Vale Simon Crean

Gallery Chair, former Arts Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Simon Crean is remembered as a Labor true believer and a passionate supporter of the arts.

27 Jun 2023

Richard Watts

All Arts

The late Simon Crean, Chair, McClelland. Photo: Steve Brown.

The sudden death of former Federal Arts Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Simon Crean, has shocked and saddened the arts sector.

Crean died in Berlin on Sunday (25 June) shortly after completing his morning’s exercise. He was 74.

‘The most loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather, he extended that same love and devotion to his many friends, community and to our nation,’ his family said in a statement.

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts