Arts Margaret River has announced the appointment of Sian Baker as Director of the Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival.
Ms Baker will take the reins from outgoing Creative Director, Tanya Perdue, and Festival Events Manager Michelle Wright, who has stepped into the role of General Manager for Arts Margaret River.
"We are very delighted to have Sian join our team," said Ms Wright.
"We were overwhelmed by the number of highly qualified applications we received but Sian's extensive festival experience and creative relationship-building background won out.
"We are very excited by her vision for the festival and the fresh enthusiasm and energy she brings with her. "
Ms Baker has worked extensively creating, programming and producing successful festivals, and has run marketing and communications companies in both the UK and Australia.
Ms Baker said she was passionate about creating events which gave audiences positive lasting experiences and delivered real impact and support for local communities.
"I'm extremely honoured and excited to be offered this opportunity to work on such a fantastic high profile event, building on the amazing work that Tanya and Michelle have done to create a festival that can truly stand shoulder to shoulder with great literary events around the world," she said.
"In our post COVID-19 world, the opportunities to innovate and evolve the festival and to take our audience on that journey with us, presents an incredible and rewarding challenge and I can't wait to get started."
Following the cancellation of the 2020 festival, the team has been hard at work on plans for 2021, which will see a new creative theme and a packed schedule of Australian writers, journalists, poets and thinkers, plus musicians, artists and performers.
The addition of satellite locations and new ways to attend the festival is also being explored with the aim of opening the festival up to a greater audience outside of Australia.
The Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival will be held from 14 - 16 May 2021 at the Margaret River HEART. For more info visit www.mrrwfestival.com
