This time in “Meet the Members”, we connect with one of our newly re-joined venues, The J, Noosa and chat to Venue Coordinator, Scott Braby. How long have you been at your venue? 9 Years How big is your team and venue? We have quite a small team 4.9 FTE staff including myself, a FT Venue Officer, FT Venue Support Officer, PPT Marketing and Communications Officer, PPT FOH/Admin, and a casual A/V Tech. Plus a small pool...

Artlands 2021 is Regional Arts Australia’s strategic exchange that responds to emerging trends, discovers new ideas, considers adapted approaches and showcases artists as well as highlighting the creative and cultural sector across regional, rural and remote Australia. Artlands will run September 1-3 and will use digital to augment the live experience, partnering with 4 national venues who will become local Artlands hubs. Empire Theatres,...

Stage Queensland’s 2025 Strategic Plan, covering the period 2022-2025, was endorsed at a Special General Members Meeting on Friday 20th August. The Plan is an ambitious four-year strategy to connect, support, and re-energise Queensland’s performing arts industry. More information and the full document can be found here.

The 2020 Stage Queensland Annual Review is now available. Covering the tumultuous year that was 2020, it summarises the organisation’s activities and achievements. Download it, and previous Annual Reviews, here. 

They say a problem shared is a problem halved, and that has certainly proven true for issues raised at Stage Queensland’s fortnightly zoom meetings. With COVID regulations and practices changing so quickly, these meetings have proven invaluable for members wishing to stay up-to-date with industry developments, share information, and discuss any ‘hot’ issues. Members’ meetings are held via zoom on Fridays at 11am and...

Showcase Online is arTour’s digital pitching event, profiling the best live performance touring work Queensland has to offer. Following its success in 2020, producers and presenters will meet online again this year to explore touring productions that are ready to tour in 2023 and beyond. By pitching digitally producers are exposed to a wider network of presenters and the event is safeguarded against any further lockdowns or travel bans...

PAC Australia has developed a fantastic APAX program, combining the national market program with professional development across 4 online days from 07 – 10 September 2021. What does it mean to adjust to THRIVE mode? Personally and professionally, from individuals to organisations, to the sector as a whole? Much like 2020 and 2021, maybe it is not what we expect. In the midst of the ongoing conversations and responses to the pandemic, APAX...

Queensland Ballet has taken its place as a vibrant and compelling contributor to Australia’s cultural landscape and an integral part of the national and international ballet ecology. Their dancers have performed to widespread acclaim locally, nationally and internationally, the company has a thriving elite dancer training Academy and they offer inspiring education and community engagement programs across Queensland.  With a culture of...

Established in 1981, Opera Queensland creates a vibrant program of classic, contemporary and new work for diverse audiences, growing a community connected by the transformative power of opera. Celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2021, Opera Queensland has been central to the evolution of the art form in Queensland, nurturing the careers of some of the country’s most renowned artists, including Kate Miller-Heidke, Jacqueline Dark, Kiandra...

For more than 50 years, Queensland Theatre has created collective experiences that change lives, presenting an annual season of the best classic, contemporary, international and Australian works. We are committed to championing new voices on Australian stages including supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to develop and share their stories, and encouraging a love of theatre through education and youth participation...

The latest Stage Queensland Annual Review is now available. Covering the period March 2019-March 2020, it summarises the organisation’s activities and achievements over the past twelve months. Download it, and previous Annual Reviews, here. 

Stage Queensland has developed a list of COVID-19 resources. We know there are lots of these lists around so we tried to make it concise and specific to the Queensland venue sector. Please let us know if there are any other resources that you are finding particularly useful. We are also in the process of compiling a list of training/professional development opportunities available over the time of COVID. Lots of suppliers are...

Stage Queensland is now officially a member of the PAP Associations (Performing Arts Presenter Associations) with six state peak bodies signing an MOU to work together as a voluntary Consortium. The MOU sets out mechanisms to allow regular and open communication between the members including two face-to-face meetings and one teleconference per year. The MOU aims to allow each organisation to support the advocacy efforts of...

Tour development for six 2020 Morning Melodies tours is now complete after a venue voting process coordinated by Stage Queensland. Stage Queensland thanks the forty-two productions that submitted applications for Morning Melodies tours in 2020.  The following six tours are confirmed: Tour 1 = Red Chair: Swingin’ Martinis Tour 2 = Marc Mancini: Bloom sings Stevie Nicks, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt Tour 3 = Rhydian Lewis: The Best of Buble...

Over the history of performing arts, the incredible transformative and healing power of music has been widely conveyed by artists and audiences. They talk of the power of music to speak when words cannot and the power of song in finding a voice that’s lost. It was recognition of this healing power, that four years ago led Brisbane-based community organisation, Micah Projects, to establish Songs of Justice an event raising awareness of the...

Zohar Spatz is Executive Director, La Boite at the Roundhouse Theatre. How long have you been at La Boite? I have been at the desk for about 5 months. How big is your team and venue? We have 28 Full Time Equivalent staff. Why did you choose a career in the performing arts venue sector? I love how venues can create communities by becoming a gathering place for artists and audiences, to talk, eat and drink as well as a place to experience...

On November 7, Stage Queensland visited the Draney Theatre at Marist College Ashgrove. The Draney Theatre is a 300 seat proscenium arch theatre, built in 2006, that hosts the school’s thriving performing arts activities of which 50-60 are scheduled each year. In addition, the theatre accommodates a growing number of external hirer events such as dance concerts, speech and drama performances, and musicals from neighbouring schools....

In late October, Stage Queensland’s Management Committee gathered for a full day of strategic planning to discuss the organisation’s future direction and target outcomes. Outcomes from the meeting will be used to formulate Stage Queensland’s next Strategic Plan which will cover the period 2021-2024. The day was heavily informed by a survey of members that obtained feedback on Stage Queensland’s current operations. Our...

Queensland Ballet has just completed an inclusive 10-week dance program. Limitless Leaps.  Supported by Arts Queensland Artists in Residence program and in partnership with AllPlay Dance, Deakin University Child Study Centre and Churchill State School, Limitless Leaps focused on inclusivity and provided thirteen children with varying disabilities the opportunity to participate in a dance program alongside their peers in Year 5 & 6. An...

A multi-million dollar redevelopment of The Events Centre Caloundra is almost complete, with upgrades and enhancements to the existing building expected to be completed in January 2020.  After a five month closure and more than twelve months of capital works, the 39 year old facility has had a major facelift and is set to launch an exciting program of events and service offering for the new year. The Events Centre is the Sunshine Coasts premier...

Rockhampton Regional Council has called for tenders for design concepts to transform the Pilbeam Theatre and surrounding area into a world class vibrant performing arts precinct and community space. The Pilbeam Theatre has stood on its site overlooking the Fitzroy River since 1979 with the Rockhampton Art Gallery currently occupying a building adjacent to the Pilbeam Theatre. Work is now underway on Rockhampton’s new Art Gallery which is being...

The historic Kingston Butter Factory (KBF) will be returned to the community as Logan City Council transforms the area into a cultural heritage and performing arts hub in 2020. It will be part of an exciting new KBF Cultural Precinct, which will also feature the city’s largest outdoor events space. The outdoor space will have capacity for an audience of up to 5,000 people and will be able to host major performances, festivals, markets and...

Stage Queensland’s first-ever meeting for school theatres took place in May.  Attendees from Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast schools chatted about issues such as event booking and ticketing systems, fire management and evacuation plans, balancing internal and external events, and venue staffing. The meeting concluded with a venue tour of the wonderful host venue, St Peter’s Lutheran College. The group agreed that the meeting...

In June, an initiative was launched that will have far-reaching impact for Stage Queensland and for the performing arts in Queensland – Stage Queensland’s first-ever Annual Giving Program. The Giving Program kicked off with a lunch for our key supporters at the beautiful Urbane restaurant in Brisbane. The event was hosted by long-term Stage Queensland partner Vivaticket and guests banded together to contribute over $15K at this...

Members are encouraged to log onto the Stage Queensland website and check out some of the newly added resources including venue case studies and sample position descriptions for venue staff. To log on: go to the “membership” tab, click on “members login” and enter your username and password. If you are having trouble or need to request a login, contact Suzan Williams via email: [email protected] or phone: 0413...

Name: Kat Robinson Role: Patron Services Team Leader Venue: Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton How long have you been at the Pilbeam Theatre?  3 years in November. How big is your team and venue?  The Patron Services & Box Office Team is made up of myself, 2 Box Office staff, 3 FOH Duty Managers & approx. 60 Friends of the Theatre volunteers. Our Venue itself has 10 full time, 2 part time and approx. 15 casual staff members. Our Auditorium...

Brisbane Powerhouse has once again smashed its previous year’s record with attendance up for the third year in a row. Artistic Director Kris Stewart spoke to ArtsHub about their big year and how the centre has gone from strength to strength. Read the full article here.     

Technical, Box Office and Marketing managers and staff will converge on the Gold Coast in 2019 with HOTA recently announced as the venue for both the next Stage Queensland Technical Managers’ and Box Office and Marketing Network (BOMNet) Conferences. The annual conferences provide an opportunity for managers and staff to gather with industry colleagues and share ideas, policies and practises and to keep up-to-date with the latest trends...

Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is collaborating with artists and communities to present a unique theatrical performance to mark 100 years of Australian wartime and peacekeeping service since the armistice that ended World War I. Presented by QPAC and supported by a $420,000 grant from the Australia Government’s ANZAC Centenary Arts and Culture Fund, Armistice is a new theatrical performance reflecting on Australia’s wartime and...

Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) has achieved its highest attendance on record for the year ending July 2018. Attendance at QPAC reached 1,573,582 for the 2017-18 financial year, exceeding the previous record set in 2014-15 (1,405,101) by close to 170,000 attendances. QPAC Chief Executive John Kotzas said the results spoke volumes of the vital performing arts sector in Australia, especially the vibrancy of the Queensland Cultural...

The Department of Communications and the Arts is undertaking a review of the National Arts and Disability Strategy. Face-to-face consultations are being held nationally and in November will be coming to Queensland (Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Cairns). Arts organisations and artists can also do this survey before 3 Dec. For further details contact the Department of Communications and the Arts. 

Recognised and respected arts leader, Adrian Collette will take over as Australia Council CEO in January 2019. Adrian Collette previously held the position of Chief Executive of Opera Australia for 16 years, has worked in book publishing for a decade, including as Managing Director, Reed Books, a Division of Reed Elsevier. His current role is Vice-Principal (Engagement) at the University of Melbourne which includes the oversight of the...

There are quite a few technical jobs currently being advertised in the Stage Queensland network. HOTA have an opportunity for a Technical Operations Manager while QPAC are seeking a Senior Technician – Staging and a casual Technician – Lighting, and Dancenorth has a Production and Operations Manager position. For full details follow the appropriate link to the venue website.

Congratulations to Bronwyn Davies, Lea Schuster and the team from Scenic Rim Regional Council on their successful application to the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF). The team will use the funding to produce Arts Ablaze – a five day arts event for artsworkers and arts organisations, artists and peak bodies to network, exchange ideas, develop skills and foster collaboration through professional development,...