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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise the continuing connection of First Nations peoples to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present.

APAX - Australian Performing Arts Exchange

APAX 2025. Photo by Alex Sibbison

Program

The Australian Performing Arts Exchange is the national market and professional development gathering for performing arts workers across Australia.

Develop tours, cultivate relationships, and deliver to audiences nation-wide. 

Since its inception, APAX has shifted the dial in Australian performing arts markets, from transactional market environments to a focussed, relationship-based platform for doing business which prioritises connecting presenters, producers, and artists so that the right work reaches the right audience, at the right time. 

Alongside a range of pitching, showcasing and networking opportunities, APAX supports the professional development of delegates, showcases sector innovation and best practice and supports industry renewal through knowledge exchange.

In 2026 APAX will take place at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Queensland Theatre amongst other venues in Brisbane.

2026 SCHEDULE

Monday, 7 September – Welcome to Country, APAX opening and evening program (Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, South Brisbane)

Tuesday, 8 September – Arts Market (Queensland Performing Arts Centre, South Brisbane and Metro Arts, West End)

Wednesday, 9 September  – Arts Market and IMPACT Awards (Queensland Theatre Company, South Brisbane and The West End Electric, West End)

Thursday, 10 September – Conference (Queensland Performing Arts Centre, South Brisbane)

Friday, 11 September  – Conference (Queensland Performing Arts Centre, South Brisbane)

 

 

APAX 2026

Change. Risk. A hopeful future.

Is it time to restump this house we call the performing arts sector — better foundations, not just a fresh coat of paint on the same walls?

APAX 2026 starts from a simple premise: change isn’t coming, it’s already here. It’s time to tackle the tectonic shifts within the sector, starting at your own doorstep. Moving away from a diagnosis of what’s holding us back, we’ll move firmly into treating the condition — and what that looks like in your community, regardless of its size and scale.

In a sector where everyone is under pressure, the focus is adaptive strategy: recognising where you’re at today, and what it takes to thrive tomorrow.

Joining you at APAX will be the people who understand your day-to-day, in the same room, at the same time. Because you don’t restump a house on your own — you need other hands, other eyes, people who can see the angle you can’t from where you’re standing. And some from outside the sector: we’ll hear from people who’ve left the arts altogether, what they’d change if they came back, and what we could stand to learn from industries also dealing with what’s currently on our doorstep.

Conference sessions will bring sharper economic thinking to a sector that talks often about impact and not enough about risk; an unhyped, practical look at AI from the artist’s perspective through to the ethical frameworks guiding its use; a shift away from the narrative of audience decline toward real discussions about systems and structures that better enable organisations to reach audiences – creating the experiences and environments that attract audiences in the first place; leading work in arts-readiness for climate change; and a frank look at workforce issues, and what it takes to lead through crisis or transition well.

Expect the economic wake-up call. Systems change in practice. Risk tools you can actually use. Updates from across the sector on who’s doing what. And plenty of the connection and joy APAX is known for.

Change is here. The good, the bad, and hopefully, the brave. Are you ready?

You’ll be able to use our delegate app Swapcard to add any session to your personal schedule and reserve your spot closer to the event. Stay tuned for updates!