Perth Festival’s Artistic Director will lead Melbourne Festival from 2016.

As the final preparations are being made for 2015’s International Arts Festival in Perth, which opens February 13, current Artistic Director Jonathan Holloway has been named as the next A.D. of the Melbourne Festival.

Holloway will barely have time to catch his breath after Perth Festival’s 2015 offering has concluded before he heads to Melbourne to begin preparations for his inaugural festival there in 2016. The opportunity to tackle another of Australia’s flagship international culture events is one that Holloway relishes. “Having spent my professional life as a director of theatre and festivals across two continents, cities continue to be, for me, the most diverse of stages,” Holloway said. “And as cities go, Melbourne is world class, intense and genuinely inspiring.”

Originally hailing from Sheffield in the UK, Holloway has led the Perth International Arts Festival for the past four years, and in that time the reputation, scale and turnover of the Festival has seen a steady increase. Perth Festival’s Chair, Professor Margaret Seares is unequivocal about the achievements made by Holloway during his tenure as Artistic Director.  “Under his artistic leadership the Festival’s international excellence program has expanded, bringing...