Performing Arts

Performing Arts in Western Australia

The performing arts include; contemporary and traditional theatre forms, music performance, and dance, along with opera, puppetry, circus, comedy, street performance and entertainment. As well as the performers themselves, performing arts encompasses a large behind-the-scenes workforce of lighting and sound technicians, costumers, props and special effects technicians, marketers, promoters, directors and producers. With their immediacy and human scale, the performing arts enjoy an unmatched capacity to create communal experiences in the cities and regions of WA.

Western Australia’s contemporary and heritage performing arts organisations have earned a robust global reputation. WA is home to Australia’s oldest international arts festival and the world renowned Fringe World Festival, and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) is recognised as one of Australia’s premier performing arts training institutions. FutureNow works closely with our industry partners to examine current trends in the sector and identify opportunities to promote and support the performing arts workforce.

Performing Arts Snapshot

The performing arts bring vibrancy and liveability to the state's cities and regions, support community
cohesion, and create connection and meaning for the people of Western Australia. Read FutureNow's latest industry snapshot for the performing arts.

Training and Education

Western Australians have access to an exceptional range of rigorous performing arts training and education opportunities, from specialist secondary schools like the Charlesworth Ballet Institute and John Curtin College of the Arts, through to vocational and higher education qualifications, and the comprehensive range of post-graduate studies offered by the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. FutureNow works with stakeholders across the training and education landscape, and has a formal role to play in the development of vocational education and training to meet industry needs.

Careers in the Performing Arts

Click on the thumbnails below to read our industry profiles for the performing arts, or spend some time with former Western Australian Artistic Director for Yirra Yaakin, Eva Mullaley.

Performance

Love all the buzz, bright lights and thrill of captivating and moving an audience to tears or laughter? Maybe a career on the stage or big screen is for you.

Production and Design

Always find your attention drawn to the creative and technical details that make the magic happen on set and behind the scenes? Consider a role in production and design.

Case Study

Sassy, gutsy and daringly defiant, Yamaji woman Eva Grace Mullaley brings a tangible fiery passion to theatre that sets careers alight for First Nations artists.

CUA Creative Arts and Culture Training Package

Training package qualifications are developed through a process of national consultation with industry. They are occupational skills standards against which training delivery and assessment of competency can take place. FutureNow works with our industry partners across Western Australia to provide current industry advice into the development of new Performing Arts training package products.

Access the current CUA Creative Arts and Culture training package.
Subscribe to FutureNow’s newsletter for updates on current industry consultations for training package development.

Explore the Year 9 Career Taster Portal for experiences in the performing arts

Apprenticeships and Traineeships

Apprenticeships and traineeships provide a way to combine training with a job, enabling the student to work towards a nationally recognised qualification while earning a wage. A number of performing arts qualifications may be completed as a traineeship.

Access the current list of traineeships and apprenticeships available in Western Australia.

VET for Secondary Students

FutureNow works with industry to provide current advice on the suitability of vocational performing arts qualifications for delivery to secondary students. This advice is collated and updated annually into the VET Delivered to Secondary Students Register by the Department of Training and Workforce Development.

Access the current VET Qualifications Register for Secondary Students.

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