WA to host Australian Performing Arts Market
The Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) will be hosted in Western Australia for the first time in the major event’s 30-year history.
Supported through more than $1.5 million in State Government funding, Australian Performing Arts Market will take place in Boorloo/Perth in 2026, 2028 and 2030.
The bi-annual event connects contemporary Australian theatre, dance, emerging and experimental art with national and international opportunities. It is one of the largest performing arts markets in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Australian Government’s Creative Australia has announced that that organisation that will deliver the three editions of APAM in WA is Performing Arts Connections (PAC Australia). PAC Australia is the national peak body for performing arts centres, presenters and producers and has been appointed under a six-year contract (2025 to 2030).
APAM was established by the Australia Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia) in 1994 as a platform to increase international and national touring opportunities for Australian contemporary performing arts groups and artists.
Since its inception, APAM has grown from 200 participants in its first year to a thriving international marketplace of more than 1200 participants from all around the world.
The State Government contribution of $250,000 per annum from 2024-25 for six years — via the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) — is a funding match of Creative Australia’s commitment through multi-year strategic investment.
Hosting the event will not only showcase WA’s best artistic offerings and its unique cultural identity but also highlight the infrastructure available to national and international producers. This is a major investment in the performing arts industry that will provide a legacy for the culture of Perth city for years to come.