Patron of the Australian Tapestry Workshop

Carrillo Gantner AC has been a long time supporter of the ATW and worked strategically with the ATW on many exciting projects including 'Treasure Hunt' designed by Guan Wei, 'The Royal Harvest' designed by Naomi Hobson, 'Bush Foods' designed by Sheena Wilfred, and the Embassy Tapestries (with the Tapestry Foundation of Australia).

Carrillo Gantner has a BA from the University of Melbourne, a Master of Fine Arts (Drama) from Stanford, California, and a Graduate Diploma in Arts Administration from Harvard. He trained as an actor and worked professionally in the USA before returning to Australia in 1969. He was a Founding Director of the Playbox Theatre Company, (now Malthouse Theatre), Executive & Artistic Director from 1976-1984 and Artistic Director from 1988 to 1993. In this time, he produced over 200 Australian plays and during the second term at Playbox he led the construction and opening of the Malthouse Theatre. From 1985 to 1987 he was Counsellor (Cultural) at the Australian Embassy in Beijing.

During his term at Playbox, Carrillo initiated and managed major national tours of Chinese and Japanese performing arts companies to Australia and promoted a wide range of cultural exchange with the Asian Region. He was Chairman of The Asialink Centre at the University of Melbourne from 1992 until 2005, Chairman of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival from 1994 until 2000, President of the Victorian Arts Centre Trust from 2000 until 2009 and Chairman of the Melbourne International Arts Festival from 1999 until 2004.

Carrillo was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2019 for Service to the Community through professional involvement in, and philanthropic support for, the performing and visual arts, and to Australia-Asia cultural exchange. He was the first recipient of the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leader of the Year Award in 2001 and in 2002 received the Dorothy Crawford Award from the Australian Writers’ Guild for services to Australian playwriting. In 2011 Carrillo was awarded a Green Room Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to the performing arts. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Australia-China Institute for Arts & Culture at the University of Western Sydney.