American Kristy Edmunds has taken charge of the next two Melbourne International Arts Festivals. “It’s the first time since 1986 that a foreigner has been given the job, one of the most powerful arts positions in Australia and the region. What Edmunds chooses to include, or exclude, can affect festivals across the country, in New Zealand and Singapore, and, in the long term, artists’ careers. And there’s the more important issue of how it thrills, moves or disappoints the festival goers.”