Director of theatre appointed

John Baylis has been appointed as the Australia Council's director of theatre.

Mr Baylis has worked in theatre as performer, dramaturg, manager and director since the late 1970s. He was manager of the One Extra Dance Company (1982-86), a founding coordinator of Performance Space (1983-84) and later its chair (1992-93), and has worked freelance with Sidetrack, Entr'acte, Gravity Feed, Salamanca Theatre Company, and many others.

In 1986 he co-founded the Sydney Front, a contemporary performance company that made work until 1993, touring throughout Australia and Europe. Most recently he was artistic director of Urban Theatre Projects in Western Sydney (1997-2001). He has been manager of the Australia Council's theatre board since May 2001.

Mr Baylis is the first appointment since the new artform director positions were announced by the Council as part of its recent reorganisation.

The Council's new artform directors will hold primary authority over the grants process and key organisations in their area, but funding decisions remain with the boards. They will have a role in setting strategic priorities for the entire Council and in representing their artform area across all areas of Australia Council activity.