Arts Industry Directory

Government

DLGSC - Culture & the Arts

Culture and the Arts distributes grants and funding to support vibrant and sustainable arts, culture and creative industry sectors in WA.

Creative Australia (formerly Australia Council)

Formerly the Australia Council, Creative Australia is the national arts funding and advisory body. The website also has a large research section with all the arts industry information you could want.

Youth Arts Organisations in Australia

Propel Youth Arts WA

The peak body for youth arts in WA. Working in collaboration with artists, communities and organisations to ensure that young people are equipped to inspire arts and culture.

Carclew Youth Arts 

South Australia’s peak body for youth arts. They provide funding, grants, scholarships, awards, training, professional development and youth arts encouragement within the community.

Signal

The City of Melbourne's creative studio for young people 13 to 25 years.

National Youth Arts and Cultural Development

Corrugated Iron Youth Arts 

A Darwin based youth arts company providing a number of development and ensemble programs, theatre seasons and festivals.

InCite Arts 

Provides quality youth arts and youth arts programs for young people in Alice Springs.

Kickstart Arts 

A Community Cultural Development organisation in Tasmania that uses hybrid art forms, workshops and programs to engage young people and their communities in the arts.

Western Edge Focus 

Engages young people, from socially and economically disadvantaged and culturally diverse communities in Melbourne, in the arts through a number of school and community projects.

St Martins – The Victorian Centre for Youth Arts 

Provides hands-on performing arts experiences to young people living in Victoria.

Backbone Youth Arts 

A Queensland based youth theatre company which delivers quality and innovative arts experiences for young people. Their programs include professional productions, 2high festival, drama and performance workshops and the Backbone Ensemble (a year long initiative providing performance opportunities to young people).

Vibewire Youth Inc

Some of the National initiatives run by Vibewire include Enterprise Hub, Portal (a multimedia platform for young artists to experiment and develop their art forms), Youthscape, and Reelife Short Film Festival.

Visionary Images

A not-for-profit youth arts organisation dedicated to the engagement and development, through creativity, of young people with experience of hardship, based in Victoria

Dance

Ausdance WA

A membership based company that provides a variety of services to the WA dance community.

Charlesworth Ballet Institute

The Institute is the union of The Terri Charlesworth Ballet School and the Ballet Centre of WA/Youth Ballet WA. The institute provides ballet lessons and professional training for young dancers.

STRUT Dance 

The main support organisation for contemporary dance in WA with services including training, performances, creative residencies, production support and choreographic development.

West Australian Ballet 

Produces an extensive program of Ballet throughout the year and also offers regional touring, choreographic workshops, an education program and a number of other community activities.

Co3

Co3 is the state’s newest flagship contemporary dance company. The company supports and inspires the development of contemporary dance, dancers and dance culture by producing high quality performances featuring their elite dance squad as well as running several youth and community engagement programs. 

Music

ABMusic 

Supports and nurtures Aboriginal musicians in WA providing training in music, music business and music production, recording studios, practice rooms, and the latest music technology.

Triple J Unearthed 

Triple J’s initiative to support independent, self-funded musicians. Unearthed also runs national competitions to play at a number of music festivals in Australia, find Australia’s best High School Band and presents an annual Unearthed J Award recognising the top Unearthed artists for the year.

Tura New Music 

The peak body for new music in WA. Tura produces and supports new music, and also hosts the Totally Huge New Music Festival.

West Australian Music Industry Association Inc. 

The peak representative body for contemporary music in WA. WAMI also hosts the annual WAMI Festival and WAMI Song of the Year contest.

Western Australian Symphony Orchestra 

The West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) is Western Australia’s largest and busiest performing arts company. WASO is the state’s only professional orchestra, playing a central role in the cultural life of Western Australia.

WA Youth Orchestras

Provides musical training and performance opportunities to young WA musicians.

WA Youth Jazz Orchestra 

The only youth jazz orchestra of its kind in Australia, WAYJO gives young jazz musicians training, opportunities to play alongside award-winning guest artists, learn how to put together bands and give them confidence to earn a living from being a musician.

Film, TV and Radio

Australian Network for Arts and Technology 

Supports artists who are using science and technology in their creative arts. ANAT‘s programs include residencies, professional development, online research tools,publications, and workshops.

Multicultural Radio & Television Association of WA 

Perth’s only full time community owned and operated multilingual radio station. 6EBA encourages young people to volunteer to produce and present their own programmes.

RTR FM 

A community radio station based in Perth. RTR hosts a variety of programs and plays a wide variation of music. RTR often accepts volunteers and allows anyone to propose new programs at the start of each year.

Screenwest 

WA’s screen funding and development agency.

WA Screen Awards 

The state’s premier film and television event, celebrating the innovation and achievements of WA filmmakers from students through to professionals. 

SYN Media

A Melbourne-based media organisation run by a community of young people that provides broadcasting and training opportunities for young Australians.

Writing

Centre for Stories

The Centre for Stories cultivates stories that inspire thought, spark empathy and challenge intolerance. Their focus is on empowering people whose experiences and perspectives are often marginalised. This includes refugees, migrants, people of colour, sexual minorities, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Express Media 

Provide support and development opportunities for young Australians in writing and media.

Inside a Dog

A national resource which lists Australian writing opportunities, competitions, workships, literary events and reading activities for young people.

Writing WA 

The peak body for writing in WA, providing training, professional development, relevant information and publication opportunities.

Pulch Magazine

A WA based magazine made by young people, for young people.

Comedy

Class Clowns

Class Clowns is Melbourne International Comedy Festival's development program for young people around the country. The National comedy competition provides mentorship and skill development opportunities for young people aged 14-18. 

Lazy Susan's Comedy Den

Lazy Susan’s comedy Den continues to wow crowds with local and interstate comedy acts, Improv genius and experimental comic chaos. 

RAW Comedy Competition 

Australia’s biggest and most prestigious open mic comedy competition. RAW holds its heats in every capital city in Australia before the best acts go on to be in a National final as part of theMelbourne International Comedy Festival.

Youth Services

Foundation for Young Australians 

An organisation committed to improving the lives of young people through education initiatives, youth-led programs and advocating issues that matter to young people.

Kids Helpline 

1800 55 1800 – a 24/7 helpline for young people who need to talk to someone, about anything. The Kids Helpline also has a range of information for young people on a range of issues.

Millennium Kids 

A youth organisation committed to improving the environment through information exchange, membership networks, and development of youth leadership.

Youth Affairs Council of WA 

Provides opportunities for people working in the youth sector, community members and young people, to develop their skills, educate and have fun.

Youth FOCUS

Youth Focus is an independent Western Australian not-for-profit working to stop youth suicide. Youth Focus works with young people aged 12-25 to help them overcome issues associated with depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts through the provision of free, unlimited and professional face-to-face individual counselling and other mental health services.

Arts Organisations and Advocacy Bodies in WA

AWESOME Arts

Provides opportunities for Western Australia’s children to actively engage with, the arts, intensifying their connectivity with the broader world in which they live. 

Chamber of Arts and Culture

The Chamber is a united voice to promote, advocate and represent the value of a vibrant and sustainable arts and cultural sector in the wider community of Western Australia.

Community Arts Network 

The peak body for community arts and cultural development in Western Australia. CAN creates positive social change through the arts, building inclusion and understanding between people.

Circuit West

CircuitWest is the service organisation for the performing arts sector in Western Australia. It provides advocacy, professional development, marketing, research, touring support and services for artists, producers, presenters and service organisations, and has a key role helping connect the players of the sector so it can thrive. It also delivers WA Showcase and TechWest annually.

Regional Arts WA

Provides regional communities with culture and the arts, celebrating and aiming to strengthen a powerful regional arts sector.

FORM 

Supports and develops creativity in WA, providing programs that build and offer skills in creative thinking, learning and cultural tourism, for the betterment of WA’s cultural, social and economic wellbeing.

Fremantle Arts Centre 

Hosts a number of contemporary art exhibitions, music concerts, and a number of youth and adult workshops throughout the year.

Southern Edge Arts 

Provides public performances and a number of workshops. A dynamic youth arts community that nurtures the expression of imagination through the performing arts.

YMCA HQ WA

A multi-purpose youth facility providing opportunities for young artists to develop and showcase their talents in a safe environment.

RIPTIDE

Youth Performing arts company focussed on growing the artistic skills and talents of the local community of young Western Australians to empower and inspire. Offering a range of performing arts development opportunities.

WAYTCO

Aim to assist in the launch of young Western Australian talent in a larger creative sphere here and beyond WA.

CO3

The states premier contemporary dance company, aiming to inspire people and enrich lives through dance.

Fringe Festival

Offering an incredible array of entertainment every year for thousands of people to go and enjoy.

Perth Festival

Since 1953, Perth Festival has cultivated decades if cultural growth, commissioning major new works and celebrating Perth’s unique qualities.

Multi-Disciplinary

Performing Lines WA 

Produces the work of five independent WA dance and theatre artists on an ongoing basis and selects other independent artists throughout the year. They provide financial, production, touring and communication support allowing artists to focus on creating high quality artistic work.

Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) 

A centre for the development and presentation of contemporary art. PICA produces and presents a year round program of exhibitions, contemporary dance, theatre and performance and a range of cross-disciplinary art.

PVI Collective 

An independent artists group that aims to make ground breaking new forms of interdisciplinary performance incorporating live performance, visual arts, sound, film and new media.

William Street Collective

The online resource for everything creative in Northbridge.

Circus

CirQuest

CirQuest provides classes for adults and children of all skill levels aimed at developing circus techniques, coordination and fitness. 

Kinetica

A performing arts company and circus school, Kinetica provides training for both youth (aged 8 years +) and adults, catering for beginner to advanced skill levels.

Suitcase Circus

Offers performances, skill training and interactive programs for both schools and festivals.

WA Circus School 

Provides circus skills classes for all ages and ablities, with student showcases throughout the year.

Theatre

Barking Gecko Theatre Company

Produces theatre for young people with public productions, touring productions, school programs and a number of interactive workshops.

Black Swan State Theatre Company 

One of Perth’s leading theatre companies, BSSTC produces a yearly program featuring classic and contemporary works. BSSTC also hosts the Hotbed Ensemble, and the Theatre Skills and Thrills workshops.

The Blue Room Theatre

Centrally located at the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre, The Blue Room Theatre is West Australia’s home for independent theatre.

Midnite Youth Theatre Company 

The Midnite Youth Theatre Company is the performing arts wing of Christ Church Grammar School. Open to any young person interested in the performing arts (not just acting) Midnite offers young people exciting performance opportunities. 

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre 

Creates inspiring puppetry theatre for young people and their families. Spare Parts also has an interactive puppet museum located in Fremantle, WA.

WA Opera 

WA’s State Opera company. The WA Opera hosts the Young Artist Program which gives the opportunity to talented young people at different stages of their vocal development to gain the skills necessary to attempt a career in Opera.

WA Youth Theatre Company 

Produces public productions involving young people in the theatre, and also hosts a number of workshops available to its youth members.

Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company 

Enables Aboriginal communities to perform their own stories by producing a number of public productions, touring to schools and workshops for young people.

Redfoot Youth Theatre

A theatre group for young people run through Hale School that offers many opportunities for students to perform on stage. Open to girls from any school and boys exclusively from Hale School.

Visual Arts

Artsource 

A membership based support body for visual artists in WA.

Art Gallery of WA 

Offers a number of exhibits, events and programs throughout the year. AGWA also offers students a unique experience with their education program, and the Year 12 Perspectives exhibit.

Art on the Move 

Provides funding support and management expertise for touring exhibitions of contemporary art inter-state and internationally.

Perth Centre for Photography

PCP is a visual arts institution, and also offers two photography competitions each year, the CLIP award and the IRIS award, both of which come with generous student prizes. PCP also offers a variety of workshops and activities that may be useful to furthering skills development in the arts.

REmida: Perth’s Creative ReUSE Centre 

Offers a large amount of materials for creative and educational projects. REmida also offers creative workshops for young people and adults, and a range of professional development opportunities.

WA Festivals

AWESOME International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things

A showcase of amazing and exciting contemporary art from all over the world.

Beaufort Street Festival

The Festival is a celebration of all things Beaufort Street, including food, art, music and fashion.

HyperFest

‘Hyper’ is a youth arts series based within and provided by the City of Swan, best known through its nationally awarded and acknowledged all-ages music festival HyperFest.

Fairbridge Festival 

An annual family-friendly festival of folk, roots, blues, acoustic, celtic, a-capella and world music.

Fremantle Festivals and Events 

The City of Fremantle holds a number of festivals throughout the year and are always looking for new performances and shows to be featured. They’re also the perfect way to get a taste of a variety of art forms.

Fringe World

A summer smorgasbord of entertainment with hundreds of shows on offer across the disciplines of theatre, comedy, burlesque, dance, film, cabaret and more.

Perth Comedy Festival

Centred around the Festival Hub in Mt Lawley, with the iconic Astor Theatre at its heart, the Festival keeps Perth audiences in side splitting fits of laughter for 3 weeks every May before hitting the road with its regional tour.

Perth International Arts Festival

The Perth International Arts Festival is the longest running annual international multi-arts festival in the southern hemisphere and offers some of the world's best theatre, music, film, visual arts, street arts, literature and free community events.

Sunset Events 

The organisers behind some of the biggest music festivals in WA including Southbound, Blues ‘n’ Roots, Groovin the Moo, Stereosonic and St Jerome's Laneway Festival.

WA Markets

Made on the Left Markets

Made on the Left are all about supporting Western Australian creative talent. Their aim is to support all creative designers and events showcasing independent labels.

Perth Upmarket

Perth Upmarket brings together over 150 of Perth’s talented artists, designers, stylists, craftspeople and gourmets all under one roof.  The product mix is diverse ranging from handmade clothing, cupcakes, wall art, cards, homewares, jewellery to skin care products.

Perth Makers Market  

At Perth Makers Market you will only be able to find beautiful items handmade right here in Western Australia. With live music, delicious food, seating areas and the best locations in the city, there is something special in the air at Perth Makers Market.