Dark Mofo’s tenth festival heralds a changing of the guard
With today’s confirmation of next year’s Dark Mofo festival dates (8–22 June 2023) comes the announcement that it will be the last helmed by Creative Director Leigh Carmichael, as he makes space for a new Artistic Director in 2024.
After delivering Dark Mofo 2023, Leigh Carmichael will remain in his role as Director of DarkLab, concentrating on the overall leadership of DarkLab as it focuses on large-scale, permanent cultural activation projects.
These include the delivery of the Transformer project in the Huon Valley, the operation and ongoing development of In The Hanging Garden precinct in partnership with Riverlee, and more on the horizon.
DarkLab will continue to organise and produce the festival in Hobart.Since establishing Dark Mofo in 2013, Mr Carmichael and team have tirelessly grown the festival, cementing Hobart’s wintry appeal on the Australian festival circuit.
“I feel that after ten years curating the Dark Mofo program, it’s time for new energy and new ideas to move the festival forward.” Leigh Carmichael said.
“Dark Mofo occupies an important place in the Australian arts landscape, and I am confident that it will continue to provide opportunities for artists and audiences to experience challenging art in the darkest weeks of the year.
“I will be devoting more time and energy into DarkLab’s other cultural projects and pushing for better venues and more public infrastructure for Hobart so that it can cement its place as a vibrant cultural city.”DarkLab is on the search for an Artistic Director to provide the creative direction for Dark Mofo from 2024, in line with the festival’s perennial themes around the regenerative aspects of the midwinter solstice and Dionysian revelry.
Dark Mofo will take place in Hobart from 8–22 June 2023.
