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| Australian Performing Arts Centres Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Performing Arts Centres Association |
| Abbreviation | APACA |
| Formation | 1982 |
| Type | Peak body |
| Headquarters | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Region served | Australia |
Australian Performing Arts Centres Association is the peak body representing performing arts centres and performing arts presenters across Australia. It connects venues, producers, festivals, touring companies and cultural institutions to promote presenting, touring and producing of performing arts. APACA acts as a network hub between major institutions and regional organisations to strengthen presenting infrastructure and touring pathways.
The organisation was founded in 1982 during a period of expansion in Australian performing arts when entities such as the Australia Council for the Arts, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney Opera House, Victorian Arts Centre, Adelaide Festival Centre and Melbourne Festival were shaping national presentation landscapes. Early convenings involved representatives from venues like the Brisbane Powerhouse, Perth Concert Hall, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Arts Centre Melbourne and touring companies including Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Bangarra Dance Theatre and Company B (later Belvoir St Theatre). The association developed alongside festivals such as the Adelaide Festival, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Brisbane Festival and national policies influenced by the Australia Council for the Arts and state arts agencies in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Over decades APACA engaged with initiatives linked to the Cultural Ministers Council, the National Cultural Policy and funding shifts affecting organisations like the National Gallery of Australia and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
APACA facilitates relationships between presenting organisations such as Hamer Hall, QPAC, Canberra Theatre Centre, State Theatre Company of South Australia and producing companies like Sydney Dance Company, Chunky Move and Force Majeure. It provides professional development that intersects with major award schemes and institutions such as the Helpmann Awards, Green Room Awards, Sidney Myer Fund and networks including the International Society for the Performing Arts and Asia Pacific Producers Network. The association brokers touring opportunities between metropolitan venues and regional centres like Darwin Entertainment Centre, Launceston City Hall, Mildura Arts Centre and community halls linked to organisations such as Country Arts SA and Regional Arts Victoria.
Membership spans presenting venues, producing companies, festivals, independent presenters and local government arts offices including councils in Wollongong, Gold Coast, Geelong and Ballarat. Institutional members have included landmark venues like State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, Princess Theatre, Melbourne and organisations such as Musica Viva Australia, Opera Australia, Circa Contemporary Circus and Theatre Network NSW. The association’s structure typically comprises a board, executive staff and working groups that liaise with partners such as ArtsHub, Craft ACT, Live Performance Australia and state-based arts funding bodies.
Governance is conducted by an elected board reflecting members from major venues and regional presenters, drawing on expertise related to institutions like Australasian Performing Right Association and legal frameworks influenced by state arts departments in Tasmania, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. Funding sources historically include member subscriptions, project grants from bodies such as the Australia Council for the Arts, sponsorship from corporate partners, and cooperative funding arrangements with festivals like the Canberra International Music Festival and industry suppliers linked to venues such as The Wharf, Sydney.
APACA advocates on issues affecting touring, presenter sustainability, venue operations and cultural policy, engaging with federal ministers, state arts portfolios and bodies such as the Productivity Commission and the National Cultural Policy advisory processes. The association has influenced discussions around marketplace logistics involving producers like Belvoir St Theatre and presenters from Perth Theatre Trust to La Boite Theatre Company, and has contributed to sectoral responses to crises that involved institutions like Sydney Opera House during national emergencies. APACA collaborates with training institutions including National Institute of Dramatic Art, Victorian College of the Arts, Australian Film Television and Radio School and workforce development bodies.
Programs have included professional development, conferences, touring marketplaces, risk management guidance and audience development initiatives working alongside entities such as Ticketek, Ticketmaster, Eventbrite and data partners like ArtsHub. Delivery has connected curatorial and technical staff from venues such as Elder Hall, State Theatre Centre of WA and festival programmers from MONA FOMA, Dark Mofo and Vivid Sydney. Services also encompass policy briefings, contracting templates, touring directories and resources used by presenters, producers and regional networks including Regional Arts Australia and state counterparts.
APACA convenes flagship events and marketplaces that bring together presenters, producers and programmers, comparable in function to international gatherings like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival industry days and the Association of Performing Arts Professionals markets. Notable Australian projects have linked major tours for companies such as Chunky Move and Bangarra Dance Theatre with venues including Arts Centre Melbourne and Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and initiatives supporting indigenous presentation alongside organisations like Garawa, Yothu Yindi Foundation and community festivals across Northern Territory and Far North Queensland. Collaborative events have intersected with presenting cycles at Melbourne International Arts Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre seasons and interstate touring accords negotiated with agencies such as Creative Victoria and Screen NSW.
Category:Arts organisations based in Australia