Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy appointed Co-Directors for the Adelaide Festival of Arts

This morning it was announced Neil Armfield AO and Rachel Healy have been appointed Co-Artistic Directors for the Adelaide Festival of Arts for 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Both are Australian born with Armfield (the son of a factory worker) hailing from N.S.W and Healy a native South Australian.

Armfield, a founding member of Belvoir Street Theatre, is widely acknowledged as one of Australia’s finest theatre, opera and film makers. His 40 year career includes seventeen years as Artistic Director of Belvoir Street Theatre, where he also worked with Healy. He recently won his 10th Helpmann Award as Best Director for Opera Australia’s Ring Cycle, and his theatre and opera works have regularly featured in previous Adelaide Festival of Arts programmes and his latest film, Holding the Man, is due for release in late 2015.

Healy is commonly considered one of the country’s leading Arts professionals with over 20 years experience in the sector including stints with The State Theatre Company of S.A. and The Australian Ballet. Healy has had strong experience as Director of Performing Arts at the Sydney Opera House and most recently as Executive Manager Culture at the City of Sydney where she helped develop the city’s first cultural policy and action plan as well as a comprehensive review of the live music scene.

Chairman of the Adelaide Festival Corporation Richard Ryan AO said, “Odgers Berndtson Executive Search undertook an extensive national and international search and I am thrilled with this appointment and confident this outstanding duo will delight our audiences, and maintain the Festival’s prestigious position as one of the best in the world.”