Tutti Arts appoints next Artistic Director

Tutti Arts has appointed award-winning theatre designer, collaborator and consultant Gaelle Mellis as its new Artistic Director. Founding Artistic Director Pat Rix will retire in September after 24 years at the helm.

Gaelle Mellis’ outstanding and sustained contribution to the arts was most recently recognised with the Geoff Crowhurst Memorial Award at the 2020 Ruby Awards, which honour the best of South Australia’s arts and culture sector, and with the prestigious 2020 Australia Council National Arts and Disability Award for an Established Artist.

Gaelle says, “I am excited for the future of Tutti Arts, its extraordinary artists and the role I can play. I believe in disability-led practice and that disabled people must be the producers of our own image and storytellers of our own lives.

“I will support and encourage Tutti artists to be authentic, bold, curious and fierce in everything they undertake. I will honour Pat Rix’s legacy and ensure that Tutti is a place to take risks, allow failure, and explore new possibilities.”

Bringing a passion for provoking conversation and change around disability, Ms Mellis’ appointment heralds an exciting new era for Tutti Arts as it moves toward realising its goal to be a disability-led organisation.

The Tutti Board, Pat Rix and General Manager Linda Williams are thrilled about Gaelle’s appointment. As a respected disabled artist, Gaelle will illuminate deeper and broader pathways for the talented artists and collectives at Tutti. Gaelle’s knowledge of the local, national and international disability arts sector, her lived experience of disability and her capacity to advocate will be invaluable to Tutti.

Gaelle will commence at Tutti Arts on Monday 12 July 2021.

To learn more about Gaelle, visit her website gaellemellis.com