WELCOME
CAROL
SCHWARTZ AM
PRESIDENT
JOHN
BRUMBY MP
PREMIER
LYNNE KOSKY MP
MINISTER
FOR THE ARTS
This year marks the end of a remarkable
four-year tenure by Festival Artistic Director Kristy
Edmunds. Kristy has brought to Melbourne the
most groundbreaking, exciting and entertaining
contemporary work in theatre, dance, music and
the visual arts, along with a multitude of crossdiscipline collaborations.
Each year Melbourne International Arts Festival
engages and inspires us with some of the most
innovative theatre, music, dance, visual arts and
multimedia from Australia and around the world.
Excellence, diversity and accessibility are
hallmarks of Melbourne International Arts
Festival, a festival that aims to present the best
possible artistic experience to as many people
as possible. Last year more than half a million
artlovers attended Festival events.
The extent to which Kristy has raised the Festival’s
international profile is truly significant, promoting
the Festival as a leadership organisation that is
engaged with the world.
I would also like to acknowledge the hard work
and dedication of Festival staff who do their
utmost to make all the great ideas happen.
The Festival would not be able to go that extra
mile, to be such an exceptional event on the
international arts calendar, without the generous
financial contributions of our sponsors, supporters
and Patrons Circle members. This support is
crucial to the long-term planning and viability of
the Festival.
With such a rich and diverse program of events on
offer, 2008 promises to be another outstanding
year in the Festival’s history. Delve into this Guide
and be prepared to experience Melbourne as
never before!
Carol Schwartz AM
Melbourne International Arts Festival
President
The wide variety of venues and ticket prices, as
well as the free exhibitions and visual arts events,
make this Festival accessible to all. In 2008 the
free events program includes an historic Opening
Night concert in Federation Square that brings
together music ensembles, soloists, performers and
artists in celebration of the oldest and the newest
cultures of our multicultural city.
The Festival extends beyond metropolitan
Melbourne with the impressive Festival Around
Victoria program, which brings top Festival acts to
regional communities. This year Toshi Reagon and
BIGLovely Trio perform in Bendigo, Frankston and
Dandenong, Kartik Seshadri performs in Frankston
and the Interpreti Veneziani delivers a taste of
Venice to Sale.
The Victorian Government is proud to be the
major supporter of Melbourne International Arts
Festival. The Festival plays an important role in
putting Melbourne and Victoria and our local
artists on the international map, and brings some
of the world’s best talent to local audiences.
Have a great Festival.
John Brumby MP
Premier of Victoria
This year’s program makes the most of all that
Melbourne has to offer. From the exterior walls of
NGV International via the Princes Bridge walkway,
to Moorabbin and beyond, the Festival invites you
to see Melbourne with fresh eyes.
As we near the end of Kristy Edmunds’
four-year tenure, I would like to acknowledge her
contribution to the Festival and to the cultural life
of Melbourne.
The Festival provides an important international
platform for local artists. This year’s Festival
features a number of hotly anticipated world
premieres from some of Victoria’s most innovative
companies: Back to Back Theatre with Food Court,
Chunky Move’s Two Faced Bastard, Lucy Guerin
Inc with Corridor, Jenny Kemp’s Kitten, Appetite
by KAGE, The Black Arm Band with Hidden
Republic, Polyglot’s The Big Game and Sunstruck
by Helen Herbertson and Ben Cobham. These
premiere works of international significance truly
demonstrate the high calibre of talent in Victoria
and the commitment that the Festival has to
developing local artists.
The Victorian Government has supported the
Festival for 23 years and I am personally proud
to be able to offer my support to this, one of the
highlights of the Victorian cultural calendar.
Lynne Kosky MP
Minister for the Arts, Victoria