Festival chief to stay until 2014

THE director of the world-renowned Edinburgh International Festival is to remain in the role until 2014, it was announced today.

Jonathan Mills was appointed in February 2006 and presented his first festival the following year.

Before coming to Scotland, the award-winning Australian composer and university fellow met success as artistic director of Melbourne's International Arts Festival and the city's millennium eve celebrations.

The 47-year-old said the forthcoming Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games presented "exciting" opportunities for future festivals in Edinburgh.

Under his direction, recent festivals have centred around themes including the Scottish Enlightenment and the New Worlds.

Asian cultures will be at the heart of this year's programme, with artists from China, India, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam invited to take part in the three-week arts extravaganza, which begins in August.

Mr Mills said: "The opportunities that major sporting events - the Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games - offer the festival, Edinburgh and Scotland in 2012 and 2014 make my role as festival director particularly exciting.

"I am delighted that the festival council is entrusting these opportunities to me and I will bring all my experience as director of the Melbourne Festival during the Sydney Olympics to making the most of these."

Ewan Brown, vice-chair of the festival council, said: "Jonathan is particularly well placed to guide the Edinburgh International Festival in making the most of opportunities surrounding the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. We are delighted he has agreed to remain director through this period."

This year's event runs from August 12 to September 4. The programme will be unveiled on March 23.