ABOUTAustralia is a highly culturally engaged nation with a rich pedigree of talent and storytellers.
The live performing arts and entertainment sector alone is a $4.7b industry, and the broader creative industries contribute c. $122b, a 6.2% share of Australia’s GDP.
REA expertise focuses on increasing the vitality of the sector, offering services in Board Advisory, Strategic Growth and Executive Search for cultural leaders in Australia and New Zealand.
Delivering impactful results for small, medium to large organisations, councils and governments, our team has unique first-hand knowledge of the subtleties and complexities of the industry, audience, investment frameworks and marketplaces within which the sector undertakes its business.
We have a life-long passion for the arts and creating environments for teams to be creative, generative, responsive, responsible and commercially sustainable.
THE TEAMRichard Evans
AM
Vanessa Duscio
Associates
REA is made up of industry experts who have dedicated their careers to the service of artists and audiences. We share a conviction that culture and diversity is fundamentally important and informs the way we see, think and live our lives.
Richard and Vanessa take great pride in being the only principals of a search firm in Australia with first-hand experience leading some of Australia’s most prominent and complex cultural businesses.
Richard Evans
AM
Founder and Principal Partner
Richard is a highly respected CEO, mentor, non-executive director, cultural precinct leader and public servant with a deep knowledge of managing creative companies of scale. He has been at the forefront of transforming and shaping Australia’s leading performing arts and venue-based organisations, including The Bell Shakespeare Company (Executive Director), The Australian Ballet (Executive Director), Sydney Opera House (CEO) and the Australian Chamber Orchestra (Managing Director).
He is currently the President of Live Performance Australia, Chair of the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, and Managing Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. He is a regular commentator of arts issues in the national media.
Richard’s extensive record of experience in the arts, business and government extends to non-Executive Director voluntary positions for Belvoir Theatre Company, Lucy Guerin Inc, Orchestra Victoria and Collingwood Yards.
Having worked extensively making and presenting theatre, dance, classical music and a range of other artforms and events, Richard founded REA in 2013 providing strategic advisory services and cultural leadership placement.
Born and raised in Christchurch New Zealand, Richard holds an honorary diploma from Australian Conservatorium of Music, and has studied various Executive programs for not-for-profit leadership at Ross School of Business, Stanford University and Harvard Business School.
Richard received an Order of Australia in 2023 for his outstanding service to performing arts.
Vanessa Duscio
Managing Partner
Vanessa has helped shaped the agenda in strategy, audience, content and development for a range of Australia’s leading arts organisations and brands, including Carriageworks, Sydney Opera House and The Australian Ballet.
With over 20 years’ experience in the cultural and not-for-profit sector, Vanessa is a passionate advocate and leader, deeply committed to fostering high-performing teams, projects, creatives and results.
During her career, Vanessa has worked closely with a diverse range of industries and individuals to bring significant cultural initiatives to life, which has allowed her to gain unique experience as strategy and communications advisor to a range of chief executives and NFP boards.
As Managing Partner at REA, she has applied her extensive business experience and networks to strategic projects, cultural leadership assessment and executive search.
Vanessa grew up in regional Victoria along the Murray River. She holds post graduate qualifications and studied at RMIT University, Melbourne, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Associates
REA is supported by an expert team of experienced research consultants, specialists and suppliers as required, tailored to meet our clients’ needs.
Collectively, the depth of experience across multi-artform companies, precincts, venues and government, as consultants and advisors would be hard to beat.