy Taskforce for Creative Australia; and led an international initiative to strengthen south-south dialogue (The South Project, 2004-2008). She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne; is an alumna of the Asialink Leaders Program (2008) and the Australia Council for the Arts' Emerging Leaders Program (2010); has served on several Boards, including for Diversity Arts Australia (2016-2018).

 

Kate Nixon, Director of Operations

Kate joined the IFACCA Secretariat in 2021 and is currently Director of Operations. In this role, she oversees key organisational functions including membership, governance, finance, IT and systems. Kate brings to her role more than a decade of experience in arts management. Before joining IFACCA, she was Program Director at Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre, where she led the delivery of the annual DESIGN Canberra festival and contributed to all aspects of the organisation’s operations.

Alongside her professional work, Kate maintains a longstanding interest in contemporary craft and design, particularly in glass. She has been an active member of the national and international glass community, serving on the board of the Australian Association of Glass Artists (Ausglass) from 2015 to 2020, including as President from 2017 to 2020, supporting the delivery of four national conferences. Earlier in her career, Kate worked in human resources in both Sydney and Canberra. Kate holds a BA (Hons) in Sociology from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand (2002), and a BVA (Hons) in Glass from the Australian National University (2013).

 

Jessa Melicor, Research and Communications Manager  

Jessa Melicor was appointed to the role of Research and Communications Manager in May 2024. Before this, Jessa worked in communications and management roles in the water and defence industries. She currently serves as a Board member for Compañía Pepa Molina.   

From 2017 to 2021, Jessa worked at IFACCA in communications roles to support the delivery of the 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and various IFACCA projects. Prior to working at IFACCA, Jessa worked as an editor across Art Edit and Art Collector magazines, representing the magazines at international arts fairs and coordinating successful partnerships. In 2017, Jessa contributed to the Bayanihan Philippine Art Project as an artist and exhibition catalogue editor.

She holds a Bachelor of International Business, (Marketing major) from Macquarie University, and a Master of Art by coursework from UNSW Art and Design. 

 

Angus Fitts, Project and Administrative Officer  

Angus joined the Secretariat as a part-time Administrative Officer in January 2024 after completing an internship with IFACCA in late 2023. From August 2024, his role transitioned into an ongoing role within the Secretariat. 

Angus has a strong background in customer support and administration and holds a Bachelor of Global Studies from the University of Technology Sydney. During his time at university, he developed an understanding of the cultural, political, and economic impacts of globalisation in professional contexts and honed his cross-cultural communication skills. 

With a passion for culture and travel, Angus enjoys discovering new cultural experiences around the world and exploring the vibrant arts scene in Sydney, where he is currently based.

 

 

Avril Joffe, IFACCA-Globus Fellowship Lead 

Avril Joffe was appointed as the IFACCA-Globus Fellowship Lead in March 2026. Avril is a Visiting Researcher at the Wits School of Governance and holds the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Entrepreneurship and Policy at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an economic sociologist with independent professional research experience in the field of cultural policy, culture and development and the cultural economy.

Avril is an active member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility Group for Cultural Policy and Governance, the Global Creative Economy Council, the International Cultural Relations Research Alliance and on the external international advisory panel for the Horizon Europe programme IN SITU - Place-based innovation of cultural and creative industries in non-urban areas.