Exit interview: Peter Kift, Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company

The company’s long-serving General Manager, who stepped down from his role in mid-December, reflects on the triumphs, challenges and future of Yirra Yaakin.
Peter Kift. Image is a head shot of a bald headed man with a white beard and glasses on his head.

After 10 years and 10 months as the General Manager of Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, Peter Kift has stepped down from his rewarding but demanding role.

Kift noted that there were a number of factors that caused him to stay on at Yirra Yaakin for almost 11 years, compared to his usual five- to six-year tenure in previous roles. One reason was the COVID-19 pandemic, though this also provided him with motivation to step down.

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's former 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 early 2020. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association in 2021, and a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Photo: Fiona Hamilton. Follow Richard on Bluesky @richardthewatts.bsky.social and Instagram @richard.l.watts