The cultural power list is an attempt to rank the 10 people who have most shaped what it means to be Australian in a particular year. It’s also an exploration of the issues that crystallised the zeitgeist and to identify who seized the moment, be it for better or for worse.

Missing from this year’s list is any person who represents the debate in Australia over the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. And yet, this belies how heavily the conflict hangs over the arts. Indeed, it appears to have seeped into every corner, a theatre of battle that has prompted hostilities in actual theatres, recital halls and galleries across the country.