Mike Baird News

Each January, Sydney Festival enlivens and transforms Sydney with a bold cultural celebration based on the highest quality art and big ideas. Sydney Festival opens today to celebrate its 40th anniversary and the final year for esteemed Festival Director Lieven Bertels with a spectacular program bursting with free and ticketed events across theatre, dance, circus, opera and contemporary and classical music.

Three finalists have been announced for the second annual Lysicrates Prize, produced by Griffin Theatre Company and inspired by the restoration of the Lysicrates Monument on the band lawn of The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, which celebrates its 200th Birthday in 2016. Scroll down for photos!

In a world first, a Sydney audience will democratically choose the winner of an Australian play in a modern playwriting competition, following an ancient Athenian model.

Spike TV has picked up 12 episodes for a second season of FLIP MAN the network's successful original non-scripted series. The announcement was made today by Sharon Levy, Executive Vice President, Original Series, Spike TV.

Spike TV has picked up six episodes of a new, original series, 'Flipping Foreclosures,' it was announced today by Tim Duffy, Spike TV's senior vice president, original series.