Performing arts of Australia


The Performing arts in Australia are an important element of the Arts in Australia and Australian culture.

Dance

Dance in Australia is diverse, ranging from The Australian Ballet to the Restless Dance Company to the many local dance studios.

Music

Aboriginal music

Aboriginal song was and remains an integral part of Aboriginal culture since time immemorial. The most famous feature of their music is the didgeridoo. This wooden instrument, used amongst the Aboriginal clans of northern Australia, makes a distinctive droning sound and its use has been adopted by a wide variety of non-Aboriginal performers.
Aboriginal musicians have turned their hand to Western popular musical forms, often to considerable commercial success. Some notable examples include Archie Roach, the Warumpi Band, NoKTuRNL and Yothu Yindi.

Pop and rock

Australia has produced a wide variety of popular music. While many musicians and bands put Australian music on the map. Within a few years, the novelty had worn off and it became commonplace to hear distinctively Australian lyrics and sometimes sounds side-by-side with the imitators and the imports.
The national expansion of ABC youth radio station Triple J during the 1990s has greatly increased the visibility and availability of homegrown talent to listeners nationwide. Since the mid-1990s a string of successful alternative Australian acts have emerged – artists to achieve both underground and mainstream success include silverchair, Grinspoon, Powderfinger and Jet.

Classical music

The first Australian musician of any sort to achieve international fame was operatic soprano Nellie Melba, in the late 19th century. Well-known soprano Joan Sutherland is also from Australia.
Australia has a considerable history of classical performance, with symphony orchestras established around the state capitals in the early 20th century, as well as opera companies and other musical ensembles. However, relatively few Australian classical compositions have achieved lasting recognition.

Theatre

Organisations

There are a number of major performing arts organisations engaged in the performing arts. There was an enguiry held in 1999, chaired by Helen Nugent, the report of the enquiry led to significant change, particularly in government support through the Australia Council and the then Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Significant Australian performing arts organisations

Performing artAustraliaACTNSWNTQueenslandSATasmaniaVictoriaWA
Dance: BalletQueensland BalletThe Australian BalletWest Australian Ballet Company
Dance: ContemporarySydney Dance Company and Bangarra Dance TheatreDancenorthAustralian Dance Theatre
Education*Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts
Canberra Academy of Dramatic ArtNational Institute of Dramatic Art, National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association Dance College, Australian Film Television and Radio School, and Sydney Conservatorium of MusicQueensland Conservatorium Griffith UniversityHelpmann AcademyAustralian National Academy of Music, Australian Ballet School, Flying Fruit Fly Circus School, National Institute of Circus Arts, and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
FestivalsSydney FestivalGarma Festival of Traditional CulturesBrisbane FestivalAdelaide Festival, Adelaide Fringe and WOMADelaideMelbourne International Arts Festival and Melbourne Fringe FestivalPerth International Arts Festival
Funding AgenciesAustralia Council and Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the ArtsArtsACTNSW Ministry for the ArtsDepartment of the Arts and MuseumsArts QueenslandArts SAArts TasmaniaArts VictoriaArtsWA
Music: ChoralAustralian Boys Choir
Music: ChamberAustralian Festival of Chamber MusicAustralian Chamber Orchestra and Musica Viva AustraliaAstra Chamber Music Society and Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition
Music: OrchestraAustralian World Orchestra and Symphony Services InternationalSydney Symphony OrchestraDarwin Symphony OrchestraQueensland Symphony OrchestraAdelaide Symphony OrchestraTasmanian Symphony OrchestraMelbourne Symphony OrchestraWest Australian Symphony Orchestra
Music: Orchestra Australian Opera and Ballet OrchestraQueensland Philharmonic OrchestraOrchestra Victoria
Music: Youth OrchestraAustralian Youth OrchestraSydney Youth Orchestra and SBS Radio and Television Youth OrchestraMelbourne String Ensemble and Melbourne Youth Orchestra
OperaOpera AustraliaOpera Queensland
Operatif 		State Opera Company of South AustraliaVictorian OperaWest Australian Opera
Theatre: PhysicalCircus Oz
Theatre: Text BasedMerrigong Theatre Company, Company B Ltd, Sydney Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company, and The Bell Shakespeare Company LtdQueensland Theatre Company; La Boite Theatre Company; Tropic Sun Theatre Company ; JUTEState Theatre Company of South AustraliaMelbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse TheatreBlack Swan Theatre Company
VenuesIllawarra Performing Arts Centre, Sydney Opera HouseQueensland Performing Arts Centre ; Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts : Bille Brown Studio at Queensland Theatre Company ; Metro ArtsAdelaide Festival CentreSalamanca Arts Centre, HobartVictorian Arts Centre, Hamer Hall, Melbourne, and Melbourne Recital CentreHis Majesty's Theatre and The Playhouse Theatre