Brett Sheehy

Artistic Director, Melbourne International Arts Festival

Once at the helm of the Sydney and Adelaide International Arts Festivals, Brett Sheehy was appointed head of the Melbourne International Arts Festival this year; consolidating his position as a passionate influence on the Australian artistic landscape.

Trained as a lawyer in Brisbane, and later moving to Sydney to do odd-jobs as a gardener and cleaner, Sheehy says he was looking for more of a challenge. Taking up the directorship of Australia’s largest theatre company, Sydney Theatre Company in 1986, his influential affair with the arts began there.

Named by ‘The Bulletin’, ‘Limelight’ and ‘The Australian Financial Review’ as an individual to watch for his impact on the world of arts, Sheehy can now add the Same Same 25 to that list.

Breaking all attendance records for the Adelaide Festival in its 48 year history, the 49 year old now has the artistic community eagerly awaiting his take on next year’s Melbourne Festival.

"A festival is a unique marriage of personal taste with what the city has to offer,” said Sheehy in a past interview with Sydney Morning Herald. “I see my role as being a caretaker of the festival for the duration of my term but ownership remains with the people of the community.”

Sheehy can boast bringing over 37 world premieres to our shores, and while he may have been offered similar positions overseas, his passion for promoting Australian artistic culture enticed him to take on a two year role with the Melbourne International Arts Festival that he says he hopes will be extended.

Anti-hierarchy and passionate about an accessible artistic culture, Sheehy helped boost the appeal of his festivals to younger audiences. He was also a participant in the Australian Federal Government’s 2020 Summit and was appointed by the Australia Council as a national Ambassador for the ‘We All Play A Part’ initiative, encouraging nation-wide community involvement in the arts. Sheehy is definitely making the artists’ voices heard.

By Joel Bryant