On the lack of diversity in festival programs - for Artshub interview.

What are the challenges we face in increasing the diversity of arts and audiences in festivals?

I think the challenges are bigger than festivals can meet alone. If festivals are at fault it’s because they’re reflecting the current state of the arts sector. I remember, early in my career, when there were very few European names in arts or public life. Most names were of English, Scottish or Irish origin. Now both arts and public life are full of European names.

The same will eventually happen with names from our non-European communities, some of which may have been in Australia for nearly as long as European names, but now are represented in larger numbers than ever before. It’s very exciting. In twenty years I think that the arts and public life will be riddled with names suggesting various Asian non-European antecedents. And I also believe that will be reflected both in what we see on our stages but also the demographics of the audiences looking at those stages.  

It won’t end there. Then we will be waiting to see better representation from even newer communities who are now Australian – those displaced from the middle-east, central Asia, Africa, by war and climate change to contribute to their new home. How long will we have to wait before those voices and arts practices become part of the Australian arts environment? Is it simply a matter of time?

When I was at Auckland Festival it was obvious that the festival should embrace the notion that the Asia Pacific and Pacific Rim were central to the city’s identity and cultures.  Parramasala Festival recognised the importance of South Asian arts and cultures to Western Sydney and then expanded its remit to include arts from the non South Asian homelands of the region’s extraordinary range of communities. We actively sought out artists and emerging contemporary practices from those communities.

Oz-Asia, Asia-TOPA, the Asia Pacific Triennial, and countless smaller events, festivals, exhibitions, and the even the sometimes opportunistic inclusion of major work from our geo-political neighbours in the major festivals, all suggest a pathway that is inevitable, though sometimes agonizingly slow.

 I too am impatient for us to fully appreciate the artistic wealth that can be unlocked by a more active engagement with the great range of communities in our midst, alongside engagement with the arts of our regional neighbors, but I think that will only come when the diverse Australian demographic is much better represented in every part of our arts and cultural sector.