Outstanding First Nations artist and designer Jacob Nash has been announced as the inaugural creative artist in residence for a new era of Sydney Festival.
Incoming Sydney Festival artistic director Olivia Ansell hand-picked the renowned Bangarra Dance Theatre designer, who also contributed towards multiple exciting projects under her predecessor at Sydney Festival, Wesley Enoch, including the astounding visions of Black Ties and Always. Nash’s mother is from Daly River Country, west of Darwin. He grew up in Brisbane but has spent the last two decades living and working on Eora land. “I am really excited to be joining the Sydney Festival to work alongside the brilliant Olivia Ansell,” he says. “I look forward to sharing my diverse career experiences and cultural knowledge with her and the festival team, to help shape and define her vision for our city in summer.”
Nash will continue in his role at Bangarra, where he has overseen the look of all of their hit shows over the past decade, including Bennelong. He also collaborated with Bangarra artistic director Stephen Page on his feature film Spear. Ansell is excited to welcome him into the Sydney Festival fold. “Jacob is one of Australia’s most evocative and in-demand designers,” she says. “His theatre [work] and recent collaborations with Sydney Festival under Wesley Enoch’s tenure have powerfully and poetically evoked audiences in Australia and overseas. I’m thrilled to appoint Jake and look forward to the deep cultural knowledge and collaboration he will bring.”