Thirty years of the Melbourne Festival

The 2015 program features increased opportunities for conversation and engagement, as well as the chance to reflect on the Festival's history and influence.
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Batsheva Dance Company’s Last Work; photo by Gadi Dagon.

First held in 1986 under the direction of composer Gian Carlo Menotti, Melbourne Festival this year celebrates its 30th anniversary with a program featuring five specially commissioned works, a range of international productions, and three key forums hosted by former Artistic Directors reflecting on the Festival’s contribution to the culture of Melbourne.

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts