Rob Brookman to receive 2017 Sue Nattrass Award

Live Performance Australia has announced that the prestigious 2017 Sue Nattrass Award will be presented to leading Australian theatre producer, festival director, cultural programmer and arts administrator Rob Brookman.

To be presented at the 17th annual Helpmann Awards Ceremony, the Sue Nattrass Award honours exceptional service to the Australian live performance industry shining a spotlight on people in service roles that support our industry.

Brookman, who most recently completed a five year term as Executive Director of State Theatre Company South Australia, has just taken up a new role as the Executive Director of the Adelaide Festival.

Previously he has held leadership positions in a number of Australasia's foremost festivals and performing arts organisations including Adelaide Festival (Administrator, Associate Director, Artistic Director), Adelaide Festival Centre (Programming Director, Producer, Artistic Director), National Festival of Australian Theatre (Artistic Director), New Zealand International Festival of Arts (Artistic Director), Arts Projects Australia (Founding Co-Director) and Sydney Theatre Company (General Manager).

In 1992, he co-founded Australia’s leading world music festival WOMADelaide and remained as Artistic Director and/or Artistic Advisor for 15 years.

Brookman (pictured above) has also run his own cultural consultancy Sweet Reason Pty Ltd offering consulting services to major productions and festivals, and undertaking feasibility studies and project development work for a wide range of clients including festivals, commercial developers and local government agencies.

He has held many arts-related Board positions including Deputy Chair of Playing Australia, Chair of the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award, Chair of the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, and is currently a Trustee of the WOMADelaide Foundation, Treasurer of the Arts Industry Council of SA and a Board Member of the Melbourne Festival.

Commenting on his announcement as the recipient of the 2017 Sue Nattrass Award, Brookman stated “I have been blessed to be able to pursue a livelihood in the arts that involves doing things and working with people that I absolutely love; and doubly fortunate to have worked in our industry at a time of incredible change and development which has afforded opportunities that were undreamed of when I started out.

“To be so generously recognised by my peers through the Sue Nattrass Award is the best kind of icing on the most fabulously rich, complex, beautiful and utterly enjoyable, cake.”

Nominees for the 17th annual Helpmann Awards will be announced on Monday 19th June.

29th May 2017 - THE 17TH ANNUAL HELPMANN AWARDS TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN SYDNEY IN JULY 

4th August 2016 - RECORD YEAR FOR ADELAIDE’S MAJOR FESTIVALS

26th July 2016 - MATILDA THE MUSICAL WINS RECORD 13 AWARDS AT 2016 HELPMANN AWARDS 2016 

30th June 2016 - HELPMANN AWARDS TO HONOUR MICHAEL LYNCH

2nd June 2016 - LIVE PERFORMANCE AUSTRALIA SETS OUT ELECTION POLICY PRIORITIES 

13th May 2016 - CAST CALLS ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REINSTATE AUSTRALIA COUNCIL FUNDS 

19th April 2016 - RALLY HEARS THAT SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ARTS FUNDING AT RISK OF BEING ‘DECIMATED’

10th March 2016 - ARTS LEADER LYNCH LABELS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S ARTS POLICY AS A DISGRACE