PAC Australia are actively working across critical sector issues related to staff retention, skills shortages, skills development and training pathways. What we’ve also identified as a missing, but vital, part of this work to date is the flow-on-effects of a reduced workforce on the capacity of the sector to continue working at unsustainably high levels of output.
The impact is being felt across all departments and all types of organisations working in live performance.
However, these capacity issues are manifesting acutely in the technical workforce, with our primary and urgent concern being the depleted workforce and the impact of this reduced capacity, and the lost skills and years of experience, on the workforce that remains. Workplace incidents and near-miss reporting (both official and unrecorded accounts) are on the rise and in many instances can be tied to the effects of this depleted workforce.
Late in 2025 the PAPA network convened a two-day meeting to review and respond to these critical workforce conditions.
At the meeting were representatives from the PAPA network and invited subject-matter experts (SME’s) representing technical networks, SaCSA, and individuals with presenting, producing and technical expertise. Through facilitated discussions, participants outlined the interconnected nature of workforce, training, programming and safety challenges; heard examples of lived experience from venues of different scales; and examined the diverse roles played by venues, producers, training bodies, regulators and governments in leading critical workplace adaptation.
We mapped the drivers of the crisis, identified key influencers for systemic change, affirmed a shared set of design principles for these adaptations, and began conceptualising practical solutions. The key issues we are seeking to address include:
- Sector resilience is at its limits
- The eroding safety margin
- A fragile workforce pipeline
- Ambition (artistic vision, volume of work, KPI’s) outpacing capacity
- Unsustainable presentation and touring models
The meeting has provided PAPA with a roadmap for action. We’re pleased to share an insights report from the meeting, prepared by facilitator Penny Miles, the National Performing Arts Technical Safety and Workforce Meeting Insights Report which provides an overview of what our priorities and actions will be moving forward.
A joint statement from the PAPA network on the meeting and insights report:
“The Performing Arts Presenters Associations (PAPA) network, recognise that Australia’s performing arts technical workforce is experiencing a national crisis. This has been building across the entire pipeline from recruitment and training through to retention, but it is now manifesting most acutely in day-to-day workplace conditions and safety, as the ambition and expectations of the sector outstrip capacity.
While the primary focus of the work by the PAPA network is often government-owned venues, the issues that need to be addressed both influence and are influenced by touring practices, production timelines, technical feasibility and safety responsibilities that sit across organisational boundaries. This is a shared responsibility and vital that we embed a culture of collective accountability between venues, producers, presenters and funders.
The work ahead is substantial but the roadmap PAPA have formulated is clear. It reflects both the urgency of the challenge and the opportunity to build a safer, more sustainable future for Australia’s performing arts technical workforce.”
Download Report
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