Richard Watts, Author at ArtsHub Australia

Richard Watts

Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the 2019 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts

Richard Watts's Latest Articles

Promotional image for West Australian Symphony Orchestra's 'Underground Series' in 2026, showing cellist Shigeru Komatsu. A blue and white photograph of an older Asian-Australian man wearing glasses and formal wear. He is holding the cello's scroll over his left eye, and the central square of the photo around his face is black and white instead of blue and white.

2026 season announcements: our rolling guide to the performing arts

Orchestras, recital centres, theatre companies and more: we're compiling a list of 2026 season announcements, to be updated regularly, for…

Richard Watts

Oct 24, 2025

New performance venue Lango at Footscray Community Arts. An artist's render of the outdoor performance space, showing the stage and the three overlapping architectural shells arcing above it.

New performance venues in Melbourne and Brisbane

A revitalised indie theatre complex in Brisbane’s Petrie Terrace is one of several new performance venues.

Richard Watts

Oct 22, 2025

Boorloo Contemporary at East Perth Power Station (seen here in 2025) returns for Perth Festival 2026. An industrial-looking building lit up by brightly coloured projects, and photographed from the air at night; a large crowd is gathered in the building's expansive courtyard.

Perth Festival 2026 makes the most of its city’s cultural infrastructure shortage

Artistic Director Anna Reece reveals how her second Perth Festival takes over the city’s public and private spaces.

Richard Watts

Oct 22, 2025

An underground stretch of road in a tunnel. The yellow-tinged photograph shows vehicles moving through the tunnel at speed, with details blurred to suggest their rapid movement. The photo illustrates Artshub's On the Move column of arts industry appointments.

On the move: latest arts sector appointments

Your weekly round-up of Australian arts sector appointments.

Richard Watts

Oct 21, 2025

A blurry arm with tattoos in the foreground. In the background the converse clad legs of someone laying on a tattoo bed while Xani, dressed in brown, gives them a tattoo. A scene from 'Tattoo Show' by Rawcus at Melbourne Fringe 2025.

Melbourne Fringe 2025: a review diary

A selection of short reviews from the 2025 Melbourne Fringe Festival; rolling coverage which will be regularly updated.

Richard Watts

Oct 17, 2025

Circus artists training in The Hub at Circus Centre Melbourne. A trapeze artist swings, their photo blurred by motion, as other artists watch on.

Circus Centre Melbourne opens its doors

Envisaged as a creative hub for circus development and training, the new Circus Centre Melbourne opened on Monday and is…

Richard Watts

Oct 14, 2025

A scene from Canberra Youth Theatre's 2024 production of 'Work, But This Time Like You Mean It'. Two young men sit on a steeply raked stage, comforting one another; both wear black trousers, black shoes and red and white striped collared shirts. Behind them, three people in identical uniforms but wearing surreal chick head masks, sit at the top of the raked stage.

Canberra Youth Theatre tour explores fast food industry’s ‘disastrous consequences’

The Sydney tour of ‘Work, But This Time Like You Mean It’ has been supported by a $100,000 gift from…

Richard Watts

Oct 13, 2025

A dynamic photograph of a skateboarder mid-trick; the photo's focus is on the deck itself, as its rear wheels roll along the edge of an outdoor concrete staircase. The skateboarder's shoe-glad feet are visible at the top of the frame. The photograph illustrates ArtsHub's weekly wrap of Australian arts sector appointments.

On the Move: latest arts sector appointments

Your weekly round-up of Australian arts sector appointments.

Richard Watts

Oct 13, 2025

A photograph of a female surfer wearing in a black wetsuit and riding a wave; white spray flies up behind her board. The photo illustrates ArtsHub's weekly on the Move column of Australian arts sector appointments.

On the move: latest arts sector appointments

Your weekly round-up of Australian arts sector appointments.

Richard Watts

Oct 6, 2025

A kangaroo jumps across a country road. The photo illustrates ArtsHub's weekly On the move column, which summarises the week's art sector appointments and resignations.

On the move: latest arts sector appointments

Your weekly round-up of Australian arts sector appointments.

Richard Watts

Sep 29, 2025

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