About Us
Live Performance Australia (LPA) is the peak body for Australia’s live performance industry. Our role is to protect and promote the interests of our Members.
We are a registered employer organisation under the Fair Work (Registered Organisation) Act 2009, which allows us to negotiate industrial agreements on behalf of our Members.
We represent:
- promoters and producers, both commercial and independent
- performing arts companies
- theatres, venues and performing arts centres
- arts and music festivals
- stadiums and arenas
- allied industries and institutions such as ticketing companies, technical suppliers, independent cinemas, exhibition venues and performing arts colleges
We are here to:
- Negotiate industrial and workplace agreements on behalf of our Members
- Help our Members navigate complexities of the regulatory environment
- Provide advice, information and support on industry issues such as workplace relations, taxation and investment, copyright, licensing and insurance
- Lobby government on relevant issues such as venue infrastructure, investment incentives and regulatory changes
- Conduct research and collect data, including for the annual Ticket Attendance and Revenue Report
- Develop industry codes of practice for areas such as ticketing and the prevention of workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, harassment and bullying
- Produce industry best practice guides such as work health and safety, child employment and safety, censorship, auditions and arts access
- Foster industry development through professional development and networking opportunities
- Honour artistic excellence and industry achievement through the Helpmann Awards, the JC Williamson Award, the Sue Nattrass Award and our Hall of Fame
Leadership
Advocacy
Negotiation
Meet Our Members
We are a member-driven organisation. Our Executive Council is elected every two years from our membership. It has representatives from across Australia and across industry sectors.
Our 400 plus-strong membership ranges from sole operators to not-for-profit organisations to large commercial entities. It includes both those directly involved in creating live performance and allied industries and institutions.
Our Members are leaders in our industry whose expertise is crucial to our work in driving industry reform. Members provide input to our submissions and serve on our various committees and working groups.
Membership is organisation based. We also have individual Life Members who are nominated by the Executive Council for their service and commitment to the organisation.
Meet Our Team
Our small and enthusiastic team is committed to supporting the live performance industry and you, our Members. We like to think of ourselves as your on-call in-house experts on industry issues such as workplace relations, workplace regulation, copyright, licensing, insurance and Australian Entertainment Visas.
Join Our Team
Currently no vacancies.
Our History
In 1917, at the height of World War I, a group of Australian theatre owners joined together to develop a united response to a range of issues that were impacting the theatre industry. Issues included the government’s decision to promote enlistment in the armed forces with pre-curtain speeches at theatre performances and the introduction of an entertainment tax on theatre tickets to fund the war effort. The theatre owners formed the Theatrical Proprietors’ and Managers’ Association, which was registered as ‘an organisation of employers in, or in connection with, the Theatrical, Vaudeville and General Amusement Industry’. More than one hundred years, and four name changes later, that association has evolved into Live Performance Australia.
The industry has been on a roller coaster ride of adaption and creative ingenuity since 1917. Talking movies and the birth of television were both predicted to cause the end of the live performance industry. Contrary to this gloomy forecast, live performance has flourished. As the industry diversified, so has our member base. We now include Members from theatre, musicals, opera, dance, festivals, contemporary and classical music, comedy and variety, circus and physical theatre, special events, colleges, multi-purpose and sporting venues and hirers, ticketing, exhibitions and displays, promotion and production, cinema exhibition, crewing, sound and lighting, service supply and contracting.
In 1998, we inaugurated the JC Williamson Award, a lifetime achievement award that recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to our industry and shaped its future for the better. This prestigious and coveted award is named after theatre entrepreneur JC Williamson, whose company dominated the Australian theatre scene for much of the 20th century.
In 2001, we introduced the Helpmann Awards to recognise artistic excellence. The awards are named in honour of Sir Robert Helpmann’s memory and achievements. In 2018, the awards ceremony was televised live nationally on ABC for the first time, bringing it to an estimated audience of more than 200,000.
In 2014, we inaugurated the Sue Nattrass Award, a lifetime achievement award that recognises outstanding service to our industry in a field that may not have a high public profile. This award is named in tribute to the lifetime service of Sue Nattrass AO who, amongst many achievements, was a long serving Live Performance Australia President.
Become a Member
Membership entitles you to support, information and advice on a wide range of issues, including workplace relations, visa applications and compliance with workplace regulations. It also entitles you to representation in negotiation of industrial agreements.
Members must adhere to our mandatory codes, which include the Ticketing Code of Practice and the Code of Practice to Prevent Workplace Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Harassment and Bullying.
Do you present or create professionally produced live performance productions, or service our industry and abide by the relevant Award approved by the Fair Work Commission? Would you like to be part of a network of peers, receive assistance with employment and contracting, bringing overseas artists into the country or wish to enter the Helpmann Awards?
Fill in the Expression of Interest form and our friendly membership team will be in touch.
If you’re looking to become an LPA Member – please fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch shortly.
Governance
As a registered organisation under the Fair Work Act 2009, we are governed by a set of rules endorsed by the Fair Work Commission, which are available below.
Our Executive Council, drawn from representatives of our membership, is elected every two years. The Council has representatives from across Australia and across the sector.
As required under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009, LPA publishes its Annual Report with detailed information on our activities for each financial year.