A meeting of minds

When prominent Perth accountant Frank Cooper was asked to join the WA Opera board, his initial reaction was: "The fat lady with horns? Not my cup of tea".

Ensuring the ongoing strength of the arts sector in Western Australia beyond the boom will only be achieved by building relevance of the arts in the community, according to participants at the WA Business News forum.

Perth's planned new sporting stadium at Subiaco could include innovative venues for the presentation of theatre and music to sports fans attending big games.

Mining engineers, scientists and technology entrepreneurs should collaborate with innovators in the arts sector to produce outcomes that benefit all sectors, the WA Business News boardroom forum was told.

The value art sponsorship can bring to the commercial sector is often underestimated by the broader business community.