Melbourne Theatre Company pays tribute to Dr Helen Ferguson, a lifelong advocate of the arts and long-time friend and supporter of the Company.
A regular at MTC performances since the Company’s early days, Dr Ferguson was a passionate member of the community, leaving a great legacy both through her career in medicine and her service to the arts.
Dr Ferguson’s involvement with MTC began as a subscriber and grew to encompass many roles of significance in the Company’s history. With John Sumner, she organised the Curtain Up initiative in the early 80s to attract regional visitors to see MTC shows, providing free buses to and from Melbourne for audiences from 18 different centres; she later became a Board Member; and was President of Friends of MTC which was initially independent to MTC’s operations but evolved in the 90s to Centre Stage, integrating fully into the Company’s development portfolio.
MTC Co-CEO Virginia Lovett said, ‘Helen will be greatly missed by the MTC community – she was a true champion of the performing arts, supporting it in every way she could. Her passion extended beyond enjoying theatre as an audience member, always wanting to go the extra mile to ensure a vibrant and sustainable future for the arts industry. She has left a lasting mark on MTC.’
Published on 18 February 2021