Theatre and dance are live art forms that bring communities together, tell stories, and create shared experiences that other media cannot replicate. Australia has a rich performing arts sector spanning major companies (Sydney Dance Company, Bell Shakespeare, Australian Ballet), a vibrant independent theatre and dance scene, community and applied theatre, and First Nations performance traditions. Grant funding supports the full spectrum — from professional touring productions to community theatre in regional Australia.
The performing arts landscape
Challenges for performing arts
Creative Australia (Australia Council for the Arts)
Major performing arts funder:
- Theatre organisation funding
- Dance company support
- Individual artist grants (performers, choreographers, directors)
- Touring programs
State arts agencies
Local government
Theatre and arts centre funding; community performing arts support.
The Ian Potter Foundation
Performing arts, particularly major companies and independent work.
The Myer Foundation
Theatre and dance organisations.
The Balnaves Foundation
Theatre.
Creative Partnerships Australia
Private sector matching for performing arts.
Arts foundations connected to major companies
Sydney Theatre Company Foundation, Melbourne Theatre Company Foundation, etc.
Professional theatre
Dance
Community and applied theatre
First Nations performance
Touring and regional access
Youth and education
New work development
Circus and physical theatre
Community theatre — theatre made with and by communities, not just for them — has distinct value:
- Community theatre gives voice to people who are not heard
- Applied theatre addresses social issues through theatrical process
- Prison theatre has evidence for reducing reoffending
- Refugee theatre builds belonging and processes trauma
- Theatre for young people at risk builds self-confidence and social skills
Grant applications for community and applied theatre access funding beyond traditional arts funders — social services, justice, health, and community development funders all support theatre as a tool for their sectors.
New Australian work
Funders particularly value support for new Australian work — developing playwrights, choreographers, and performance makers who create original Australian theatre and dance. Applications that develop new work are high-priority.
Regional access
Performing arts are concentrated in major cities. Applications for touring, regional residencies, or regional company support address the geographic inequity in access to live performance.
First Nations cultural authority
First Nations performance must be led by Indigenous artists and communities. Non-Indigenous organisations working with Indigenous performance need genuine Indigenous creative leadership and community backing.
Independent sector
The independent sector — small-scale, project-based, often self-producing — produces much of Australia's most adventurous work but is the most under-resourced. Applications for independent artist and company support fill a genuine gap.
Tahua's grants management platform supports performing arts funders and theatre and dance organisations — with production tracking, audience reach data, artist development measurement, and the reporting tools that help performing arts funders demonstrate their investment in Australia's living performance culture.