News & MediaTNA STUFF
19 July – We’re Hiring! Part-time Communications Manager (Temporary Backfill)
We’re looking for an experienced comms professional to develop and deliver TNA’s communications on a temporary backfill, from August 3–December 18. It would mean looking after TNA’s communications, including the beloved E-News that you’re reading right now! More information here.
9 July – EOIs for Directors in TYA: International Exchange 2027
The next Directors in TYA Exchange takes place in Cologne, Germany. Open to directors working in the theatre with/for/by young people sector. The theme is ‘Creating Common Spaces’. Accommodation, catering, and access to cultural events is provided. TNA is selecting the Australian representative through an EOI process.
31 July – Participate in TNA’s 2026 Independent Artist/Creative Survey
For independent artists/creatives in the performing arts to share your working trends and fees. Assist TNA’s ongoing advocacy and sector benchmarking. The results will be available as a public report. The first 250 respondents receive $50. Please share this with peers but refrain from sharing the survey link on socials. We don’t want the risk of AI bots!
‘Mapping Advocacy: Who’s Already Doing Something?’
At our recent Victorian Performing Arts Forum, delegates were asked, ‘Who is doing advocacy in the sector right now?’ We’re thrilled to share what came out of the session: a map/constellation of 150 people doing advocacy work in the Victorian sector, taken from a raw data list of 267 people! Special thanks to facilitator Penny Miles, and graphic recorder Kim Lam.
NATIONAL STUFF
National Minimum Wage Increase
From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage will increase to $26.44 per hour. The Fair Work Commission also announced a 4.75% pay rise for Award workers, which applies to the Live Performance Award.
Payday Super
From 1 July 2026, new Payday Super laws will change how superannuation is paid. All super will be required to be paid at the same time as wages. Orgs: you will need to pay Super when you pay contractors on the same day. Artists: you will need to have Super info on hand, otherwise you won’t get paid wages. On 8 July: MEAA and Media Super are holding an online workshop for what Payday Super will mean for arts workers, with a focus on dance professionals.
5 July – Pier-2 Artist-in-Residence Program 2027
Three-month residency in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The theme is ‘Beta Port: An Unfinished Harbour’, which reflects a state of becoming. Travel, accommodation, studio space, and 800 NTD daily living allowance provided.
5–12 July – NAIDOC Week
Local community events for NAIDOC Week are taking place across Australia. ACMI is screening shorts by First Nations filmmakers in Melbourne.
8 July – ABC Storytellers for International Day of People with Disability Pitch
ABC is looking for pitches from emerging content makers with disability. Pitch a non-fiction story idea. It could be an issue affecting your community, a stereotype you want to dispel or an attitude you want to challenge. Storytellers will be paid.
9 July – The Mill Performing Arts Residencies (SA)
Dance, Theatre, First Nations Dance and OzAsia Festival Residencies for SA performing artists. Artists receive $6,000, two weeks use of The Mill Breakout, and more.
10 July – State Library NSW Creative in Residence (NSW)
$15,000 for mid-career and established artists working in the performing arts. Develop a new work in response to the Library’s collections.
10 July – SaCSA Creative Arts and Culture Online Consultation
SaCSA are seeking feedback from training providers and arts educators involved in Training Package implementation. Participate in a workshop supporting the redevelopment of the Companion Volume Implementation Guide.
10–11 July – Restless Dance Theatre x Studio1 Workshops
Workshops for dance artists. Facilitators: Michelle Ryan, Larissa McGowan and Charlie Wilkins. Cost: $25 per workshop.
13 July – Multicultural NSW Stronger Together Festivals and Events Grants (NSW)
Up to $20,000 for multicultural and multifaith community groups. Produce festivals and events that celebrate the state’s diversity.
13 July – Queensland Writers Fellowships (QLD)
$20,000 for early-career writers to advance a writing project over 12 months. Playwrights should have a full-length performance script that has premiered in Australia.
13 July – Pride Foundation Small Grants
$1,000 for projects that help LGBTQIA+ people and their community. This round will prioritise healthy ageing for older people.
16 July – Performing Lines TAS Regional Artist Residency (TAS)
Three-day intensive for regional TAS artists and storytellers. Test project ideas and develop new collaborations. Accommodation and meals provided.
17 July – Brink Productions First Nations Fellowship EOIs (SA)
One-year fellowship for a First Nations theatre maker. Develop and create a new performance work. Fellows receive a stipend, mentorship, creative development support, access to workspace/studio, and more.
20 July – The Mill Centre Stage Residencies (SA)
Four-week residencies for SA performing artists to progress new works. Includes $6,000 artist honorarium and super. The residencies culminate in a 10-show season at The Mill, as part of their 2027 Adelaide Fringe season.
20–23 July – Institute of Community Directors Australia Leadership Week Webinars
Free webinars for not-for-profits on leading well and helping teams thrive. Topics include leading sustainably through change, leveraging AI, and strategies for effective teamwork.
21 July – APAM Groundwork: ‘An Inside Look: Insights into Performing Arts Markets in Asia’
APAM’s free online professional development series. In July, leaders from Arts Markets in Asia will share insights for AU/NZ artists and presenters. Speakers include Anne Chan from HKPAX, and Casa Kim from Busan International Performing Arts Market.
21–22 July – Arts on Tour Salon & Salon Mixer (NSW & ACT)
Arts on Tour’s annual industry event for NSW and ACT artists, producers and presenters. On 21 July: the Salon Mixer, a whole-of-sector social event. On 22 July: the Salon, the networking/showcase event. Tiered registration starting from $30.
22 July – Sounds Australia and Creative Australia US Visa Info Session
An online information session on artist visas for US travel.
24 July – Good Things Get Online Week Event Grant
$1,000 for community orgs to host an event that helps the community learn new digital skills.
24 July – Utp’s Deep Dive: dialogues on works-in-progress (NSW)
For artists to have constructive chats about their works-in-progress.
24 July – ActNow Theatre MakeSpace Fringe Residency (SA)
For an SA artist to develop work. Receive $6,750, mentorship, five weeks’ residency at MakeSpace, and more. Present at least two work-in-progress showings at the 2027 Adelaide Fringe Festival. There is an online info session on 9 July.
28 July – ACT National Multicultural Festival Funding (ACT)
Up to $10,000 for community orgs to present a cultural showcase/series as part of the Festival in 2027. $600 available for workshops and performances.
30 July – Imaginarius 2027 for Art in Public Space
Present work in public space as part of Imaginarius 2027 Festival in Portugal. Artists are paid 1,200 EUR per person for travel costs, and 150 EUR per person, per performance during the festival.
31 July – State Library of South Australia Deane Miller Fellowship
$15,000 for artists to research and develop creative work using the State Library of South Australia’s collections.
2 August – PYT Fairfield Artist-in-Residency EOIs (NSW)
For artists in Western Sydney aged 18–28 to develop work. Artists receive $7,000 and one-week use of the theatre. The residency culminates in a showing.
3 August – Creative Toolbox: Money, Money, Money! (NSW)
Program on funding your creative future. Workshops include ‘How to Write a Grant’, ‘Managing Your Finances as a Freelancer’, and ‘Philanthropy’. Cost: $10 for workshops.
4 August – Creative Australia International Travel Fund: Market Development
For artists and orgs to attend key market development platforms or gatherings overseas. Apply for a flat amount of $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000.
9 August – Ian Potter and Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships
$200,000 paid over two years for early mid-career artists, creatives and cultural leaders. The criteria is outstanding talent and exceptional courage. Applicants cannot self-nominate.
12 August – British Council’s Connections Through Culture 2026
Grants between £5,000 and £15,000 for artistic collaboration between UK-based partners, and arts orgs and artists in Australia. Grants can be used for co-creation, residencies, exchanges, and more.
27 August – The Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting
Playwrights can submit unproduced plays across two categories: Stage, and Theatre for Young Audiences. Scripts receive $60,000 in prize money. Open to Full and Associate members of the Australian Writers’ Guild.
15 September – First Nations Arts and Culture Awards
Recognising First Nations excellence and the outstanding contributions of First Nations artists to the community. Up to $25,000 for the Established Artist of the Year Award, for an artist with twenty years of continued artistic practice. Up to $60,000 for the Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement in Artistic Excellence. Up to $25,000 for artists aged 18–35 for Youth Award for Achievement in the Arts.
Hue Workshops
On 13 & 16 July: anti-oppression and intersectionality workshops in Melbourne and Sydney. In August, a full-day workshop in Melbourne on somatics for leadership.
Arts Hub: ‘First Nations dance – who inherits the future?’
Blakdance’s Merindah Donnelly writes about how the recent Australian Dance Biennale has raised questions about authority and leadership. ‘The conversation is shifting from representation to succession: not who gets invited into the room but who inherits the room.’
Utp Reading Room
Utp has a free, private reading room for artists to use. It includes a desk, chair and a non-lending library on socially engaged practice and art.
Creative Transformations: Results of the National Arts Participation Survey
Creative Australia’s study explores Australians’ attitudes towards, and engagement with, arts and creativity. 74% of Australians attended at least one live arts event or festival in the past year, the highest level recorded since the survey began in 2009.
Circuit West x Culture Counts: ‘Shifting Seats: Trends in Live Event Attendance and Ticket Buying’
Research on how West Australians are engaging with live performance. 18–39-year-olds attend more frequently than older audiences and are the most strategic ticket buyers.
Creative Australia Board Financial Literacy Video Series
New 10-part video series on board financial literacy. Learn about income statements, audits, risk committees, and more.
Institute of Community Directors Australia Tech Essentials Resources
Free resource library on tech. There are advice guides on cyber-safety, help sheets on creating a technology plan for your org, and policies for data retention, destruction, and more.
APAM 2026 Debate: ‘The Art Comes Before the Audience’ Recording
APAM has released a recording of a session that took place earlier this year. Who do we really make art for; audiences, artists, funders or the communities we serve?
BoardPro AI Governance Pulse Report
A recent survey has found that most board directors are using AI in a policy vacuum. This reinforces findings that while two thirds of Australian NFPs use AI to generate content, only 14% of organisations had an official AI policy.
Creative Industries AI Open Letter
Sign the AI open letter from our Creative Industries urging the government to support strong copyright laws for AI use. They’re asking for no AI use without permission and payment for creative content.
VICTORIAN STUFF
9 July – Bloomshed Futurological Congress EOI
For artists to present new ideas at Bloomshed’s Congress night. Test your performance in front of a live audience. Guest performances should run for a total of 5-8mins.
12 July – YIRRAMBOI CRACKED EOIs
For Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artists in VIC to create and present a 20-minute excerpt of new experimental work. Artists receive $10,000, mentorship, technical support, and more.
13–17 July – Theatre Works Future Stage Symposium
Five-day national gathering for independents. The gathering will focus on the future of the art form and how work is being made, the realities of audiences and participation, and more. EOIs for delegates to attend are open.
17 July – Midsumma Festival Queer Playwriting Award 2027
Playwrights can submit an idea for a show, or a completed script. Four works will be chosen for a 15-minute staged reading at Midsumma Festival 2027. One of these works will be selected for ongoing support and development.
19 July – Kingston Community Bi-Annual Grants
$10,000 for local orgs and artists. Run projects and events that strengthen the social fabric of Kingston, and/or celebrate Kingston’s diverse community.
21 July – Wyndham City Arts & Culture x Auspicious Arts: Grant Writing Workshop
Free online grant-writing workshop run by Auspicious Arts. Includes strategies for writing a strong application, preparing a balanced budget, and what to include in support material.
3 August – Midsumma Festival Regional Activation Program
Up to $10,000 for regional artists, groups, and orgs to run arts and cultural community events for LGBTQIA+ people across regional and rural Victoria.
CYPA STUFF (Children, Young People and the Arts)
6 July – Canberra Youth Theatre’s Emerging Playwright Commission
For an emerging Australian playwright to create a new, full-length work. Works should be written to be performed by actors aged between 7–25. The selected playwright receives $17,700.
16 July – Back to Back Theatre Teacher PD
For teachers and teaching artists interested in inclusive practice. Explore Back to Back Theatre’s creative process with practical tools. Work alongside the company’s ensemble. Cost: $30.
31 July – The LEGO Foundation Fellowship
Research funding of $300,000 USD over three years. Open to early and mid-career researchers who have received their PhD within the past ten years. Proposals should seek to understand how children thrive through one of three themes: the youngest children in crisis and conflict settings; inclusion and wellbeing of neurodivergent children; or children’s learning and development in an AI-enabled world.
6 August – Next Gen Arts (Regional WA)
Up to $5,000 for regional artists and orgs. Deliver arts activities for young people in regional WA, aged 12–18 years.
7 September – Arts Tasmania Organisations Youth Arts (NT)
Up to $80,000 for orgs to deliver activities that actively engage young people aged 0–25. Develop their creative skills and enhance their social health and wellbeing.
ACT Youth InterACT Scholarships (ACT)
$500 for young people aged 12–25 to develop professionally. Money can be used to attend events, courses or activities.
Blackbird Foundation Believers
Between $5,000 and $25,000 for people and projects that unleash young people’s creativity at scale. Open year-round.
Utp Rising EOIs (NSW)
Four-year professional development program for Western Sydney artists aged 17–25. Access workshops and excursions to local galleries and organisations.
National Youth Arts Network (NYAN) Advocacy and Petition
NYAN is a consortium of Youth Arts organisations convened by Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP). They are petitioning for children and young people to be included as a pillar in the National Cultural Policy.
CAPT STUFF (Circus & Physical Theatre)
TNA Circus and Physical Theatre (CaPT) Advisory Group EOIs
TNA is refreshing our CaPT Advisory Group for 2026-27. The Advisory Group maintains information exchange between TNA and the CaPT sector and advises TNA on sector issues. Contribute your knowledge, networks, and ideas for advocacy. Unsalaried independents are paid an annual honorarium.
Circus Centre Melbourne Co-Working Spaces
New co-working spaces for producers and arts workers at Circus Centre Melbourne. Includes desks, whiteboards, breakout spaces, and meeting rooms. Tiered cost: $300 for six months, $500 for the year, or $10 for a day.
Circus Insurance Resources
If you haven’t already, check out our two-part circus insurance resource. There is a guide to circus insurance, which includes risk management and documentation. And a summary of the insurance landscape.
INDUSTRY GOSS
- After 25 years as the Artistic Director of Lucy Guerin Inc, Lucy Guerin AO will step down at the end of 2026.
- After 29 years, Eva Di Cesare will step down as Co-Founder and Artistic Director at Monkey Baa at the end of 2027.
- Richard Watts OAM is stepping down as Deputy Editor and Performing Arts Editor at Arts Hub.
- Jacqui Maida has been appointed Artistic Director at Stompin.
- Ben Graetz has been appointed Artistic Director at Darwin Festival.
- Nina Bonacci has stepped down as Head of Producing at ILBIJERRI.
- Penny Miles has been appointed Interim Executive Director at VAPAC.
- Tammy Pararajasingham is the new Executive Manager at VicHealth.
- Alex Nissen is the new Operations Manager at Theatre Kimberley.
POSITIONS VACANT
Ticketing & Presenter Services Manager, Midsumma Festival (VIC). Apply by 10 July.
Senior Producer, Chunky Move (VIC). Apply by 12 July.
Production Manager, The Unconformity (TAS). Apply by 12 July.
Copywriter, Adelaide Fringe (SA). Apply by 13 July.
Digital Content Lead, Adelaide Fringe (SA). Apply by 13 July.
Digital Content Coordinator, Adelaide Fringe (SA). Apply by 13 July.
Artist & Venue Coordinator, Adelaide Fringe (SA). Apply by 17 July.
Coordinator of Volunteers, Midsumma Festival (VIC). Apply by 17 July.
Stalls & Trader Coordinator, Midsumma Festival (VIC). Apply by 17 July.
Rigger & Venue Supervisor, National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) (VIC). Apply by 18 July.
Communications Manager (Fixed Term Contract), TNA (VIC). Apply by 19 July.
Artistic Director, Dancenorth Australia (QLD). Apply by 20 July.
Artistic Director and Co-CEO, Lucy Guerin Inc (VIC). Apply by 27 July.