Matthew Higgins is a strategist, advocate and changemaker with over a decade of experience across performing arts, festivals, major events and community-engaged practice.

Matthew brings a wealth of experience across various art forms and business models. His roles in both regional and metropolitan Queensland and New South Wales have equipped him with a strong understanding of the value of the arts and the significant impact of private sector investment. Having spent his career exploring the dynamic relationship between business and creativity, his diverse skill set spans philanthropy, partnerships, marketing, producing, multi arts programming, strategic investment and more.

Before joining Creative Australia, Matthew worked in regional Queensland for Dancenorth Australia, where he significantly grew philanthropic support and developed audiences locally, nationally and internationally. Matthew previously produced and programmed major events and festivals for Sydney Mardi Gras, managed sponsorships for the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, coordinated strategic investment in arts and creative industries events for Destination NSW, and supported programming teams at Brisbane Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse. As an independent producer, he has presented sell-out seasons at La Boite Theatre Company and World Theatre Festival.

Passionate about community building, equity and inclusion; Matthew is currently a member of the Queensland Government’s LGBTIQ+ Roundtable and previously served on Townsville City Council’s Inclusive Communities Advisory Committee. Driven by his interest in fostering resilience and innovation within arts and culture, Matthew participated in an international arts leadership program in Cyprus, focused on festivals in the aftermath of conflict and within contested spaces, and leveraged a Creative Fellowship from City of Sydney to devise a COVID-19 resilience and recovery plan for Sydney’s queer arts community.

Matthew holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drama) from Queensland University of Technology and is completing a Juris Doctor (Law) to further investigate the nexus of business, law, and creativity.

Get in contact with Matthew to book an appointment.