Perth is a city of ideas, ambition, and creativity. This year’s Annual Chair’s Lunch on Thursday, 13 November 2025, welcomes Anna Reece, Artistic Director of Perth Festival – the centrepiece of Perth’s cultural calendar and Australia’s longest-running arts festival.
Anna believes a festival is far more than a program of performances – it’s a catalyst that transforms a place. It ignites our streets, energises businesses, and invites us to see Perth not just as it is, but as it could be. The Festival Effect is the power of culture to drive economic activity, attract visitors, strengthen identity, and spark innovation, just as Perth Festival did when it transformed the old East Perth Power Station into a vibrant festival hub during the summer of 2025.
Join Anna as she shares how Perth Festival helps our region come alive, demonstrating that when creativity and commerce move together, a festival becomes not just entertainment, but a force for growth, belonging, and ambition.
This Annual Chair’s Lunch provides an opportunity for members to engage directly with one of Perth’s most dynamic cultural leaders. Together, we will explore how arts and culture can help unlock new possibilities for Perth’s future.
We hope you can join us for this inspiring conversation on the power of culture and how we can create a shared vision for a more dynamic Perth.
Our speaker
Anna Reece
Anna Reece is Artistic Director of Perth Festival. A creative producer, programmer and CEO, she brings two decades of national and international experience in major multi-arts festivals, with a reputation for delivering cultural projects that energise cities, support artists, and connect communities.
Anna returned home to Western Australia to produce The Giants for Perth Festival in 2015—an epic public spectacle that drew an audience of 1.4 million people and transformed perceptions of what art could mean for Perth. She later served as Executive Producer of Perth Festival, helping bring to life landmark works such as Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak and Highway to Hell.
Her leadership has also included directing Fremantle Arts Centre and co-leading Darwin Festival, where she oversaw ambitious programs and civic transformations. Anna’s career is defined by a belief in the power of the arts to inspire ambition, belonging, and international connection.
Date
Thursday, 13 November 2025
TIME
12.00pm to 2.00pm
Venue
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer,
Level 11/1 The Esplanade, Perth WA 6000
Prices
This event is an exclusive benefit for members of Committee for Perth.