John Kotzas returns to arts leadership with Olympia connection and Olympic runway ahead

John Kotzas AM, a Queenslander and grandson of Greek migrants from Kastellorizo, will take the helm arsenic Head of Arts and Culture astatine the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts (HOTA) from May 27.

HOTA announced the assignment connected κοινωνικά media: “With astir 4 decades of acquisition crossed the arts and taste assemblage — including much than 30 years astatine Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) — John brings an bonzer extent of knowledge, enactment and passionateness for creating world-class taste experiences.”

Last clip Neos Kosmos talked to Kotzas successful 2024 helium was ending his 30 tenure astatine the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, (QPAC), 20 of those years arsenic its head. He was astir to walk disconnected into the Queensland sunset, but similar the Godfather they pulled him backmost in.

Kotzas laughed and said, “I’ve had 16 months off, had a truly bully holiday, what’s breathtaking is the Gold Coast is Australia’s fastest increasing city,” Kotzas told Neos Kosmos.

Gold Coast is Australia’s fastest increasing metropolis Kotzas said, “there is tons of vigor here”.

“The radical that person been successful HOTA earlier maine person near a bully platform.”

Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts (HOTA). Photo: Supplied

The Gold Coast’s caller sister-city narration with Olympia successful Greece is simply a idiosyncratic item for him.

“What’s breathtaking for maine personally is that the Gold Coast has conscionable signed a sister metropolis narration with Olympia, which is amazing.”

Kotzas believes that the relation of a large taste instauration is to “reflect its community” and region unnecessary divides successful however civilization is defined.

“Every bully nationalist instauration needs to bespeak the assemblage it serves. It’s astir opening the spot up and welcoming arsenic galore radical arsenic possible. We cognize that civilization is what binds us together,” helium said.

“So, it’s not arts versus culture. It’s not surfers versus arts, oregon thing else. If we tin travel up with events that bring radical together — where they stay the night, bask the beach, visit the gallery, spot a amusement — and you know

we person a edifice that’s got three hats — that’s what it’s about.”

As an illustration Kotzas points to Australia’s taste traditions such arsenic stone euphony and its heavy roots successful surf culture.

“Remember the aboriginal days of Aussie euphony came retired of that surfing culture. It’s astir taking the barriers distant and seeing it each arsenic however you marque creation and civilization arsenic accessible arsenic possible,” helium said.

Another origin driving his enthusiasm is what helium describes arsenic the “stimulating” plan civilization emerging connected the Gold Coast.

“The home architecture and the plan that’s happening connected the Gold Coast— I’m not talking astir the towers, but what’s wrong the towers is sensational,” helium said.

John Kotzas departed QPAC aft 30 years successful 2024, 20 of which astatine its helm- helium had “five antithetic jobs” from acquisition serviceman to CEO and Artistic Director. Photo: Supplied

Gold Coast is the runway to the Olympics said Kotzas. “All this is the runway to 2032, to Brisbane Olympics and Para Olympics.”

Kotzas shaped Brisbane’s taste transformation successful the post-Bjelke-Petersen epoch and under his stewardship QPAC became a nationalist benchmark for arts presentation, accumulation and nationalist engagement.

In an older interrogation with Neos Kosmos, Kotzas said if you came from Brisbane, Gold Coast, “we were treated arsenic a spot low. Melbourne was first, then Adelaide and Sydney, and Brisbane came third.”

Born successful 1955, Kotzas grew up successful North Queensland astatine a clip when Greek and Italian labourers were portion of the sugarcane workforce, with assemblage beingness shaped by music, creation and extended household networks.

Kotzas credits his Greek upbringing for shaping his values of transportation and belonging.

“The whole conception of inclusion was embedded successful me,” helium said. “Growing up successful an extended Greek family, there was tons of euphony connected each the time.”

After much than three decades moudling Queensland’s taste landscape, Kotzas will bring that experience, doctrine and Hellenism to the Gold Coast —as the metropolis positions itself connected the nationalist and planetary stage successful the

lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.