Page title

The biggest-ever gift to the performing arts in Australia will support the future excellence and sustainability of the revered Perth-based performing arts training academy. It is one of the largest donations received by a WA university and in the top ten of all philanthropic contributions to any Australian university.

The partnership with Minderoo Foundation builds on the significant $853 million investment made between ECU and the WA and Federal Governments in the new ECU City campus through the Perth City Deal, amplifying the activation and vibrancy it will bring to Perth for the benefit of all Western Australians. It recognises the significance and ambition of the new ECU City campus, which is currently under construction in Perth's CBD and on track to open in semester one of 2026. ECU City will bring more than 300 public performances a year to world-class theatres in the heart of Perth.

As the centrepiece of the $1.7 billion Perth City Deal, ECU City will bring together creative industries, business and law, and emerging technologies. 

The new WAAPA at ECU City will complement a number of major performing arts projects being delivered across Perth to grow WA's creative industries and support economic diversification, including the $233.5 million state-of-the-art screen production facility near Malaga, $150.3 million Perth Concert Hall redevelopment and transformation of the Perth Cultural Centre.

Minderoo Foundation's gift will support ECU and WAAPA's bold vision to deliver nation-leading, state-of-the-art performance and learning venues within the new ECU City campus, as well as internationally distinguished performance training for emerging artists.

Incorporating the specialist fit-out of WAAPA's performance spaces and an endowed fund, it will help WAAPA deliver its long-term strategic programming for decades, and have a transformational impact for students, staff, artists and audiences by connecting all Western Australians with the arts.

The specialist fit-out grant will equip WAAPA's six public performance venues and two performance-capable rehearsal spaces with advanced acoustics, box-in-box engineering and best-in-class technology. With cutting-edge design inspired by the world's best theatres, the facilities will create exceptional opportunities for students to hone their craft.

The $30 million agreement will increase the WA arts and culture sector's access to global talent and networks and will help position WA as a leading destination for creative talent and the arts.