All that glitters: QPAC’s former boss is sold on the Gold Coast
He could have rested on his laurels after leaving the top job at QPAC, but John Kotzas has plenty of petrol left in the tank and is powering ahead as the new arts and culture Czar on the Gold Coast.
His move to oversee the cultural renaissance on the Gold Coast came out of left field. Or did it?
When QPAC’s former boss John Kotzas was announced as the new head of arts and culture at Experience Gold Coast, some people were surprised.
Kotzas is charged with overseeing the Gold Coast’s premier cultural precinct HOTA (Home of the Arts). And why not? This is a man with decades of experience at QPAC in Brisbane, including a long stint running the joint. He knows the world of the arts in Queensland inside-out. He knows everyone, everyone knows and trusts him and, well, he was restless, anyway.
“My wife Jano was at work, everyone was busy and I’m at home thinking, what do I do?” reflects Kotzas, after a couple of weeks in his new position.
“I had an ongoing dialogue with the Experience Gold Coast board, and they asked me to think about it. I mean, I finished at QPAC in December 2024 and the plan was not to work, really. But we had two fantastic family trips and, well, working again has stimulated my brain.”
Kotzas, who will divide his time between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, stepped in after the departure of outgoing head, Yarmila Alfonzetti.
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Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn says Kotzas’ appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the Gold Coast, as the city continues to strengthen its cultural credentials.
“John brings a strong track record of delivering compelling cultural experiences, including at the helm of QPAC, along with an unmatched passion and vision that has drawn new audiences to connect, and fall in love, with the arts,” Warn says.
“I am so excited to see what direction John takes HOTA and am confident he’ll continue to elevate our city’s profile as a leading arts and cultural destination nationally and grow its global reputation.
“Yarmila has played a pivotal role over the past two years shaping the direction of our city’s arts and cultural portfolio, leading with creativity and a deep commitment to artistic excellence, and we wish her all the best for her return to Sydney.”
A highly respected leader in the cultural sector, Kotzas brings extensive experience in arts management, programming and strategic development. He is widely recognised as an innovator, fostering vibrant, inclusive cultural communities and brought some of the world’s most revered arts companies to QPAC during his 30-plus years there.
‘HOTA is the heartbeat of the city’s cultural offering, and I want locals to really connect and own this amazing precinct’
In 2021 he was recognised with a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the arts.
“Yarmila and her team have secured some stand-out programming and landmark exhibitions for the precinct and I am honoured to be taking over the reins from someone I hugely respect,” Kotzas says. “HOTA is the heartbeat of the city’s cultural offering, and I want locals to really connect and own this amazing precinct but, at the same time, continue to grow national and international visitation.”
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The Gold Coast is close to Brisbane but, in a sense, the two cities are worlds apart. Denizens of both can be a tad parochial and some Brisbane folk still think of the Gold Coast as a bit of a cultural desert. But that’s clearly no longer the case.
Anyhow, Kotzas has lived there before and, well, he loves it.
“I have lived on the Gold Coast at Southport, and I used to commute to work in Brisbane from there,” he says. “It was lovely. Coming back from Brisbane down Smith Street I would see the water and feel relaxed. I love to be close to the sea. It’s an exciting place and Australia’s fastest growing city with a population of 750,000.”
Kotzas says he enjoys the energy of the place and is inspired by the contemporary architecture and its sheer vitality.
“My job is now to connect as many people who live on the Gold Coast as I can to the arts,” he says, admitting that some culture vultures may be a bit “agnostic” regarding the place.
The HOTA precinct is a happening place, he says.
“On a recent Saturday night we had a night food market at HOTA and 5000 people went to that and we has a farmers market and around 10,000 came,” he says. “The Gold Coast is punching above its weight as a place to come to make movies and the whole HOTA precinct is a wonderful multi-art form place.”
HOTA Gallery is now showing the 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial: After the Rain (until August 18) and upcoming shows include Heathers: The Musical (July 30 to August 9) and in September the world premiere of Elegantly Wasted, a collaboration with Queensland Ballet, set to the music of INXS. In October BLEACH* takes over HOTA.
Kotzas has big ideas for the future of the place, although he’s not giving too much away just yet. But he does say that collaboration is the key to future success.
“It’s best when we work together,” he says. “That’s how you can have a healthy arts ecology.”
Kotzas is also on the board of Screen Queensland and is a film buff who says he loved seeing HOTA recently come to life with the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. HOTA serves as the official venue for the annual AACTA Festival and the AACTA Awards Ceremony.
Baz Luhrmann has nicknamed the region “Goldiewood” and even relocated his production company headquarters there. He views the city as a dynamic, up-and-coming global film hub akin to the early days of Hollywood.
He and John Kotzas might have a bit in common there and a future collaboration of some sort seems inevitable between the filmmaker and the man some regard as The Godfather of the arts in Queensland. Watch this space.
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