Next Wave Artistic Director, Emily Sexton, to Leave Organisation on High

On Wednesday 14 May at Arts Centre Melbourne 250 delegates from Asia, Europe and Australia joined with Robyn Archer AO in applauding the artistic and financial success of the 2014 Next Wave Festival, and the four years of achievements and growth led by Artistic Director and co-CEO, Emily Sexton.

After a four year tenure, Sexton will finish with the organisation on Friday 1 August, 2014. She leaves a legacy of increases in funding, audiences and a $1.45m turnover, as well as introducing a brand new Festival model, including the game-changing curated day passes.

"In?2010?we?selected?Emily?from?a?highly?competitive?field?of?applicants.?Since?then?she together with co-CEO Paul Gurney?have?delivered?nothing?short?of?exceptional?results," said Next Wave Chair, Janenne Willis.? "Emily's?leadership?has?inspired?the?Next?Wave?team?to?realise?the?transformative?organisational?goals?we?set?out?some?four?years?back.?A?period?marked?by?significant?financial?and?audience?growth,?newfound?diversity?of?artists?and?audiences,?and?a?reinvigorated?organisational?culture.?Emily's?passion,?courage?and?unparalleled?capacity?to?articulate?complex?new?ideas?has?seen?her?develop?into?one?of?this?country's?most?impressive?young?leaders."?

Joining the organisation in 2010, during Sexton's tenure Next Wave Festival has evolved to become a dynamic festival of ideas and debate, alongside a sophisticated presentation of contemporary art by emerging artists from Australia and across the globe. A passionate explorer of new festival models and experimental approaches to audience engagement, Sexton pioneered Next Wave's now signature curated day passes, day-long journeys through the Festival and its host city, Melbourne.

Expanding the scope of an arts festival, Sexton also curated and launched three publications, including two Next Wave Magazines and critically-acclaimed Blak Wave book, a composite of Indigenous art making, thoughts and ideas.

An active voice on Next Wave's online platforms, Sexton has seen the organisation's social following quadruple to an audience of 20,000+ during her time at Next Wave.

Sexton's time with the organisation has been distinguished by significant international and national partnerships via the Australia Council, IETM, British Council, Wheeler Centre and Fierce Festival (UK), amongst others. These have resulted in substantial increases in funds to support emerging artists' works, with Next Wave's 2014 annual turnover reaching $1.45m.

"I'm very proud to be leaving Next Wave on such a high, with Australia's massively talented emerging artists achieving international recognition for their extraordinary work," said outgoing Next Wave Artistic Director, Emily Sexton. "Next Wave is a truly amazing organisation, where I've been supported to experiment with big ideas, at the same time as supporting artists to do the same. I have learnt so much about the role of art and artists in contemporary life, and the significant change that can be enacted by innovative cultural leadership. My extra special thanks go to Executive Director Paul Gurney, and the Next Wave Board, for their smarts, imagination and heartfelt passion for new ideas"

For her final edition of the Next Wave Festival Sexton presented a program of 38 newly commissioned works by emerging artists from across Australia, the Philippines, Korea, Lebanon, Canada and the UK. The Festival's keynote initiative, BLAK WAVE, saw a highly regarded collection of contemporary art by seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists be presented alongside a robust and sold-out talks series, and the publishing of a new book exploring the future of Indigenous art.

Preliminary audience reports indicate that Next Wave Festival 2014 has again achieved huge increases in audience; public works alone, such as bomb collective's Shift at the State Library of Victoria, attracted audiences of over 75,000. While the final figures and surveys are still being collated for the 2014 Festival, early figures show a huge increase in Melbourne's appetite for emerging artists and bold new art, reflected by 65% increase in paid attendances and 50% increase in ticket sales revenue (with 85% of ticket revenue going directly to artists).

"This is an exciting time for us at Next Wave," said Willis. "Our track record navigating change is rock solid. Our leadership strategy is progressive and we have a long standing commitment to the development of Australia's arts leaders. The Next Wave Board and I look forward to national and international conversations with inspiring and imaginative people about the artistic vision for the next Next Wave. ."

Next Wave is now recruiting for a passionate and curious individual to lead the organisation towards the 2016 Next Wave Festival as its new Artistic Director and co-CEO. Applications from across Australia and overseas are welcome and due 5pm AEST Friday 13 June. For more information interested applicants should head to www.nextwave.org.au.

Billed as Australia's biennial festival of emerging artists and ideas, Next Wave Festival is a city-wide, month-long celebration of cutting-edge arts and culture from around Australia and the globe. In 2014, Next Wave celebrated 30th anniversary with a tightly curated selection of the most ambitious, risky and surprising new art by 238 artists hand-picked by Emily Sexton and her team.

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