About Sydney Festival
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There’s a warm breeze floating in through the window and it’s carrying the sound of music, laughter and thunderous applause. It’s carrying the salty smell of the harbour, and of freshly cut, picnic-ready lawns.
Summer’s in the air – and Sydney Festival is here to seize the moment.
Embracing the art of summer since 1977, the Festival has a stellar legacy of drawing the finest artists in the world to Sydney, and introducing the country's finest to the world.
Many of Australia’s most memorable productions have resulted from Sydney Festival commissions and premieres, including Cloudstreet (1998), Black Chicks Talking (2003), Three Furies (2005), uniquely Australian musical The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom (2007), the outrageous cabaret Smoke and Mirrors (2010), The Secret River (2013), Black Diggers (2014), contemporary circus ensemble Circa’s Humans (2017), multi-award-winner Counting and Cracking (2019) and BLACK TIES (2020).
We're proud to have hosted major Australian musicians, performers and comedians including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Gotye, Regurgitator, Emma Donovan, Tex Perkins, Megan Washington, Meow Meow, Christa Hughes, Yana Alana and Celia Pacquola.
World-leading artists and companies that have shared work with Sydney Festival audiences in recent years include Lars Jan and Early Morning Opera’s Joan Didion’s The White Album, performance artist Bryrony Kimmings’ I’m A Phoenix, Bitch, and choral choir Tenebrae (2020); Schaubühne Berlin and Complicité’s Beware of Pity, Ethiopian legend Mulatu Astatke, Neneh Cherry, and American artist Nick Cave’s epic exhibition UNTIL (2019); Wayne McGregor, Olafur Eliasson and Jamie xx’s ballet collaboration Tree of Codes, National Theatre’s Barber Shop Chronicles, The Wooster Group’s The Town Hall Affair, Pussy Riot Theatre’s RIOT DAYS, and DryWrite and Soho Theatre’s hit Fleabag (2018); Complicité’s The Encounter, Cheek By Jowl with Pushkin Theatre’s Measure For Measure (2017); James Thierry’s Tabac Rouge (2015); Sasha Waltz’s underwater dance opera Dido and Aeneas (2014); and Ludger Engels and Vivienne Westwood’s Baroque-punk Semele Walk (2013).
These works join a long roster and legacy of extraordinary work and artists including: Ariane Mnouchkine and Thèâtre du Soleil (Flood Drummers); Robert Wilson (The Black Rider); Robert Lepage (Far Side of the Moon, The Andersen Project, Lipsynch); Nederlands Dans Theater; Philip Glass; Ian McKellen (Dance of Death); Batsheva Dance Company; National Theatre of Scotland (Beautiful Burnout, Black Watch, Aalst); Al Green; Chaka Khan; Andrew Weatherall; AR Rahman; Angélique Kidjo; Kneehigh Theatre (Tristan & Yseult, The Red Shoes); and Fabulous Beast (Rian).
For more information on Sydney Festival down the years, visit our archive.
History
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Sydney Festival was conceived by the Sydney Committee, the NSW State Government and the City of Sydney to attract Sydneysiders into the city centre during the holiday month of January.
The first Festival took place in 1977 and it has since grown to become one of Australia's largest annual cultural celebrations with an international reputation for modern, popular and intelligent programming. Sydney Festival celebrates our city, and the Festival’s style and energy reflect the confidence, diversity and vigour of one of the world's most beautiful cities.
The Festival has a rich history of bringing the world’s best artists and companies to Sydney stages, and showcasing and nurturing the best of Australia’s homegrown talent.
Many of Australia’s most memorable productions have resulted from Sydney Festival commissions and premieres, including highlights from Cloudstreet (1998) to Black Chicks Talking (2003), Three Furies (2005), uniquely Australian musical The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom (2007), the outrageous cabaret Smoke and Mirrors (2010), The Secret River (2013), Black Diggers (2014), contemporary circus ensemble Circa’s Humans (2017), multi-award-winner Counting and Cracking (2019) and BLACK TIES (2020).
The buzz of Sydney in January wouldn’t be the same without Festival appearances from major Australian musicians, performers and comedians including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Gotye, Regurgitator, Emma Donovan, Tex Perkins, Megan Washington, Meow Meow, Christa Hughes, Yana Alana and Celia Pacquola.
World-leading artists and companies that have shared work with Sydney Festival audiences in recent years include Lars Jan and Early Morning Opera’s Joan Didion’s The White Album, performance artist Bryrony Kimmings’ I’m A Phoenix, Bitch, and choral choir Tenebrae (2020); Schaubühne Berlin and Complicité’s Beware of Pity, Ethiopian legend Mulatu Astatke, Neneh Cherry, and American artist Nick Cave’s epic exhibition UNTIL (2019); Wayne McGregor, Olafur Eliasson and Jamie xx’s ballet collaboration Tree of Codes, National Theatre’s Barber Shop Chronicles, The Wooster Group’s The Town Hall Affair, Pussy Riot Theatre’s RIOT DAYS, and DryWrite and Soho Theatre’s hit Fleabag (2018); Complicité’s The Encounter, Cheek By Jowl with Pushkin Theatre’s Measure For Measure (2017); James Thierry’s Tabac Rouge (2015); Sasha Waltz’s underwater dance opera Dido and Aeneas (2014); and Ludger Engels and Vivienne Westwood’s Baroque-punk Semele Walk (2013), to name but a few.
These works join a long roster and legacy of extraordinary work and artists including: Ariane Mnouchkine and Thèâtre du Soleil (Flood Drummers); Robert Wilson (The Black Rider); Robert Lepage (Far Side of the Moon, The Andersen Project, Lipsynch); Nederlands Dans Theater; Philip Glass; Ian McKellen (Dance of Death); Batsheva Dance Company; National Theatre of Scotland (Beautiful Burnout, Black Watch, Aalst); Al Green; Chaka Khan; Andrew Weatherall; AR Rahman; Angélique Kidjo; Kneehigh Theatre (Tristan & Yseult, The Red Shoes); and Fabulous Beast (Rian).
For more information on each Sydney Festival visit our archive.
Festival Director
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Olivia Ansell was announced as the new Festival Director for 2022 by the Sydney Festival Board of Directors in June 2020.
Olivia, a highly accomplished arts professional with over two decades’ experience as a director, choreographer and performing artist, commenced her three-year tenure in November 2020. She comes to the role after two and a half years as Head of Contemporary Performance at Sydney Opera House.
Voted one of Vivid Sydney’s Top 100 Creative Catalysts, Olivia possesses a vast breadth of art experience, including roles as co-Executive Producer and creative force behind the hugely-popular immersive experience Hidden Sydney; Artistic Director of Sydney Comedy Festival at Sydney Town Hall; Curator of Kings Bloody Cross for Vivid Ideas; producer of Richard Walley OAM and Nigel Jamieson’s large-scale concert spectacular, HOME for Perth International Arts Festival; Consultant Executive Producer for OzAsia Festival Adelaide; and inaugural Executive Producer of Shaun Parker & Company. She is also a lecturer in Movement for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Con Opera School.
Since 2017, Olivia has curated and championed a diverse range of maverick storytellers to the Sydney Opera House stage, including Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow’s cult musical SIX; Hofesh Shechter’s critically acclaimed Grand Finale; Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights; A O Lang Pho by Cirque Nouveau du Vietnam; Natalia Osipova and David Hallberg’s Pure Dance and Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby’s hit show, Douglas.
The full announcement can be read here.
Previous directors were:
Wesley Enoch AM 2017–2021
Lieven Bertels: 2013–2016
Lindy Hume: 2010–2012
Fergus Linehan: 2006–2009
Brett Sheehy: 2002–2005
Leo Schofield: 1998–2001
Anthony Steel: 1995–1997
Stephen Hall: 1977–1994
Board of Directors
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PATRON
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales
David Kirk MBE – Chair
Co-Founder and Chairman, Bailador Technology Investments
David is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Bailador Technology Investments, an ASX-listed investment fund targeting private expansion stage technology companies. David sits on the board of BTI companies Instaclustr, Standard Media Index and Rezdy.
David is Chairman of KMD Brands [ASX:KMD, NZ:KMD], owner of iconic brands Kathmandu, RipCurl and Oboz, and Chairman of Forsyth Barr, a privately-owned New Zealand funds management and investment firm. He is also Chairman of not-for-profits KiwiHarvest, New Zealand Food Network and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association.
David is the former CEO of Fairfax Media. His previous experience also includes a period as an advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand. David enjoyed a highly successful rugby career and captained the All Blacks to win the World Cup in 1987. He was awarded an MBE in 1988.
Andrew Cameron AM
Andrew has served on the boards of the Biennale of Sydney, Belvoir, SCAF, ACCA, and Melbourne Art Fair and Foundation. He was Deputy Commissioner for Australia’s presentation at the Venice Biennale, is currently Chair of the Foundation at Art Gallery of New South Wales, Chair of Artspace, and is a member of the International Council of the Tate in London – as well as sitting on the Tate Asia-Pacific Advisory Committee.
He holds the position of Executive Chairman for a group of private businesses and has had previous careers in architecture and merchant banking. In addition, Andrew was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2014 for significant services to the performing and visual arts.
Paddy Carney
Partner
PwC Australia
Paddy is a member of the Global Board overseeing the PwC international network and chairs its Risk & Operations Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Partners of PwC Australia and chairs its Finance & Operations Committee. She has over 25 years' financial experience with PwC in the UK and Australia advising a broad range of clients with a focus on retail, consumer, hospitality and agribusiness. She is also a Trustee of the Historic Houses Trust of NSW (Sydney Living Museums) and a member of Chief Executive Women.
Angela Clark
CEO
Beem It
Angela Clark began her career as an investment analyst before joining global outdoor advertising leader JCDecaux as Managing Director of the Australian division, launching the company’s operations across four states. In 2003, Angela joined Macquarie Radio Network as CEO, leading the business to a listing on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2005. After five years, Angela left Macquarie Radio Network to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities, founding a number of digital media start-ups before joining ABC in 2011 as Director, Innovation and then as Director, Digital Network.
Angela is currently the CEO of Beem It, a payments fintech founded by three banks, and was previously Executive General Manager of Small Business at the Commonwealth Bank. Angela has a held Directorships across multiple arts, media and sporting organisations and holds a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.
Darren Dale
Producer
Blackfella Films
Since joining Blackfella Films in 2000 Darren has produced many award-winning factual productions for SBS including the landmark multi-platform history series First Australians, feature documentaries The Tall Man, Deep Water - The Real Story and In My Own Words, two seasons of the Logie Award-winning First Contact, plus the series DNA Nation, How ‘Mad’ Are You? and two seasons of Filthy Rich and Homeless.
In collaboration with acclaimed UK writer Jimmy McGovern, Darren has also produced, with Miranda Dear, two series and a telemovie of the Logie Award and AACTA Award-winning Redfern Now for ABC1. He also produced with Miranda Dear the telemovie Mabo, commissioned by the ABC to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the landmark High Court decision, and the crime drama Deep Water for SBS.
He was Executive Producer on the Logie and AACTA Award winning teen drama series Ready for This for ABC3.
Darren currently serves on the board of the Sydney Film Festival and was previously on the board of Screen NSW and the Council of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS). In 2012 he was the recipient of the prestigious AFTRS Honorary Degree.
Kate Dundas
Non-Executive Director
Kate has enjoyed a career in media, public policy and cultural leadership. She held senior executive roles in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in both corporate and content areas, including five years as Director of ABC Radio. She has also held several senior government roles including Deputy Secretary Arts & Culture in NSW and most recently Executive Director of Performing Arts at the Sydney Opera House. Kate is a mentor for emerging and established leaders, working both independently and with McCarthy Mentoring. Kate is Deputy Chair of the Board of Australia for UNHCR and chairs its Leadership and Nominations Committee. She also currently serves on the NSW Multi Arts and Festivals Board.
Kate has previously served on other boards including the Australian Film, Radio and Television School where she also chaired the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. She is a Vincent Fairfax Fellow (Centre for Ethical Leadership, University of Melbourne), holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Charles Sturt University) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Robert Lang
Director
Dr Robert Lang is a leader in city building, community engagement, strategic urban planning, economic development, creating great public places, transport infrastructure, place management, arts, tourism and energy.
He has extensive experience in the public service, gained within a combination of state & local government businesses.
He has a long involvement in the arts, theatre production and direction, music creation and performance, training young people in the performing arts, delivering arts to western Sydney audiences and significant experience in outdoor events.
He has a focus on place making and place development and bringing together the drivers for making great cities. He has a keen interest in the potential of western Sydney to provide business growth & economic development opportunities and the goal of making Sydney a livable city with more jobs closer to home.
As a former CEO for Parramatta City Council he understands local government, knows how to develop a compelling vision for the city and deliver major new city property & infrastructure developments. He brought major new events to Parramatta, implemented a new place-making focus and initiated the Western Sydney Light Rail project.
Dr Lang has a number of interests in the not for profit sector including disability services, affordable housing, education and the arts.
Catriona Noble GAICD
MD Retail Distribution, ANZ Banking Corporation
Commencing with ANZ in 2015, Catriona was responsible for key retail distribution channels to customers including the Australian branch network. In this role, Catriona led a team of more than 6,000 people. More recently she spent time as an executive sponsor for several key institutional banking clients.
Prior to joining ANZ, Catriona worked for the McDonald’s Corporation as Chief Restaurant Officer, Asia, Pacific, Middle East and Africa based in Singapore. In this role she was responsible for more than 10,000 restaurants and 200,000 people. Previously, Catriona was CEO and Managing Director for McDonald’s Australia and Chair of RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities) for approximately four years.
Throughout a 20-year career with McDonald’s, Catriona earned a reputation as an innovator for her success in driving fundamental cultural change to achieve business success. During her time as CEO she played an integral role in the transformation of the McDonald’s brand in Australia from a pure fast food outlet to one that offers healthier options, attracting a broader customer base in the process.
She is a member and mentor with the Business Council of Australia, CEW member and was previously a member of the Australian Social Inclusion Board (Federal Government), of which she was the Deputy Chair of the National Place Based Advisory Group.
Catriona also completed the AMP (Advanced Management Program) at INSEAD business school, Fontainebleau in 2010.
She is an enthusiastic supporter of the arts across all mediums. She is especially passionate about the growth of access and support of the arts beyond major city centres.
Contact Us
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If you have any feedback we'd love to hear from you.
Sydney Festival Office Details
Level 5, 10 Hickson Road
The Rocks NSW 2000
Australia
Phone: (+61) 2 8248 6500
Fax: (+61) 2 8248 6599
Email: mail@sydneyfestival.org.au
Ticketing and box office inquiries
Email: ticketing@sydneyfestival.org.au
Volunteering inquiries
Email: volunteer@sydneyfestival.org.au
Work With Us
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Each January Sydney Festival transforms our city, presenting a summer festival of art, music, dance, theatre and immersive experiences. We are proud of our long history of commissioning ground-breaking new Australian art.
The icing on the cake is we're a great place to work with many of the seasonal team returning regularly and a great office vibe. Apart from a fun permanent team that swells to over 100 during the festival, we enjoy killer harbour views, have one of the best coffee machines in the area and know how to put on a party.
Producer - Outdoor & Major Events
Full-time, 12 month contract
Sydney Festival is seeking a Producer specialising in Outdoor and Major Events to join the programming team for a 12-month fulltime contract.
The Producer – Outdoor & Major Events will work closely with the Festival Director, Head of Programming Operations and Creative Artist in Residence to scope and plan the annual Festival program specialising in major events including ascertaining the viability of potential outdoor sites and major projects.
The role is responsible for key stakeholder liaison with other Festival Departments, external stakeholders, contractors and relevant organisations, to ensure the successful delivery of the programs. A key responsibility for this role is the scoping, formulation and management of event budgets, in collaboration with Head of Programming Operations and Production Department and managing the successful delivery of outdoor and major events within the Festival program.
Key requirements for this role included experience in the creation and management of pop-up/site specific venues & precincts, experience in managing multiple stakeholders and excellent financial acumen, with extensive experience budget modelling with varied partnership models in producing and presenting work, driving both revenue and expense management. A great approach to teamwork, ability to prioritise and manage multiple projects and a keen interest in local and international trends and artists is a must.
View the full position description here
If this sounds like you, please send in your CV along with a brief statement containing an outline of what you bring to the along with any other information relevant to the position to thomas.hamilton[at]sydneyfestival.org.au. Applications close 5pm on Wednesday 11 May.
Please join our newsletter or keep an eye on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to be the first to find out when new roles become available.
Media Releases and Enquiries
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Media Releases
Qween Lear Cast Announcement
New Festival Director for 2022-24 Announced
For more information and high-resolution images of Sydney Festival events, contact:
Jadan Carroll
jadan@commonstate.co
Luke McKinnon
luke@commonstate.co
Please note: media enquiries only.
Annual Review
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Corporate Responsiblity
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Disability Inclusion Action Plan
The Sydney Festival Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) supports the Festival's commitment to welcome everyone in Sydney, regardless of accessibility needs, and provides our organisation with strategic direction in addressing accessibility issues.
Reconciliation Action Plan
Sydney Festival's vision for reconciliation is to formally and informally engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities, and to positively contribute to closing the gap between Indigenous and other Australians.
Download a copy of the Reconciliation Action Plan as a PDF document.
Acknowledgement of Country
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Sydney Festival acknowledges the 29 clans of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Festival takes place.
We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities.
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