Arts sector appointments – quick links
Council of Australasian Museum Directors appoints new Chair
Kim McKay AO, Director and CEO of the Australian Museum, has been appointed Chair of the Council of Australasian Museum Directors, the peak body representing 24 major museums across Australia and New Zealand.
McKay brings more than 14 years of leadership at AM to the role, originally as a Trustee for two years and as Director and CEO for 12 years. During her tenure she has helped transform the AM into one of the premier natural history and culture museums in the region.
‘This is a critical time for museums in our region and around the world. We are operating in an environment of increasingly constrained funding, resulting in the expectation to diversify revenue streams through philanthropic partnerships, corporate support and commercial activities,’ McKay said.
‘We also have essential responsibilities to First Nations communities in Australia and NZ, including repatriation of ancestors and cultural materials; digitising collections and ensuring a deep engagement in how museum collections are interpreted and displayed.’
Museums and galleries have recently featured in international news due to a series of brazen thefts in European and American institutions, as well as several incidents related to the risk to collections due to ageing infrastructure and maintenance failures.
‘Our institutions face greater public scrutiny while juggling budgets, audience attendance, engagement strategies and ageing building challenges, which demand strong sector-wide collaboration to help solve these issues,’ McKay said.
‘I am looking forward to working closely with my CAMD colleagues to focus on these challenges ensuring the sector is able to deliver even greater social cohesion so we can thrive and meet the diverse needs of our communities in the future.
‘Globally, museums are among the most trusted institutions in society and it’s imperative that the sector continues to uphold the public’s trust in the cultural and scientific work that we do,’ she concluded.
McKay thanked the former CAMD Chair, Lynley Crosswell, Director and CEO of Museums Victoria, whose tenure helped to enhance cooperation and connectivity across the 24 CAMD institutions.
‘We are very grateful for Lynley Crosswell’s contributions as Chair and as a museum sector leader. She has helped establish a collaborative and supportive culture across the sector, and I look forward to continuing this work to ensure solid growth and impact into the future,’ McKay said.
McKay has served on CAMD’s Executive Council for the past six years, initiating a mentoring program for women in museums to help address gender imbalance in senior leadership roles, and has now expanded this work with the continued assistance of McCarthy Mentoring to develop pathways for the next generation of museum leaders.
QMusic farewells CEO and welcomes first ever Regional Arts Advisor – Music
After five years leading QMusic, Queensland’s music industry development association, CEO Kris Stewart has made the decision to step down.
QMusic Chair Jake Challenor said the Board and Stewart agreed that this was the right time for a leadership transition, as QMusic moves to a member-voted Company Limited by Guarantee (CLBG), registered with ASIC – a process that is ongoing and close to finalisation.
‘Over the past five years, Kris has played a central role in transforming QMusic into a stronger, more sustainable and more influential organisation. With the organisation in a position of strength, now is the right time to hand over to a new leader to guide QMusic through its next chapter. As QMusic transitions to a CLBG, this marks an important step in the organisation’s evolution – strengthening governance, improving flexibility, and aligning operations with best practice in service of Queensland artists and the industry,’ Challenor said.
During his tenure, Stewart oversaw significant growth across the organisation. Total revenue has more than doubled, partnerships across government and industry have expanded, BIGSOUND has continued to evolve into a globally recognised event, and the Queensland Music Awards will celebrate local artists at a new home on the Gold Coast next month.
Stewart led QMusic’s advocacy at both a state and federal level, including contributing to the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into live music, establishing the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of the Music Industry, and supporting the creation of the Night-Life Economy Commission.
Under his leadership, QMusic strengthened its commitment to First Nations programming through Goolwal Goolwal, expanded its regional footprint, and delivered a range of initiatives spanning industry development, events and artist support. His advocacy also helped shape Queensland’s music industry – from the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into live music to the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of the Music Industry, to the Night-Life Economy Commission.
Stewart said that after five years with the organisation, he felt it was the right time to move on to a new challenge and for QMusic to introduce new leadership.
‘The past five years have been some of the most exciting of my career, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the chance to work with my peers in the music industry and the team here at QMusic,” Mr Stewart said. “While sad that I’m finishing, I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved and leave knowing the organisation has never been stronger,’ Stewart said.
The board will now begin appointing QMusic’s next CEO, as the organisation transitions to a member-voted Company Limited by Guarantee.
In related news, QMusic has joined six other Queensland Arts organisations as providers under the Queensland Government’s new Regional Arts Service Network delivery model.
Sunshine Coast music scene figure Alex Henriksson joins QMusic as Regional Arts Advisor – Music. The role has been made possible through the Queensland Government’s RASN partnerships.
Previously offering services based on geographical location, RASN now engages artform-focused providers with a statewide approach, employing regionally based artform specialists. This is designed to boost the capacity of Queensland’s creative workforce and grow a vibrant statewide arts scene ahead of the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
‘I’m incredibly excited to step into this role, supporting musicians and organisations across Queensland through QMusic, in partnership with Arts Queensland and the Regional Arts Services Network,’ said Henriksson, who has been making music since 2002 and is an established music producer, creative director and live-music curator recognised for his work across recording, artist development, and large-scale event production.
‘Mentoring emerging artists has always been a driving passion of mine, and I see this role as an opportunity to be a bridge – helping creatives move from where they are now to where they want to be in sustainable, meaningful ways.
‘A key focus for me this year is encouraging deeper conversations around why we make music in the first place, and using that as a foundation to build strong, connected communities. When artists are grounded in purpose, it not only strengthens their work, but the entire ecosystem around them,’ he concluded.
Having collaborated with celebrated Australian artists including Matt Corby, The Dreggs, Hollow Coves, Great Gable and Tia Gostelow, Henriksson has made production and creative contributions connected to ARIA-nominated projects, and his professional experience spans independent artistry through to major-label frameworks via collaborations intersecting with Warner Music.
Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the new approach to RASN responded to sector feedback, recognising the unique needs of the state’s creative workforce.
‘The Crisafulli Government is committed to strengthening the state’s arts sector. These expert providers will support artists and creatives with artform-based skills development and advice for careers and arts businesses,’ Langbroek said.
‘A statewide service coordinator will address challenges and boost opportunities in the sector. The Regional Arts Services Network will also help Queenslander’s access arts experiences and creative employment in their own communities, no matter where they live.
‘After a decade of decline under the former Labor Government, this initiative forms part of the Crisafulli Government’s 10-year strategy for arts and culture, Queensland’s Time to Shine.
‘The Crisafulli Government is delivering the foundations for Queensland’s arts sector, which will pave the way for creatives, stories and communities to shine, as we head towards the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,’ the Minister said.
Outgoing QMusic CEO Kris Stewart said, ‘We believe music is for all Queenslanders and are honoured to be entrusted by the Queensland Government with the fostering of our state’s regional music talent.
‘As an active and deeply embedded member of the regional music community, Alex is perfectly placed to guide our team and the state’s next generation of musicians. [QMusic is] always excited to work with passionate music lovers committed to developing a vibrant music scene and are fully supportive of the Government’s new approach to the delivery RASN.’
Hitting the ground running, Henriksson is working to bring QMusic’s Industry Connect to the regions, creating free online resources for the music industry and, of course, offering advice and referral services for professionals at all stages of their career in the Queensland music sector.
Dancenorth Australia Artistic Directors to depart in 2027
The Townsville/Gurambilbarra-based contemporary dance company Dancenorth Australia will farewell its co-Artistic Directors Kyle Page and Amber Haines in 2027. After 11 years as Dancenorth’s driving artistic forces, Page and Haines have announced that current work-in-development – due to premiere in 2027 – will be their last with the company.
Dancenorth Australia Chair Dr Judith McLean said Haines and Page had led the company through a decade of incredible artistic achievement.
‘As a company, as a community, and as a globally-connected collective of dance-lovers, we have been so very fortunate for the boundless creativity, care and commitment that Kyle and Amber have poured into Dancenorth,’ McLean said.
‘Their exceptional artistic output – 21 mainstage works, reaching a live audience of almost 200,000 – has been matched by passionate dedication to fortifying the future of dance by creating opportunities for independent and emerging artists; and connecting regional communities with the joy of art and movement. On behalf of the board and staff at Dancenorth, I extend deepest gratitude to Amber and Kyle for the love and energy transmitted in everything they do.’
Haines and Page said in a joint statement: ‘Over the past 11 years we have had the extraordinary privilege of sharing studios, stages and creative journeys with the most remarkable humans. We have been shaped, challenged and inspired in ways that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Our time with Dancenorth has fundamentally transformed us both.
‘We remain deeply devoted to this place and this community. Regional Australia is truly where our hearts are, and we are not leaving Gurambilbarra (Townsville). We look forward to supporting the next chapter of Dancenorth as devoted fans and audience members.
‘We have given this place every fibre of our being and, in return, it has given us a life richer and more meaningful than we could ever have imagined.’
Dancenorth’s Co-CEO Hillary Coyne said: ‘Working alongside Kyle and Amber over the last eight years has been, without question, the highlight of my working life and I am immensely proud, inspired and humbled by what we have been able to create together.
‘Their artistry and depth of care for the company, its people and the community it serves is a rare and precious thing I will be forever grateful for being a part of. The lasting impact of their powerful creative leadership will reverberate through this building and in the hearts and bodies of all with whom they have connected for many years to come.’
The early announcement of Page and Haines’ departure, coupled with the company’s pipeline of confirmed projects, provides ample time and space for a thoughtful transition of leadership.
Dancenorth’s 2026 season includes a national tour of 2024 production Lighting the Dark; a European tour of 2022 work Wayfinder; a remount of RED for RISING’s inaugural Australian Dance Biennale (the original RISING season of RED in 2021 was cancelled after a single performance due to Covid lockdown protocols); and seasons of Alisdair Macindoe’s Plagiary and new work by Michelle Heaven, commissioned by Dancenorth, presented at home in Townsville/Gurambilbarra.
Recruitment for the new creative leadership will commence in the second half of 2026.
Sydney Dance Company Artistic Director to depart in 2028
Rafael Bonachela, Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company since 2009, will conclude his tenure with the company in 2028.
‘Bonachela said: ‘After deep reflection, I have decided the time is right to look towards my next stage. The coming period will be one of ongoing momentum – creating new work, commissioning and supporting artists, and ensuring a thoughtful transition for the company. I remain fully committed to leading the company with ambition and care as it prepares for its next chapter.’
ArtsHub: Rafael Bonachela – Artistic Director to end tenure with SDC in 2028
Two new staff members join The Cad Factory
The Cad Factory, an artist-led experimental arts organisation based in Sandigo in New South Wales’ Riverina district, has expanded its team with the addition of two new roles: Socially Engaged Art Producer and Assistant Producer.
The roles are key to the organisation’s new partnership with Minderoo Foundation and support the national expansion of the CASE Incubator Studio while helping the Cad Factory build a safe and adventurous space for socially engaged arts practices.
Socially Engaged Art Producer Caitlin Gibson is a creative producer with over a decade of practice engaging communities through the arts. She is drawn to work that inspires impact and action towards a more just and sustainable community, and has worked across the arts, advocacy and media industries with organisations such as TEDxSydney, MSF Australia, Erth Visual & Physical, PYT Fairfield, Groundswell and the ABC.
Assistant Producer is Kimberley Beattie, a Narrandera local with a passion for community engagement. She is a believer in the power of storytelling in all its forms as a means of bringing people together across the barriers of time, distance and culture. After nine years as the Cad Factory’s Office Manager and Project Assistant, Beattie is now working full-time in a split role as Office Manager and Assistant Producer.
Lucy Guerin Inc farewells Senior Producer
Melbourne-based contemporary dance company Lucy Guerin Inc is preparing to farewell Senior Producer Estelle Conley, who will leave the company in April to take up a new role at RMIT as Engagement Coordinator and Event Producer.
‘Since joining LGI in July 2021, Estelle has played a central role in strengthening and expanding our studio programs, producing company projects with great skill and care, and supporting the ongoing development of our diversity and accessibility work,’ a company spokesperson said. ‘We are deeply grateful for all that she has brought to LGI over the past four-and-a-half years, and wish her every success in this next chapter.’
Applications for the Senior Producer role close 7 April.
Darwin Festival searches for new Artistic Director
The 2026 Darwin Festival will be the final festival curated by Artistic Director Kate Fell, marking the end of her four-year tenure. Commencing in the role in October 2022, Fell led Darwin Festival through a period of significant creative growth, expanding the festival’s footprint across the city and into the satellite city of Palmerston, and strengthening the festival as a key driver of cultural tourism to the Northern Territory.
The 2026 festival, running from 5 to 23 August, will be both a celebration of this legacy and a statement of intent for what comes next, bringing together world premieres, nationally acclaimed artists, Territory voices and site-responsive work that reflects Darwin’s unique character, climate and cultural connections.
Fell said it had been ‘a privilege to curate Darwin Festival’, adding that her ‘final festival is about celebrating the extraordinary creativity of the Top End, the artists and communities who make this place so special, and the audiences who return year after year to experience Darwin at its best’.
Alongside the announcement of Fell’s final festival, Darwin Festival has confirmed it will shortly commence a planned national search for a new Artistic Director, led by REA arts + culture, ensuring continuity of creative leadership and long-term planning into the festival’s next chapter.
The Artistic Director is the festival’s chief creative leader, responsible for setting the event’s artistic vision, curating a bold and inclusive multi-artform program, and evolving the festival’s direction in alignment with local culture, strategic priorities and the NT’s visitor economy objectives. The incoming Artistic Director will also help lead Darwin Festival toward a major milestone, the festival’s 50th anniversary in three years’ time, and contribute to conversations about what comes next for Darwin and the NT as a creative, cultural and tourism destination.
Darwin Festival CEO James Gough said the timing reflects both continuity and confidence in the festival’s future.
‘Kate leaves an incredible legacy, one defined by ambition, collaboration and a strong connection to place. As we look forward to celebrating Darwin Festival 2026, we’re also looking ahead with optimism to the next creative leader who will help shape Darwin Festival’s future, including our 50th year and beyond,’ he said.
Applications for the Artistic Director role close 6pm 17 April.
New Federal Government appointments to arts councils
The Albanese Government has made a range of new appointments to the boards of significant national institutions.
Alison Dellit has been appointed Director-General of the National Library of Australia for a five-year term; Esther Anatolitis joins the National Museum of Australia Council for a three-year term; Greg Sitch becomes a member of the Screen Australia Board for a three-year term; and Marta Dusseldorp and Nicholas Pickard have been reappointed as members of the Screen Australia Board, both for three-year terms.
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said the appointees would each bring a valuable, unique perspective and years of dedication to their respective positions.
‘Alison has worked at the National Library for over two decades now and is the best person to lead this vital institution which safeguards Trove,’ he said.
‘Esther brings a strong combination of creative strategy and policy skills as well as demonstrated experience in Australia’s arts and cultural sector.
‘Greg’s experience as an executive producer, Marta’s career as an actor and advocate, and Nicholas’ expertise in industry policy are all major assets.
‘Ensuring our beloved cultural institutions have the strongest leadership is the best way to protect them for future generations,’ Burke said.
ArtsHub: Building a new National Cultural Policy – Burke talks to ArtsHub
Alison Dellit has been the National Library’s Assistant Director-General of Collaboration since 2017, with responsibility for Trove and other collaborative programs. Employed as a Graduate Librarian in 2006, Dellit was part of the original working group that developed Trove, and has since advanced through senior leadership roles spanning digital innovation, collections and national collaboration. Over more than two decades, she has helped position the National Library as a global leader in digital cultural services, including Trove and the Australian Web Archive.
Some of Dellit’s significant contributions to the National Library include leading the development of the National eDeposit service, the first automated electronic deposit system across the nine state, territory and national libraries; managing relationships with 900 Trove partner institutions; and introducing world-first linked national library data systems, including the first embedded support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
Esther Anatolitisis an influential advocate for arts and culture and a respected champion of artists’ voices. She is Honorary Professor at RMIT School of Art and a former member of the National Gallery of Australia Governing Council. Anatolitis works all over Australia on strategic development, cultural infrastructure and public policy. For more than two decades she has held arts and media CEO positions as well as strategic advisory roles on museum and gallery best practice, cultural governance, creative precincts, collections and public programming.
Greg Sitch is an Executive Producer and Producer at Frank Worldwide where he has been involved in film and television series such as Crackerjack, Hamish and Andy’s Caravan of Courage, The Front Bar, Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee, Fisk, Bay of Fires, Dear Life and children’s programs The Inbestigators and Do Not Watch This Show. Sitch is also known for his work on iconic Australian productions such as The Castle, Rove Live, Kath and Kim, Wolf Creek and Utopia. He co-founded the entertainment law firm Macleay William Lawyers where he continues to practise as a part-time consultant solicitor, has a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, and has previously held board positions at the Melbourne International Film Festival and Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Marta Dusseldorp is a respected and award-winning Australian actor who works extensively in theatre, film and television. In 2020, Dusseldorp founded Archipelago Productions in Tasmania/Lutruwita, which produces feature films, television and works for the stage – including the successful ABC show Bay of Fires which Dusseldorp produced, co-created and starred in. Her accolades include the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a TV Drama for the ABC’s Janet King, of which she was also an Associate Producer, as well as Bay of Fires which was nominated for the AACTA award for Best Drama Series in 2024 and most recently again for the upcoming 2026 AACTA Awards. Dusseldorp’s other acting credits include ABC’s Jack Irish, Stateless, After the Deluge and FOXTEL’s A Place to Call Home and The Twelve. In film, she has starred in Paul Cox’s Innocence, Praise, Paradise Road and in the recent Australian film With or Without You, for which she has been nominated for the 2026 AACTA for Best Supporting Actress.
Nicholas Pickard is one of Australia’s leading creative and cultural industry policy experts and advocates. Since 2018, he has served as the Executive Director, Public Affairs and Government Relations at APRA AMCOS, which represents songwriters, screen composers and music publishers. He was previously Director Corporate Affairs for the Copyright Agency and an adviser on cultural policy for state and federal governments. He is the Deputy Chair of the NSW Creative Communities Council, and Chair of Create NSW’s Literature Artform Advisory Group, and brings significant industry and governance experience to the Screen Australia Board. Pickard started his career as a theatre director and arts journalist. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Macquarie University and received an international scholarship to study at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
New appointment to Fleurieu Biennale Art Prize Board
Zoë Cobden-Jewitt, Director Of Development at Musica Viva Australia, has recently rejoined the Board of the Fleurieu Biennale Art Prize, a landscape prize established in 1998 to raise the profile of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula.
