Executive Producer Announced For Asia TOPA 2020

Former ILBIJERRI Theatre Company Executive Producer Simeon Moran has been announced as the Executive Producer of Asia TOPA: Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts in 2020.

Simeon Moran is an experienced creative producer and arts leader who is committed to supporting innovative arts practice, particularly in cross-cultural and collaborative contexts. He comes to Asia TOPA fresh from a one year sabbatical travelling remote Australia in a 4WD with his family.

Prior to this recent adventure, Simeon spent three years as Executive Producer at ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, Australia's leading First Nations' Theatre company, and five years as Executive Producer of Snuff Puppets, where he oversaw the expansion of this globally renowned company and its successful international program. Previously, Simeon has worked as a producer for the Melbourne Fringe Festival and co-founded the Digital Fringe Festival, placing emerging artists' screen-based artworks into public spaces. In 2005 Simeon co-founded Horse Bazaar, an innovative bar, art space and production house in Melbourne, where he was a co-director for seven years.

"We are delighted Simeon is joining the Asia TOPA team to help us create an innovative program of events and performances. His experience, knowledge and leadership will be of the utmost importance when connecting with local communities and engaging with artists from across the region," said Asia TOPA Creative Director Stephen Armstrong.

"I am really thrilled to be joining the Asia TOPA team and getting the opportunity to work with the festival artists, consortium, and partners. It will be an honour to support the vital work of Asia TOPA in building artist led contemporary dialogue and creative cultural exchange within our region," said Simeon Moran of his appointment.

Created by Arts Centre Melbourne and presented by a consortium of Melbourne's leading cultural institutions, Asia TOPA: Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts, is a festival-style celebration of Asian-focused performance and culture, from the hottest contemporary performance to the boldly iconic and sublimely classical.

First presented from January to April 2017, Asia TOPA featured some of the most anticipated contemporary performance makers from across Asia including Tao Dance Theatre, AR Rahman, the bold collaboration XO State, the National Ballet of China, Pichet Klunchun's Dancing with Death and Satan Jawa, a blend of Western symphonic tradition and Indonesian gamelan music.

In partnership with the Sidney Myer Fund, Asia TOPA in 2017 was notable not just for its extraordinary diversity and range of arts experiences but the number of new works commissioned and/or produced for Asia TOPA. The 2017 presentation featured 280 Asia TOPA events across 46 cultural venues and community gathering places, 31 world premieres and 15 Australian premiere seasons.

Asia TOPA 2020 will further position Melbourne firmly on the Asia-Pacific cultural map in terms of innovation, new ways of working and exciting inter-cultural commissions and collaborations. The team have already joined international cohorts including the West Kowloon Cultural Authority (Hong Kong), the Singapore Festival, TPAM (Tokyo), The Esplanade (Singapore), and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (South Korea) in planning and developing creative repertoire for 21st century audiences.

Further details about Asia TOPA's 2020 programming will be released in 2019.

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