The Sydney Opera House has announced the appointment of Michael Hutchings, of Arremte heritage from Central Australia, to the role of Head of First Nations Programming.

An experienced First Nations culture and arts professional, Hutchings joins the Opera House from the Australia Council for the Arts where, as the First Nations Project Manager, he led and developed projects addressing the needs of the sector across artforms. Key achievements included producing the First Nations Arts and Culture Awards in partnership with NITV, curating First Nations’ roundtables, and delivering industry-first mentoring and residency programs for artists.

He joins the iconic arts venue’s internal programming team Sydney Opera House Presents, led by Fiona Winning (Director, Programming) and will work alongside other programming heads and curators, including Ebony Bott (Head of Contemporary Performance), Chip Rolley (Head of Talks & Ideas), Ben Marshall (Head of Contemporary Music), Stuart Buchanan (Head of Digital Programming), Tamara Harrison (Head of Children, Families & Creative Learning) and Micheal Do (Curator, Contemporary Art).

The Opera House’s First Nations program was launched in 2012 and led by Widjabul, Bundjalung trailblazing artistic director Rhoda Roberts AO, and from 2021 by Quandamooka, Mununjali curator, producer and performer Beau James. Under Hutchings’ leadership, the Opera House’s year-round First Nations program will continue to celebrate the richness, diversity and vibrancy of First Nations cultures.