We are Perth Festival
Perth Festival is your summer invitation to otherworldly experiences. We’re a not-for-profit multi-arts festival that brings world class performance, music, film, visual arts and literary events to Perth, Western Australia, every summer.
We are Australia’s longest-running arts festival and for 70 years we have been celebrating Perth, its people and its culture on the shores of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River). Founded by The University of Western Australia and grounded on Noongar Boodjar, we are uniquely placed to celebrate the oldest living cultures in the world by championing rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions and contemporary arts practice.
We have cultivated decades of cultural growth through commissioning major new works and engaging diverse audiences.
Festival time is for finding yourself alongside the best artists from here and everywhere else and revisiting that memory throughout the rest of your life.
Nathan Bennett was appointed Executive Director of Perth Festival in February 2017.
Nathan has worked in senior leadership roles with leading arts companies in Australia and overseas for over 20 years. Prior to joining the Festival, he was Head of Development and Deputy Executive Director at Sydney’s famed Belvoir St Theatre. His other previous roles include General Manager of Sydney's Griffin Theatre Company and Company Manager at Bell Shakespeare, Australia's National Touring Company. He has also spent time in the United States with Philadelphia’s Pig Iron Theatre Company as Director of Development. Nathan is a board member of Australian Dance Theatre and a former board member of PACT Centre for Emerging Artists.
The Perth Festival Board assists us in our mission to build a creative community and enhance the State’s vitality.
It is made up of eight members from a broad range of backgrounds, all with a wealth of expertise.
Our board:
- Ben Wyatt | Chair
- Rowena Albones
- James Arvanitakis
- Paul Downie
- Delwyn Everard
- Ben Lisle
- Michellie Tremain
- Simon Yeo
Our board invitees
- Fiona Allan
- Sue Murphy
- Lorna Pritchard
Click here to read more about our Board members.
Who makes Perth Festival happen? They say it takes a village and they would be right! We are so grateful to everyone who works to bring our Festival to life.
| Executive & Artistic Director | |
| Nathan Bennett | Executive Director |
| Anna Reece | Artistic Director |
| Alanah Hardy | Executive Assistant |
| Marketing & Communications | |
| Carolyn Mooney | Head of Brand, Marketing and Experience |
| Dana Alamsyah | Senior Marketing Manager |
| Rachel Audino | Digital Marketing Manager |
| Ally Kelly | Marketing Project Manager |
| Lauren Papendorf | Communications Specialist |
| Felicity Tan | Marketing Coordinator |
| Kasper Johansen | Communications Coordinator |
| Olivia Triglavcanin | Digital Marketing Coordinator |
| Gregory McFerran | Digital Marketing Assistant |
| Marketing - Design | |
| Christopher Markle | Designer |
| Toby O'Keeffe | Design Brand Lead |
| Marketing - Ticketing | |
| Kate Valentine | Ticketing and Customer Experience Manager |
| Ellie Aitchison | Ticketing Coordinator |
| Kaili Gardner | Box Office Team Leader |
| Emily Davies | Stakeholder Ticketing & Tessitura Reporting Executive |
| Natalya Czernicziw | Stakeholder Ticketing Coordinator |
| Production - Signage | |
| Eilish Campbell | Signage Coordinator |
| Dylan Cool | Signage Installation Team Leader |
| Development | |
| Marina Woodhouse | Head of Development |
| Serene Cho | Development Events Manager |
| Phebe Shields | Development Administrator |
| Tess Stephenson | VIP Ticketing Coordinator |
| Caitlin Johnson | VIP Ticketing Coordinator |
| Development - Philanthropy | |
| Penny Dolling | Senior Manager: Philanthropy |
| Andree McIntyre | Philanthropy Consultant |
| Development - Partnerships | |
| Ryan Healy | Senior Manager: Partnerships |
| Kathryn Holmes | Business Development Manager |
| Cate Creedon | Partnerships Manager |
| Bayoush Demissie | Partnerships Manager |
| Finance | |
| Kenny Lye | Chief Financial Officer (in loving memory 2024) |
| Melanie Jones | Senior Accountant |
| Jocelyn Kuan | Accounts Officer |
| Maroeska Mandl | Accounts Officer |
| IT and Operations | |
| Justin Cheek | IT and Operations Manager |
| Programming | |
| Rachael Whitworth | Head of Programming |
| Jessica Darlow | Senior Program Manager |
| Anna Kosky | Senior Producer |
| Deborah Robertson | Senior Program Manager |
| Dana Nguyen | Program Administrator |
| Georgia Smith | Associate Producer |
| Melanie Julien-Martial | Associate Producer - Film and Performance |
| Chloe Ogilvie | Artistic Associate |
| Gemma Weston | Producer |
| Linda Iriza | Producer |
| Yabini Kickett | Creative Producer |
| Louisa Norman | Engagement Manager |
| Julia Martini | Program Producer |
| Margot Strasburger | Associate Producer - Connect |
| Jo Morris | Associate Producer - Creative Learning |
| Madeline Bates | Film Curator |
| Production | |
| Shona Treadgold | Technical Director and Head of Production |
| John Carter | Senior Production Manager |
| Alex Hayes | Production Services Manager |
| Fiona Smith | Event Operations and Logistics Manager |
| Rachael Canning | Production Administrator |
| Gabriella Filippi | Event Operations and Logistics Manager (acting) |
| Jason Thelwell | Production Manager: Performance |
| Dana Ioppolo | Production Coordinator |
| Kestin Owens | Event Manager |
| Peter Young | Production Coordinator |
| Ian Studham | Production Manager - Performance |
| Kelly Ashley | Event Services Coordinator |
| Brett Rowe | Driver |
| People and Culture | |
| Marianne McAdam | Head of People and Culture |
| Gurleen Pal | People and Culture Manager |
| Charlotte Thorne | People and Culture Manager |
| Rachel Rainford | People and Culture Coordinator |
| Alta Winmar | Cultural Liaison |
'The spirit in Aboriginal people is very strong. I look at the world and I also see that I am a child of the universe. We are all children of the universe. All around the world there are people of different colours, from different races and we all make up the framework of the universe. We are the human element of the world. What we have to remember is that the spirit works right through. It comes from the earth. Women get it from the earth. They feel it. It works right through, from the inside out. People need to be more spiritually inclined. I am part of the oldest country in the world and I belong to the oldest culture. I am proud of that. … In terms of what I’d like to see in the future, well, there’s one thing our people have to learn, and that’s how to live with each other. We have to do that first before we can live with other people. Reconcile with ourselves first and then we can move forward together. We need to make a plan, understand we are part of the rest of the world, part of the universe—we belong in the bigger picture. When we understand that, then the gates will open… that’s what we have to do as Nyungar elders, pass the heritage on. That’s always been the ongoing flow of life.'
Kenneth Desmond Colbung AM MBE also known as Nundjan Djiridjarkan
2 Sep 1931 – 12 Jan 2010
Our Noongar Advisory Circle brings together well-respected story holders, performers, language and land caretakers, visual artists and organisation representatives with expert industry knowledge to ensure our respectful connection to this place, its people and the cultural bedrock of Noongar Boodjar remains strong.
The consultation of our Noongar Advisory Circle was integral to developing the Festival's Reconciliation Action Plan.
The Noongar Advisory Circle (NAC) is made up of members with a range of qualifications and lived experiences in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts practice who bring together expert industry knowledge from well-respected story holders, performers, language and land caretakers, visual artists and organisation representatives.
Our NAC meet six times a year, once each Noongar season, at the Perth Festival office, to provide cultural leadership and guidance to the Festival and to give advice in the best interests of the Noongar community. Members are compensated for their valuable time and knowledge – knowledge that collectively spans approximately 185 years.
The NAC are:
- Dr Roma 'Yibiyung' Winmar
- Vivienne 'Binyarn' Hansen
- Dr Richard Walley OAM
- Carol Innes AM
- Barry McGuire
- Mitchella 'Waljin' Hutchins
Click here to find out more about our NAC members.
Our Access & Inclusion Advisory Committee was formed to ensure that everything we do considers people with disability, access requirements and relevant service organisations through a consultative process.
This committee was integral in developing our Disability, Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP).
The Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee is comprised of members with a range of access requirements, disability and/or lived experience, and includes patrons, artists and service organisation representatives. They provide advice and guidance on all aspects of the Festival including our Disability Action and Inclusion Plan, built environments, access services available across our programs and community building. Committee members are paid for their time and meet at four key stages across the year.
Our committee members are:
- Laura Bullock
- Morwenna Collett
- Simone Flavelle
- Rafael Gonzalez
- Patrick Gunasekera
- Melanie Hawkes
- Grace King
- Zel Iscel (DADAA Representative)
- Naomi Lake
- Dureshawar Khan
Click here to find out more about our Access and Inclusion Advisory Commitee.
Our Festival Cultural Ambassador program invites community leaders to experience a range of Festival events, with a focus on our more traditional Festival shows. Together with our Ambassadors we aim to break down barriers around venues, show genres and the perception that ‘this is not for me’. Each Ambassador is a leader in their own community and is asked to share their experiences with their community, helping provide avenues of access to friends and networks.
The Ambassador program was piloted in 2022 and co-designed with community leader Aisha Novakovich, founder of Modest Fashion Australia and ex-Chair of Roots TV.
Our Festival Cultural Ambassadors are:
- Aisha Novakovich, Festival Ambassadors Co-Creator
- Daniel Matabishi
- Rosamine Mutamuliza
- Valeria Rossi
- Rin Nelson
- Jun Zhang
- Utsav Thapaliya
- Dureshawar Khan
- Wanjiku (Shiko) Kariuki
- Rida Malik
- Bec Nguyen
- Belinda Wong
Click here to find out more about our Festival Cultural Ambassadors.
Our Community Partner program invites community groups to attend Festival events and take part in opportunities tailored to their members and staff. Community Partners are offered free access to our shows and transport and we work with organisations to find other ways to reduce barriers to attendance at the Festival. These partnerships help us to have ongoing, meaningful relationships with a diverse cross-section of Western Australia and help us truly be a Festival for everyone.
'It’s been such a wonderful experience working with Perth Festival…the opportunities provided are opportunities that majority of our clients would not have ever experienced.'
Community Partners | Florence Tressler, Step by Step Program and MercyCare
We take seriously the impact our festival has on our community and place and we acknowledge that festivals have not always been as accessible, inclusive and sustainable as they could be.
Perth Festival takes a holistic view of sustainability, with a focus on caring for our planet, caring for our people and caring for our community. We do this to ensure we remain relevant, accountable and resilient for generations to come.
We acknowledge that climate change is happening and that festivals have not traditionally been the most environmentally friendly events to undertake. We aim to be an example in changing this.
We're currently in consultation with industry professionals to develop a sustainability roadmap to keep us accountable on our journey to minimise our impact on the environment. Things we will address in our five-year plan include greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and waste reduction.
Once finalised, we will publish our Sustainability Action Plan on this page. Watch this space!
Disability Access and Inclusion Plan PDF, Word, Easy English