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| Australian Major Performing Arts Group | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Major Performing Arts Group |
| Founded | 1990s |
| Type | Peak body |
| Headquarters | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |
| Region served | Australia |
| Membership | Major performing arts companies |
Australian Major Performing Arts Group
The Australian Major Performing Arts Group is a peak sector body representing principal companies in Australian performing arts such as theatre, dance, opera, and orchestral music. It liaises with institutions like the Australia Council for the Arts, the Department of Communications and the Arts (Australia), and state arts agencies including Create NSW, Creative Victoria, Arts Queensland, and ArtsWA to coordinate policy, funding, and touring. The Group engages with cultural organisations such as the National Gallery of Australia, the National Library of Australia, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to amplify major-company programming across metropolitan and regional venues.
The Group traces origins to collaborative networks formed after the establishment of the Australia Council for the Arts and the expansion of companies like the Australian Ballet, Opera Australia, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the late 20th century. Key moments included joint advocacy campaigns during the Howard Government era and responses to policy shifts under the Rudd Government and Turnbull Government. The Group coordinated sector responses to crises such as the Global Financial Crisis of 2007–2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic, working alongside stakeholders including Creative Australia proposals, state departments like Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, and venue operators such as the Sydney Opera House.
Membership comprises principal producing companies similar to Bangarra Dance Theatre, Bell Shakespeare, Brisbane Festival, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with eligibility criteria modeled on company scale, touring capacity, and professional staffing. Applicants often include entities like Adelaide Festival Centre Trust, State Theatre Company of South Australia, West Australian Opera, and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. The Group interacts with unions and professional bodies including Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, Australian Council of Trade Unions, and accreditation frameworks from institutions like the Australian National University and Victorian College of the Arts.
The Group operates within funding structures mediated by the Australia Council for the Arts, federal budget processes influenced by the Parliament of Australia, and state budget committees such as the New South Wales Treasury. It advocates for recurrent funding models used by companies like Melbourne Theatre Company and Perth Concert Hall, engages with philanthropic organisations including the Myer Foundation, Ian Potter Foundation, Beswick Family Foundation, and collaborates with corporate partners such as BHP and Commonwealth Bank. Governance draws on nonprofit models used by entities like the National Trust of Australia (NSW), best-practice boards featuring directors with backgrounds in University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and Monash University, and compliance with regulatory bodies including the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
Major members encompass institutions of national prominence: Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Australian Ballet, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Theatre, State Opera of South Australia, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Theatre Centre, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Bell Shakespeare, Malthouse Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Black Swan State Theatre Company, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Choir, Sydney Dance Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, La bohème (Puccini), Swan Lake, The Magic Flute, Les Misérables, and festival-scale members such as Adelaide Festival and Melbourne International Arts Festival. The membership list interfaces with venues including Hamer Hall, State Theatre (Melbourne), Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, and touring circuits like Regional Arts Australia.
Programs include national touring initiatives akin to Playworks Touring, education and outreach modeled on Musica Viva Australia programs, and commissioning partnerships similar to collaborations between Sydney Theatre Company and playwrights represented by Australian Writers' Guild. The Group convenes policy forums, annual conferences inspired by the APACA model, professional development with tertiary partners such as Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, and co-productions with international houses like Royal Opera House, Metropolitan Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, Sydney Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Venice Biennale. It administers touring logistics that engage freight and production suppliers used by Cirque du Soleil tours and negotiates collective agreements with performers’ unions including Equity (Australia).
Advocates credit the Group with strengthening national touring frameworks and enhancing advocacy before bodies like the Parliamentary Library (Australia) and the Productivity Commission (Australia), contributing to policy wins during fiscal consultations with Treasury (Australia). Critics argue the Group privileges large institutions over independent artists represented by networks such as Independent Theatre Council and regional organisations like Harvest Rain Theatre Company, sometimes clashing with community-focused entities including Regional Arts Australia and First Nations advocates from First Nations Media Australia and leading companies like Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company. Debates involve tensions with funding priorities endorsed by philanthropies such as the Gandel Foundation and calls for transparency comparable to inquiries overseen by the Auditor-General (Australia).
Category:Arts organisations based in Australia