Arts sector appointments: quick links
Hobart’s Theatre Royal farewells CEO
Vanessa Pigrum, CEO of Australia’s oldest continually operating theatre, Hobart’s Theatre Royal, is stepping down from the position she has held since July 2024 and returning to the mainland.
Theatre Royal Chair Tanya Price said, ‘Vanessa … has informed the Board that, for family care reasons, she needs to return to Melbourne and therefore resign from her position with us.
‘While we are sad to be losing Vanessa, we understand her circumstances and are committed to ensuring the best possible transition for her and the Theatre Royal.
‘An interim leadership structure will be established prior to Vanessa’s departure with Andrée Hurburgh stepping into the role of Interim General Manager to manage the team and oversee business continuity until February 2026. Recruitment for a new CEO will commence in early 2026,’ Price said.
Pigrum added: ‘This was not an easy decision to make and I want to thank the Board and the TR [Theatre Royal] team for their understanding. There is so much potential for Theatre Royal in the future and I will definitely be visiting in 2026 to see the planned program in action. Thank you to the team, donors, Friends of Theatre Royal and all the artists I had the privilege of meeting and working with over the last year.’
Pigrum will remain in her role until the end of August before commencing as Acting CEO at Orchestra Victoria from mid-September.
ANAM appoints next Artistic Director
Award-winning pianist, writer and festival director Anna Goldsworthy has been appointed as the new Artistic Director of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). She commences in the role in January 2027.
Announcing the appointment, ANAM’s Chair, John Daley, said: ‘Anna is an outstanding musician, writer, educator and leader. She is a leading public voice for music in Australia. We are thrilled that she is bringing all these talents to lead ANAM and shape the training of our next generation of musical leaders.’
ANAM’s current Artistic Director, Paavali Jumppanen will finish his term at the end of 2026; the position of ANAM Artistic Director will continue to be supported by Janet Holmes à Court AC, and John and Rosemary Macleod when Goldsworthy commences.
Goldsworthy was a founding member of Seraphim Trio and is currently Director of the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide; she will be the first Artistic Director of ANAM who is also an ANAM alum.
Goldsworthy said of her appointment: ‘It is an enormous privilege to be stepping into the position of Artistic Director of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), a powerful force for creativity and community, and a seminal part of my own musical journey. In this era of exponential change, ANAM’s mission is more vital than ever: shaping young musicians not only into expert practitioners but advocates for our shared humanity.
‘Thanks to a brilliant leadership team and a series of visionary Artistic Directors – most recently my esteemed friend and colleague Paavali Jumppanen – ANAM is in robust health. It is a great honour to steward this extraordinary institution into its next chapter.’
Daley continued, ‘The outstanding field of candidates from both Australia and internationally for the Artistic Director position testifies to ANAM’s increasing global reputation. We are looking forward to Anna building on Paavali Jumppanen’s contribution, reinforcing ANAM’s position as one of the world’s leading music academies. And she is the ideal person to lead ANAM as the organisation moves back to a splendidly refurbished South Melbourne Town Hall in 2028.’
Upon her appointment to ANAM, Goldsworthy will continue as a Professor of Music at the Elder Conservatorium in a research capacity.
In late August, Goldsworthy and award-winning writer Nam Le are joining together with ANAM to present Ghosts of the Convent at the Abbotsford Convent, the outcome of an artist residency undertaken by the pianist and a musical response exploring the historic Abbotsford Convent’s complex past alongside ANAM musicians.
Brisbane Festival announces new Artistic Director
As reported by ArtsHub last week, Brisbane Festival has appointed Ebony Bott, currently the Head of Contemporary Performance at Sydney Opera House, as its next Artistic Director.
‘Festivals aren’t just programs, they’re civic rituals. They reflect us back to ourselves and open us up to the world. That’s what drew me to Brisbane Festival. It has a pulse that’s distinctly local and a platform that resonates far beyond. For me, the most powerful festivals grow from the identity of their city, not simply land upon it. They listen, connect, and leave a lasting imprint,’ Bott said of her appointment.
Bott, whose initial contract is for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 Brisbane Festivals, is set to commence in mid-September 2025 and will work alongside the festival’s current leadership to deliver a transition into the 2026 program and beyond.
Read ArtsHub’s stand-alone story about Bott’s appointment here.
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