After working at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) for more than three decades and serving in the role of Chief Executive Officer for sixteen of them, it was this week announced that John Kotzas AM will be leaving his position in December 2024. This will come (if all things go to plan) once the new performing arts venue (Aka. The Fifth Theatre) opens its doors to the public, which would be a strong conclusion to his time leading the organisation.
I had the opportunity to work and collaborate with John Kotzas during my three-and-a-bit year tenure at QPAC. I remember him greeting me warmly during my first week in the job, and I will specifically pass on my kudos for what he achieved around the Out of the Box Festival as well as spearheading the QPAC International Series, which saw the likes of Ballet Preljocaj, Teatro a la Scala and The Royal Ballet spend several weeks in-residence at Brisbane, bringing some of their defining works exclusively in Brisbane.
A search for a new CEO has now commenced internationally, with QPAC assisted in the search by Anthony Armstrong of Russell Reynolds. I am curious to how they will structure the role, whether they will favour the joint CEO and Artistic Director role, or whether they will return to what many major performing arts venues do and have these two leadership roles firmly separate – given QPAC’s joint role as the state’s leading performing arts venue AND a producer and investor in local works which could be two full-time jobs in itself. I am also particularly excited to see what this new CEO brings to the table, crafting QPAC in their own direction.
There will be a public opportunity hosted by QPAC in November next year to properly celebrate Kotzas’ career and his contribution to QPAC during his 35 year tenure.
John is regarded, with good justification, as a commanding figure who has been at the forefront of the arts sector for a long period.
Professor Peter Coaldrake AO | Chair of Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)
Through its outstanding successes—including audacious international partnerships, new local commissions, and a growing focus on First Nations peoples and culture—QPAC is now in an enviable position. Audience numbers have rebounded post-pandemic with recent annual attendance at more than 1.2 million patrons, including interstate and overseas guests. And the finalisation of the new 1500-seat theatre will make QPAC the largest performing arts venue in the Southern Hemisphere
It is a testament to John’s leadership that many of the organisation’s achievements have been accomplished over a period in which QPAC has had to deal with major disruptions: two major flooding events, in 2011 and 2022, and a global pandemic whose impact on QPAC’s business and the entire arts ecosystem was fundamental and far-reaching. With the new theatre due for completion later next year and the Olympics on the horizon, QPAC has extraordinary opportunities ahead.
