Anna Reece announced as Fremantle Arts Centre's new Director

The City of Fremantle is delighted to announce the appointment of internationally renowned arts leader Anna Reece as Fremantle Arts Centre Director.

Anna will bring her innovative, strategic and dynamic leadership style to FAC.

With over 15 years experience across the Australian not-for-profit arts and cultural sectors, with a focus in major multi-arts festivals, Anna is highly respected for her commitment to commissioning new Australian work and leading capacity development across the sector.

Currently employed as Executive Producer at Perth Festival, Anna has played a key role in nurturing its artistic vision and creating the strategy for its implementation.

Anna joined the Festival in 2014 to produce Perth’s most successful and memorable event The Giants in 2015 and upon departure she will have overseen the artistic and operational delivery of seven festivals, including managing production of unique events of scale such as Home, Boorna Waanginy and Highway to Hell.

She has a notable track record for commissioning Western Australian works and is a highly skilled producer, most recently delivering Bunggul, the spectacular celebration of Yolgnu culture and Gurrumul Yunupingu for the Festival in 2020.  

Anna is deeply committed to the development of a strong and vibrant arts ecology in and across Australia.

One of her most significant achievements has been implementing Perth Festival’s unrivalled Connect program which works with communities, artists, teachers and organisations to contribute to a flourishing local cultural sector, for which she is a passionate advocate.

Mayor Brad Pettitt said the Arts Centre was a vital and thriving part of the fabric of Fremantle.

“Beloved by the community, it’s also a leading model for arts centres around the country and I look forward to seeing its continued growth under Anna’s respected leadership,” Mayor Pettitt said.

City of Fremantle Arts and Culture Manager Kathryn Taylor said Anna stood out after a highly competitive national search.

“Fremantle Arts Centre’s future is extraordinarily bright with Anna joining the team,” Ms Taylor said.

“She brings amazing, ambitious vision to the role and I’m confident she will nurture and build on FAC’s reputation for excellent, inclusive programming.”

“Fremantle Arts Centre is a focal point of the vibrant, progressive and innovative city that is Fremantle. It’s such an honour to be given the opportunity to be a caretaker of this major Western Australian arts organisation,” Anna said.

“I’m thrilled to be leading FAC and the team into the next chapter, to make space for and create opportunities for new work, new collaborations and new models for the future.”

Prior to Perth Festival Anna was General Manager and Co-CEO of the Darwin Festival (2011 - 2014). She is a Board Director for the Chamber of Arts and Culture WA and Circuit West and the Chair of PVI Collective.

Anna holds a Bachelor of Dramatic Art in Production from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, is a member of the Atelier European Festivals Association alumni, a recipient of the Chief Executive Women Australia Scholarship for Emerging Leaders and is a graduate of the Australia Council for the Arts Leadership Program.

Anna will begin her role with FAC in March 2021.