Richard Watts

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

Richard Watts's Latest Articles

REMIX London. A gathering of arts, government, technology and media professionals sit watching a well dressed male speaker at a podium on a brightly lit stage. A large banner behind the speaker features the REMIX logo and the logos of the event's many sponsors and supporters.
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From Coachella to the Sunshine Coast: exploring the impact of Desert X at REMIX Academy

Jenny Gil, Executive Director of the outdoor sculpture biennale Desert X, is flying from California to Australia to discuss her…

A close-up photo of waves crashing on a beach, illustrating ArtsHub's weekly On the move column, a wrap-up of arts sector appointments and departures.
News

On the move: latest arts sector appointments

Our weekly round-up of appointments and departures in the Australian arts sector – and, sometimes, further afield.

'Garry Starr: Classic Penguins' at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Adelaide Fringe 2025. A photoshopped image of a fair-skinned man with curly black hair and a neat beard wearing an orange-coloured Elizabethan ruff. His arms from the elbows down, and his body from the waist down, have been photoshopped to appear like a penguin. He leans on his left flipper and sits on his left penguin hip, his orange penguin feet and right flipper raised.
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Comedy review: Garry Starr: Classic Penguins, Beckett Theatre, MICF 2025

Brilliant, in-your-face clowning that leans heavily into the concept of enthusiastic consent.

Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Territory Tour hero image. A casually dressed conductor, wearing a t-shirt and baseball cap, leads members of the DSO in an outdoor performance in a park. Cars, families on picnic rugs, and childfren playing footy on the grass are visible in the background.
News

Darwin Symphony Orchestra prepares for its first regional NT tour in a decade

This month, DSO is travelling across the NT to perform in three different locations, including a festival concert under the…

'Crash Body' by Paula Garcia, Dark Mofo 2025. Two cars, one yellow, one black, collide head-on under spotlights in a dramatic, moodily-lit photograph.
News

Dark Mofo 2025: the art of screaming and a literal car crash

Featuring artistic provocations, free visual art experiences and a number of exclusive international acts, the program for Dark Mofo 2025…

The Big Sing at Festival of Voices.
News

Festival of Voices celebrates 20 years of community through song

The 20th anniversary Festival of Voices program honours the past while looking firmly to the future.

Virginia Gay, Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2025 Artistic Director. Gay, a fair-skinned woman, poses against a light blue backdrop and laughs as the elborate train of her black silk or satin gown billows up around her head, perhaps propelled by a wind machine out of the frame.
Features

Sequins, champagne and passion: Adelaide Cabaret Festival launches its 2025 program

Virginia Gay tells ArtsHub about some of the many highlights of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival’s 25th anniversary edition.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival logo 2025. A bright and colourful stylised image of a jocular human-animal hybrid in yellow and blue against a bright red background.
Features

Wellbeing tips for surviving a gruelling festival season Part 2: Melbourne International Comedy Festival

How do comedians, clowns, cabaret artists and festival directors juggle self-care with the rigours of MICF?

On the move is ArtsHub's weekly round-up of Australian arts appointments and resignations. The photo shows a crowd of people dancing at a rave party inside a nightclub.
News

On the move: latest arts sector appointments

ArtsHub’s weekly round-up of who’s going where and who’s leaving which role in the Australian cultural sector.

The Federal Budget 2025-26 offers little in the way of arts sector-specific support. The image is provided by the Federal Government Budget website, and depicts the Australian cost of arms, beneath which are written the words 'Budget 2025-26' in white lettering against a dark blue background.
News

Federal Budget 2025-26: how does it benefit the arts?

The new Budget offers little in the way of arts sector-specific support, leaving many peak bodies disappointed.

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