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Kate Gould, the co-founder of Mona's renowned winter arts festival in Hobart and current CEO and artistic director of the Brisbane Powerhouse, has been revealed as the next CEO of the Adelaide Festival Centre.
Established as Australia's first performing arts centre in 1973, the Adelaide Festival Centre has been led for almost two decades by Douglas Gautier AM who will finish his tenure in June.
In July Gould will return to Adelaide where she previously held the leadership role of CEO and associate artistic director of Adelaide Festival from 2002 to 2012.
She has also held multiple board positions including chair of Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, director of Adelaide Football Club and co-chair of the SA Premier’s Council for Women.
"I'm pleased to return to Adelaide to lead one of the nation’s great arts centres and festival producers," says Gould.
"With its impressive renovations and further developments ahead, Adelaide Festival Centre and Her Majesty’s Theatre are beacons of arts and culture in Australia.
"I look forward to building on the organisation’s achievements, with perhaps a few surprises inspired by my experiences with Brisbane Powerhouse, Dark Mofo and Adelaide Festival."
South Australia's Minister for Arts, Andrea Michaels, describes Gould's appointment as a "coup" for the Adelaide Festival Centre.
"Kate Gould is an exceptional talent who has already delighted us with her leadership at the Adelaide Festival," says Michaels.
"I’m excited to welcome Kate back to Adelaide as work gets underway on Adelaide Festival Centre’s $35 million redevelopment following the Malinauskas Government’s significant investment into its future."
The centre's chair Karlene Maywald said the appointment was made following an international search "with enormous interest".
"Kate is an exceptional talent whose vision, innovative skills and experience will help drive Adelaide Festival Centre's next phase of artistic, commercial and precinct development," Maywald says.
"We are extremely fortunate that retiring CEO, Douglas Gautier is leaving an amazing legacy of arts leadership for the future."
The news comes after Australia's 'City of Churches' achieved record-breaking visitor numbers for the festival season in March.
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