Perth Festival Head of Development Marina Woodhouse is a proud Curtin graduate.
Growing up in a working-class migrant family, Perth Festival Head of Development Marina Woodhouse developed a strong work ethic from a young age.
Marina’s parents relocated from Uruguay to Australia in their early 20s. Her mother worked at Australia Post before pursuing further study to obtain her PhD in biotechnology and microbiology, while her father was a dedicated bus driver for most of his life.
From a young age, Marina saw her parent’s tireless diligence to make a living and establish a new home in a foreign country.
While spending her days at school, Marina found her undeniable love for creativity, but at the time didn’t know how to turn her passion into a sustainable career.
Since graduating from Curtin in Marketing and Advertising, Marina has held various leadership positions in the WA arts and culture industry for high-profile companies, including the WA Symphony Orchestra and WA Ballet.
Now, as the Head of Development for Perth Festival, Marina shares how she went from attending Australia’s longest-running arts festival to helping run one of Perth’s most exciting calendar events.
After graduating, how did you get your first job and how did this role help shape you into the professional you are today?
It was my dream to work in an advertising agency, but getting my foot in the door as a fresh graduate was by no means straightforward.
On finishing my degree, I was also fortunate to do some work experience at John Davis Advertising upon which I was offered a permanent role at their offshoot company, JDA Solutions.
Working in an agency was a great experience early in my career because I was able to experience many different facets of the advertising world. While university had prepared me for high-level strategy, I learned fundamental business skills, like how to raise an invoice, on the job.
Most importantly, having the right people around you who are accepting and willing to guide you is so valuable, no matter where you are in your career. To this day, I have still managed to stay connected with many of the people who mentored me in my early years.
How did you end up working for Perth Festival?
I loved Perth Festival even before I started working here.
I remember going to my first Perth Festival show and a whole world opened for me. It wasn’t long before I started attending as many events as I could afford each year. Now, I’m also a passionate donor, so I truly love it!
I had been working at the West Australian Symphony Orchestra for 10 years when the stars aligned and an opportunity at the Perth Festival came up, so I applied and got the role as a Sponsorship Consultant.
I began working on a short-term contract, once this concluded, I took up the Head of Corporate Partnerships at WA Ballet before returning to a permanent position as Head of Development at Perth Festival. Although I absolutely loved my role at WA Ballet, I couldn’t refuse the opportunity to come back as this was a dream role of mine!
What do you love the most about working at Perth Festival?
The past 12 months of the Perth Festival have been such a highlight.
Our Artistic Director, Anna Reece had an extraordinarily bold and ambitious vision for the Festival and our fundraising team has risen to the challenge and achieved so much more than we could have ever imagined.
The incredible activations that you see around Perth would not have been possible without our entire team, so helping Anna realise her vision has been a big highlight.
It’s so rewarding to see the fruit of our labour come to life in February. Seeing so many people having a good time while connecting with others over new experiences and the happiness that art can bring people is really satisfying.
Finally, what advice do you have for fellow young graduates who aspire to become a leader in the creative industry?
Be tenacious, keep going even when you get knocked back, and see value in the challenges that are thrown your way. It’s important to be open-minded and look for opportunities to learn and grow.
In fundraising, setbacks are common. You are often faced with a lot of knockbacks before you win, so view those challenges as a lesson and not a waste of time. Rather, it’s how you take those learnings into the next phase of your journey, because you will get there, you just have to keep going.
Be authentic and don’t feel like you need to be someone else. Trust your instincts and don’t try to be anything other than yourself because that is what will take you far.
Finally, work for an organisation you truly believe in, whether that is technology, a not-for-profit, or an arts organisation. At the end of the day, if you can find a space that you enjoy, then I think it makes every day better.
The 2025 Perth Festival runs until Sunday, 2 March. This year’s Festival celebrates the stories that shape us. Join in the magic and discover incredible art, music, dance, and immersive experiences on offer here.
Here at Curtin, make sure to visit John Curtin Gallery‘s Perth Festival 2025 exhibitions, ‘Alice Guiness: Burndud Ground’ & ‘Mai Nguyễn-Long: Doba Nation’. The Exhibition runs until 17 April. Find out more here.
Marina Woodhouse, Head of Development at Perth Festival
An experienced leader and strategic thinker, Marina Woodhouse is the Head of Development at the Perth Festival. Since graduating from Curtin with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Advertising & Marketing (2000), Marina has worked across various local and international organisations, including in leadership roles at the WA Symphony Orchestra and the WA Ballet.
