ROB BROOKMAN AM is a leading Australian theatre producer, festival director, cultural programmer and arts administrator. In a 45 year career, he has held leadership positions in a number of the Australasia’s foremost festivals and performing arts organisations including the Adelaide Festival (Administrator, Associate Director, Artistic Director, Executive Director), Adelaide Festival Centre (Programming Director, Producer, Artistic Director), National Festival of Australian Theatre (Artistic Director), New Zealand International Festival of Arts (Artistic Director), Arts Projects Australia (Founding Co-Director), Sydney Theatre Company (General Manager) and State Theatre Company South Australia (Executive Director). In 1992 he co-founded Australia’s leading world music festival WOMADelaide and remained as Artistic Director and/or Artistic Advisor for 15 years.

Rob runs his own cultural consultancy Sweet Reason Pty Ltd offering consulting services to major productions and festivals, and undertaking feasibility studies and project development work for a wide range of clients including festivals, commercial developers and local government agencies.

Rob has held many arts-related Board positions including Deputy Chair of Playing Australia, Chair of the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award, Chair of the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Board Member of the Melbourne Festival and Belvoir, and is currently a Trustee of the WOMADelaide Foundation and Chair of UKARIA Cultural Centre. He has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from both Flinders University and the University of Adelaide along with the 2017 Ruby Award for Lifetime Achievement (shared with Ulrike Klein) and the 2017 Helpmann Awards’ Sue Nattrass Award for exceptional service to the Australian live performance industry.