FROM OUR
EXECUTIVE
TEAM
The 2013 Melbourne Festival
has marked the end of an
intense year of planning, not
just for this year’s program,
but also for the future. During
that time we have frequently
asked ourselves – what should
an international arts festival
look like in the 21st Century?
More specifically, what should
Melbourne Festival look like?
from dance to theatre, from spoken word
to music. However in 2013, more than ever
before, we continued to ensure that we did
more than present – through our local and
international commissions, we have enabled
the artists to create the extraordinary work
that you experienced over the 17 days of the
Festival in October. The Foxtel Festival Hub
not only housed an incredible line-up of
contemporary music, it also celebrated the
beauty of the park setting on the banks of
our Yarra River with the distinctive skyline of
Melbourne stretching before us.
However, none of this would be possible
without the engagement of our partners
and supporters from the public, private and
corporate sectors. We are grateful for your
belief in the rewards of partnership and
excited and hopeful that we will continue
together to enrich the cultural life of
Victoria.
JOSEPHINE RIDGE, Creative Director
10
We believe that partly the answer lies in the
ongoing relationship that we in Melbourne
have with our past and the fertile foundation
that it offers to explore the future of
this, arguably the most contemporary of
Australian cities.
In 2013 we have specifically connected with
some of the defining aspects of Melbourne.
The beautiful heritage theatres that this city
alone has retained at its heart were alive
with artistic expression, as was the RMIT
Design Hub, one of the most extraordinary
21st Century buildings to grace our skyline.
We developed a more profound engagement
with the complex local Indigenous culture
through events such as our opening
ceremony, TANDERRUM.
Melbourne Festival presents some of the
most sought after artists from Australia
and around the world across all art forms
KATIE McLEISH, Executive Director