APAM 2026: Announcing the Programme

The Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) is Australia’s leading international industry event showcasing the best contemporary performing arts from Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand.

An initiative of Creative Australia and managed by PAC Australia, APAM 2026 brings together artists, producers, presenters, and cultural leaders from across the region and the world.

APAM 2026 addresses how the arts respond to a rapidly changing world. Delegates will be part of presentations, workshops and peer-led roundtables curated to spark new thinking and strengthen connection locally, nationally and internationally. Through conversations, provocation and networking, APAM will delve into the big questions facing our sector, from how we nurture intercultural and international collaboration, to how we adapt to shifting social, environmental and political conditions.

These sessions will foreground diverse voices and ways of working, highlighting Indigenous leadership, regional perspectives, and artist and community-led initiatives that are redefining the performing arts sector globally.

Programme highlights include:

Opening Keynote: Clothilde Bullen OAM

Clothilde Bullen OAM’s keynote presents a game changing vision for the future of arts and cultural institutions, exploring how new leadership models and cultural sovereignty can reshape the sector.

Grounded in future focused thinking, Clothilde’s address challenges us to rethink established systems, urging arts leaders to reimagine systems of power and foster a self-determined future. Clothilde invites delegates to imagine ways of working that prioritise long-term sustainability, mindful forward planning and meaningful pathways for new leadership.

Recalibrating the Compass: Survival Isn’t Strategy – Radical Ideas for a Sustainable Sector

Explore the rapidly evolving landscape of international touring. As global conditions shift, from rising costs and climate impacts to changing audience expectations, the ways we share performance across borders are being reimagined.

Panellists will discuss touring models, co-commissioning and new approaches to collaboration. Together, they will unpack the opportunities and challenges of connecting work with international markets in a transformed world. Participants will gain insights and inspiration to navigate the future of touring with creativity and adaptability.

Recalibrating the Compass opens a new APAM series that confronts a hard truth: the touring ecosystem can no longer rely on the assumptions of the past. Survival alone is not a strategy.

THE HERDS: Creativity in Climate Crisis

Facilitated by Creative Climate

THE HERDS is epic public art and climate action on an unprecedented scale. In 2025 life-size puppet animals stormed through a 20,000km route from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle, symbolising their flight from climate disaster. Hear from the creator and Artistic Director of THE HERDS Amir Nizar Zuabi (UK, Palestine) and the General Manager Fraser Orford (AUS) to learn about what prompted the project, how citizens and partners engaged with it as it moved through their cities, and what has been learned along the way.

Following the presentation, we’ll hear from artists and First Nations cultural knowledge keepers about culture and climate action projects happening in Australia. And collectively workshop how the arts and culture sector can deepen our impact and responsibility for care for Country and climate justice.

Supported by Creative Climate and the British Council.

Conversations

Free to Create?

This panel explores the complex landscape of open discourse and how we navigate challenging community conversations in the performing arts. Panellists will reflect on real-world experiences navigating highly contested content, public reaction, and institutional pressures, asking what it means to create boldly while respecting diverse communities.

Delve into the delicate balance between artistic integrity, social accountability and sector-wide responsibility, and imagine how the arts can continue to provoke, challenge, and inspire safely and powerfully.

The Long Table: Artistic Exchange and Co-Creation with Asia

Gain insight into Asia’s markets and the region’s diverse performing arts landscape. From touring and co-productions to residency and exchange models, panellists will share insights into building sustainable, respectful, and mutually beneficial relationships. The conversation will explore cultural contexts, audience trends, and practical considerations for engaging with Asia.

APAM 2026 offers a powerful platform to reflect, connect and imagine new ways of working in a complex world. Join us in Perth during the city’s summer to connect with leading performance makers and take part in the conversations shaping the future of contemporary performance.