Adelaide Festival of Arts

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (14:47): My question is to the Minister for the Arts. What changes and announcements have been made about the Adelaide Festival?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:47): The Adelaide Festival is the jewel in South Australia's festival crown. It is an incredible event which showcases some of the best arts in the world. 2017 will see massive changes in the leadership and artistic direction, but I have faith the new faces will see a regeneration of our fantastic festival.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: as the questioner has already asked the minister to identify what has already been announced today, I suggest that it is already in the public arena and therefore in breach of the orders.

The SPEAKER: Can the minister say whether this information is already available from another source?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Mr Speaker, I am elaborating on an announcement that was made. There is other information—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: There is nothing that I am reading that has been—I am not reading a press release, if that is what Mr Speaker is interested in.

The SPEAKER: Go ahead.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: 2017 will see massive changes in the leadership and artistic direction—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Adelaide is called to order.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I have faith the new faces will see a regeneration of our fantastic festival. I would like to acknowledge the new chair of the board, Judy Potter, who has a long and distinguished involvement on arts boards, most notably, her 10 years at the Adelaide Fringe. Judy has led a rejuvenation of the board, which has seen Mark Roderick, David Knox and Amanda Vanstone appointed, joining Ulrike Klein and Jim Whalley, who both joined the board in the second half of last year. I would also like to acknowledge the dedication of previous board members, in particular, Amanda Duthie, Graham Walters and Christie Anthoney, who provided great guidance and support to the festival.

I would like to welcome Sandy Verschoor, who has stepped into the role of acting chief executive, filling the vacancy left by Karen Bryant. Karen was an extremely dedicated chief executive and I wish her all the best in her new role overseeing the Midsumma Festival in Melbourne. Sandy has come to the Festival with great experience, having previously held the role of general manager at Windmill Theatre. She is, of course, also a councillor on the Adelaide City Council.

As I have previously mentioned in this place, taking over the helm of artistic direction from David Sefton is the formidable duo of Rachel Healy and Neil Armfield. Today, Rachel and Neil unveiled the centrepiece of the 2017 program, Handel's Saul. In what is something of a homecoming, we are pleased to welcome back 1996 Festival director, Barry Kosky, who has directed what I am told is an absolute masterpiece. The government is pleased to be supporting Saul through a one-off special grant of $700,000 to ensure the exclusive Australian rights to the opera. In fact, it will be the first time it has been performed outside the Glyndebourne Opera Festival.

Saul is expected to provide benefits similar on scale to that of the Ring Cycle, which attracted 62 per cent of its audience from interstate and overseas, who stayed 32,750 bed nights in South Australia and spent almost $10 million across the tourism and hospitality sectors. Not only is Saul a coup for the Festival but it provides an incredible opportunity for local artists and production staff, who will work with quite literally some of the world's best opera singers and producers to bring this work to the Adelaide Festival Theatre stage.

Can I thank Rachel and Neil, as well as the team at the Adelaide Festival, for their incredibly hard work and dedication to secure this amazing production. I cannot wait until October when the Fall 2017 program will be released.