Perth International Arts Festival is thrilled to announce it has won an Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) Award and a Western Australian Cultural Achievement Award.

The Festival's General Manager Julian Donaldson took home the inaugural Cultural Achievement Award for Excellence in Arts Management and the ABaF Giving Award went to the Festival's Medici Donors sponsorship program.

Julian Donaldson became General Manager in 2006 and has implemented sound business plans to maintain the Festival's position as one of the industry's leading arts organisations.

Perth International Arts Festival Chairman Michael Smith said last night's awards added to the artistic recognition the Festival received in this year's Helpmann Awards.

"They also compliment the most prestigious award, and that is three successive record breaking years from our patrons," he said.  "We are very proud of Julian Donaldson and grateful for this recognition of his accomplishments."

The award judges said: "As General Manager of Perth International Arts Festival, Julian's strong leadership, deep business understanding of the business community and close collaboration with the Festival's Artistic Director and staff has enabled the Festival to enter a new era of growth, maturity and stability."

The Medici Donors program was founded in 2001 largely through the passion and efforts of devoted Festival goer Mack Hall.  It is the centrepiece of the Festival's philanthropy program.  Since its inception the program has donated $300,000 to support ambitious, innovative and challenging international works which may be deemed too risky by the corporate sector.  This began with Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 2001 and has included 12 Angry Men in 2004 and 2009's Giselle.

Michael Smith thanked Mack Hall and the Medici Donors on behalf of the Festival.

"As the founder and leader of the Medici Donors our retiring board member Mack Hall will now have a reason for another fundraising party," he said.

Media references

Rania Ghandour (PIAF)  (+61 8)  6488 8618  /  (+61 4) 03 025 535
Joanna Trilling (PIAF)  (+61 8)  6488 8637  /  (+61 4) 21 351 379
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716