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

contemporary dance: a photo of four dancers, three of whom are dressed in a bright red costume moving vigorously on stage against a black background. One of the four, a male dancer, is bare-chested and his head is covered with a drum (musical instrument). There is another drum on stage pictured at the of the photo.
Industry News

Profits or losses for contemporary dance companies: who’s in best and worst shape?

In lean times for the sector, contemporary dance companies are maintaining stability while some are securing partnerships to extend their…

Photo: srinivas bandari on Unsplash.
Features

How children's authors are managing the fallout from Craig Silvey’s guilty plea

In a difficult time for the Australian KidLit community, authors are having much-needed conversations to keep connections with young readers…

Khaled Sabsabi's artwork conference of one's self, 2026 installed at the Australia Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. A wall-size video screen projection showing abstract purple patterns. Three viewers stand in a darkened space around it.
Features

Can this year’s Venice Biennale artists avoid politics amid protests and pavilion closures?

The protests continue to overshadow the art at this year’s Venice Biennale. Can its exhibiting artists really stay out of…

arts leaders: a photo of a woman's hand holding a smartphone that is showing the stopwatch app at 19 seconds to go.
Features

Should arts leaders have time limits on their tenures?

A recent spike in departure announcements from long-serving Australian arts leaders prompts the question: how long is too long at…

John Brack x Noel McKenna exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery: a woman dressed in black is sitting on a gallery bench looking at a range of small paintings hung on the gallery walls . One wall is a deep purple colour, the other is white.
StarsStarsStarsStarsStars

John Brack x Noel McKenna review: National Portrait Gallery’s masterful pairing of two great Australian painters

The shared interests of two Australian artists prove a fitting portal through which to explore their unique artistic voices.

A scene from WA’s Black Swan State Theatre Company’s 2023 production of 'Things I Know To Be True'. Actors l–r: Caroline Brazier, Laura Shaw, Kaz Kane, Emma Jackson, Humphrey Bower and Will O’Mahony. Photo: Daniel J Grant.
News

Major WA arts companies welcome early state funding announcement

The WA Arts Minister has released key components of the state's arts funding plans for 2026-27, though details are still…

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.

1 2 3 30