Centering Audiences – Leadership Dialogues on Audience Development

Australia’s arts and cultural sector is experiencing a period of significant transition. Audience behaviours are shifting rapidly, participation levels are changing across many artforms, and the skills required to build and sustain audiences are rapidly evolving.

At the same time, the sector is facing a workforce challenge. As marketing and audience development talent is leaving the industry, capability gaps are emerging, and many organisations are under increasing pressure with limited resources, fragmented data, and shifting priorities.

While there is broad agreement that audiences are fundamental to long‑term sustainability, growth, and relevance, the next priority is moving from acknowledgement to action. This is a unique opportunity to gather leaders and change-makers in our sector to make progress on our shared challenges.

Creative Australia has partnered with the national peak organisation for the performing arts, PAC Australia, to convene a series of leadership dialogues designed to:

 

  • Develop a clear, evidence‑informed understanding of current audience challenges in live performance.
  • Translate lived experiences from across the sector into actionable insights.
  • Stress‑test assumptions about where support, investment, and structural change would have the greatest impact.
  • Explore audience demand and its connection to programming.
  • Identify practical pathways for alignment, experimentation, and next steps.
  • Seed shared and collaborative approaches to audience development .

The content and format will be curated and led by arts leader, Amy Maiden.

Expressions of interest to participate in the dialogues are invited from across the sector, with an emphasis on diversity of role, scale, geography, and artform.

This may include:

  • CEOs and Executive Directors
  • Artistic Directors and Programming Directors
  • Heads of Marketing or Audience
  • Independent, self-presenting producers and artists
  • Other important stakeholders with an informed understanding of audience development from outside the sector

Participation:

Participant numbers have been intentionally limited to 15 per session to support productive conversation and candid insight‑gathering across artistic, executive and audience functions.

Phase 1: Deep-Dive Peer Dialogues 

  • In person attendance at a full day session (Monday 22 – Thursday 25 June)
  • Curated provocations and workshops based on the outlined key themes
  • Structured breakout discussions
  • Facilitated synthesis
  • Clear capture of themes, tensions and opportunities

After all sessions are complete, a consolidated summary will be shared with participants.

Phase 2: Cross-Cohort Synthesis (Online – approx. 2 hours)

A facilitated digital session bringing all participants together to:

  • Share key insights from each room
  • Identify alignment and friction points
  • Agree on 3–5 sector-wide priorities
  • Determine next steps or action pathways

By expressing interest, you are confirming that you can be available to attend a full day session (9.00am – 5.00pm) on: 

  • Monday, 22 June – Marketing Directors, Managers, Strategists etc
  • Tuesday, 23 June – CEOs and Executive Directors etc 
  • Wednesday, 24 June – Artistic Directors and Programmers 
  • Thursday, 25 June – Independent Producers and Artists 

Networking time is included at the conclusion of each day, for the conversation to continue in an informal environment.

Some travel support is available for those individuals unable to fund their own attendance. Independent or unwaged participants will have travel costs covered (includes flights, accommodation and reasonable ground transport) and will receive a $250 honorarium for the day of their participation.

We will liaise directly with each selected participant regarding the provision of travel costs. Please note, if you receive travel support in advance of the roundtable and are no longer able to attend, this amount must be returned.

The roundtables will take place in the Melbourne CBD, the final venue TBC.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST WILL CLOSE 11.59PM AEST ON WEDNESDAY 6 MAY, 2026 AND UNFORTUNATELY NO EXTENSIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

Outcomes will be advised between 18-22 May. 

Express Your Interest

Centering Audiences – Leadership dialogues on audience development is an initiative of Creative Australia, delivered by PAC Australia.