Jo Pickup

ArtsHub's Arts Feature Writer Jo Pickup is based in Perth. An arts writer and manager, she has worked as a journalist and broadcaster for media such as the ABC, RTRFM and The West Australian newspaper, contributing media content and commentary on art, culture and design. She has also worked for arts organisations such as Fremantle Arts Centre, STRUT dance, and the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of WA, as well as being a sessional arts lecturer at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).

Jo Pickup's Latest Articles

Photo: Fauxels / Pexels.
News

ArtsHub job insights: the most in-demand arts jobs and salaries in 2025

Which arts professionals are in demand and which job ads are getting the most attention from job-seekers? See what our…

Partial view of the Australian War Memorial’s Anzac Atrium space., a light-filled, glass ceiling atrium space with a walkway bridge dividing the space horizontally.
Features

Australian War Memorial’s $550 million museum development – take a look

What do the Australian War Memorial’s new museum spaces offer visitors?

federal government inquiry into arts and philanthropy: a photo of the outside of the Federal Parliament House building in Canberra, Australia.
Analysis

Can these federal parliamentarians supercharge philanthropic giving to the arts?

The first hearing of the Federal Government’s inquiry into arts philanthropy revealed there is a lot to learn about the…

CDP Theatre Producers: Klokwerk production in China. A photo of a young female Asian performer standing on stage dressed in a black and white checkered costume surrounded by some old fashioned set pieces such as a gramophone and an old cash register machine.
Features

Producers are keen but cautious about Asia Pacific touring opportunities

Ties between artists in Australia and Asia are strengthening but several impediments stand in the way of more vibrant exchange.

La traviata West Australian Opera: a photograph of an opera performance showing two Spansih matador style masked dancers posing in front of a opera chorus ensemble in Victorian-era costume on a stage.
Opinions & Analysis

Timothée Chalamet’s words on Gen Z audiences say far more than his views on opera and ballet

Social media turned on the actor after his remarks that ‘no one cares’ about opera and ballet, but the debate…

CERCLES, STRUT Dance, Perth Festival: a photo of approximately 150 people under a spotlight on a large circular outdoor stage dancing in colourful clothing at night, against the night sky.
Features

Dancing in CERCLES: Perth Festival show excels at bringing people together

An epic international dance project spotlighting the power of public dance was one of the greatest achievements of this year’s…

Image: Thought Catalog on Unsplash.
Features

Meanjin has been saved, but where are the opportunities for emerging writers?

A recent win for a beloved literary journal is a small gain for new authors who face diminished writing pathways.

U>N>I>T>E>D Chunky Move, a dark stage with dramatic smoke effects and white lighting showing a female performer with robotic metallic costuming moving across the stage under a scaffolding set piece.
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U>N>I>T>E>D review: Chunky Move's machine-led experiment missing some magic at Perth Festival

Billed as an exploration of machine mysticism, Chunky Moves' latest dance work is not as transcendental as it could be.

From left, Michelle Fornasier, Caitlin Beresford-Ord, Helen Searle, Alex Jones, Rebecca Davis and Tegan Mulvany in Theatre 180’s production of 21 Hearts. Photo: Stewart Thorpe Photography.
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21 Hearts review: Theatre 180 brings wartime cruelties and courage to light

A strong ensemble cast brings audiences close to the horrors endured by Australians serving in World War II during the…

Songs of the Bulbul Aakash Odedra: a young male dancer in a white turban and robe photographed spinning with his eyes closed under a shower of red rose petals that are descending on him from above.
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Songs of the Bulbul review: Aakash Odedra unleashes exquisite freedoms at Perth Festival

In this dance performance, an ancient Sufi story of a caged Bulbul bird longing for escape is told with delicate…

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