News Articles

Cultural Industries 28 Apr 2026

WA Opera’s surplus up 316pc

New financials from the West Australian Opera have shown a dramatic increase in operating surplus from $299,588 in 2024 to $1.6 million in 2025.

Cultural Industries 21 Apr 2026

Freeze Frame tops WA performing arts awards

SEE THE FULL LIST: Western Australia's top performers in stage arts were revealed in a ceremony last night.

Cultural Industries 20 Apr 2026

Arts welcome $37.6m pre-budget boost

Majority of the commitment will be directed to the state's arts organisations in multi-year funding.

The redevelopment of Perth Concert Hall means WASO faces higher costs and lower revenue for the next three years. Photo: Michael O’Brien

Cultural Industries 11 Jul 2025

Major arts companies feel squeeze

New financial reports have shone a spotlight on the pressure facing WA's major performing arts companies, especially WA Ballet and WASO.

Appointments 27 Jun 2025

Appointments June 27, 2025

Perth Festival's Nathan Bennett will be stepping down to become chief executive of World Masters Games Perth 2029 early next year, an international multi-sport competition is held every four years

Cultural Industries 13 Dec 2024

Arts needs political will, vision

OPINION: The new 10 Year Vision for Arts and Culture is David Templeman's parting gift to WA's creative industries. But what does the ‘vision' need to deliver to the sector, and is it likely to be delivered?

Special Reports 19 Jun 2024

The gift that keeps on giving

In 2011, Andrew and Nicola Forrest made an unusual donation that has delivered more benefits to WA's arts sector than anyone ever anticipated.

Cultural Industries 31 Oct 2023

Black Swan, WA Opera recognised at awards

Black Swan State Theatre Company and West Australian Opera were the most awarded arts organisations at the 2023 Performing Arts Western Australia Awards.

Special Reports 24 Aug 2022

Uncertainty brings change to the arts

The disruption of the past two years has contributed to leadership changes and restructures.

Cultural Industries 22 Jul 2022

Cyber breach hits arts trust

Western Australian customers of several major arts organisations may have been impacted by a cyber breach of the digital marketing platform used by the Arts and Culture Trust.

Appointments 13 May 2022

Appointments May 13, 2022

Our weekly appointments wrap includes Ben Jenkins, Alison Gaines, Chris Campbell, Natasha Mutch and Jamie Godden.

Cultural Industries 11 May 2022

Arts companies bank $2.3m from Fortescue dividends

Major Western Australian arts companies have reaped huge benefits from Fortescue Metals Group shares donated by Andrew and Nicola Forrest in 2011.

Cultural Industries 28 Jan 2022

Carmen postponed until 2023

West Australian Opera's performance of Carmen at the WACA Ground in February has been postponed due to uncertainty around the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant and the possibility of further restrictions.

News 15 Nov 2021

A peek behind the curtain at Perth Festival

Perth Festival has released a dramatically changed program for 2022 along with its first-ever 12-month financial report since becoming a stand-alone company.

Cultural Industries 08 Dec 2020

New era for arts philanthropy

WA arts organisations are engaging young professionals in philanthropy.

Cultural Industries 23 Nov 2020

WA philanthropist wins national award

Perth business owner Alexandra Burt was named today as the winner of the emerging philanthropist award in the annual Creative Partnerships Awards for the arts sector.

Cultural Industries 18 Nov 2020

Festival takes local approach

Home-grown artists will be highlighted in the 2021 Perth Festival program, which features Tim Minchin performing songs from his new album Alone Together with WASO as the headline act.

Great for the State 09 Oct 2020

Creatives seeking return on investment

Taking inspiration from the venture capital sector to shake-up cultural funding could support the tireless work of emerging talent, and unleash creativity.

Cultural Industries 12 Aug 2020

Arts getting back to business

The Western Australian arts calendar is starting to fill up after the COVID-19 shutdown, beginning with CinefestOZ Film Festival at the end of August.

Cultural Industries 19 Mar 2020

Arts sector says the show must go online

The performing arts sector is coming up with new ways to ensure people are entertained, in light of government restrictions on indoor events attended by 100 people or more as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cultural Industries 16 Aug 2019

Arts, cultural bodies stick to script on performance matrix

WA's major performance-based arts groups have persevered through a broadly stagnant economic environment this past year.

Cultural Industries 28 Feb 2019

Ballet seeks to align with business

Regional tours have become a regular fixture on the calendars of Western Australia's biggest arts companies, but ensuring the programs' longevity remains a financial challenge for many.

Cultural Industries 08 Aug 2018

Perth Festival primed for 2019

Perth Festival has released the first taste of its 2019 program, one day after festival sponsor Adrian Fini won a national award for his philanthropic work.

Cultural Industries 23 Jul 2018

Getting creative on firm funds footing

The financial performance of WA's major arts organisations has fluctuated widely over the past year, research by Business News has found.

News 19 Jul 2018

Whitehead to depart WASO

Craig Whitehead will step down from his role as West Australian Symphony Orchestra chief executive in November after 10 years in the position.

Cultural Industries 21 May 2018

Hemsley heads AGWA Foundation

Property consultant Warwick Hemsley has replaced Adrian Fini as the Art Gallery of WA Foundation chair after four years at the helm.

Cultural Industries 16 May 2018

Community culture works for WASO

WA Symphony Orchestra has deep roots planted firmly across Western Australia, having spent 90 years connecting with communities beyond its core audience of classical music aficionados.

Mining 23 Aug 2017

Bowen takes board role at BHP

BHP Billiton has announced the appointment of outgoing Wesfarmers finance director Terry Bowen to its board.

Cultural Industries 10 Mar 2017

CEO lunch with Carolyn Chard

With WA Opera turning 50 this year, Business News sat down to lunch at Julio's with its general manager, Carolyn Chard.

Cultural Industries 07 Feb 2017

Minderoo partners with WA Opera

The West Australian Opera has today announced Nicola and Andrew Forrest's Minderoo Foundation has joined its 50th anniversary celebrations as a major partner, contributing $75,000.

Cultural Industries 02 Nov 2016

Walsh to chair gallery board

Former Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh plans to apply ideas from his time in London to the arts sector in Western Australia, after being announced as the new chairman of the Art Gallery of WA.

Cultural Industries 31 Oct 2016

Reinterpreting the funding culture

SPECIAL REPORT: Arts and cultural organisations are pursuing innovation and collaboration to help manage the tougher financial conditions in WA.

Cultural Industries 07 Jun 2016

Arts dollars flow to the fringe

After last month's closure of Perth Theatre Company, Business News has delved into the financial reports of arts and culture groups in WA to check on their health.

Cultural Industries 09 Oct 2014

WA Opera decision ‘highly embarrassing’

The sponsorship role of Healthway will be scrutinised by the state government as Colin Barnett says he's highly embarrassed by what appears to be its censorship of the arts.

Appointments 05 May 2014

Bowen chairs WA Opera

Wesfarmers finance director Terry Bowen has been appointed chair of the West Australian Opera, to succeed four-year veteran Warwick Hemsley, who will remain on the board.

Appointments 06 May 2013

Sioulas and Walker join Celebrate WA

Celebrate WA has appointed Maria Sioulas as partnership manager.Ms Sioulas formerly worked as a marketing and sponsorship manager for the West Australian Opera.

05 Sep 2012

Resources-arts partnerships scoop AbaF awards

A PARTNERSHIP between Woodside and national arts organisation Big hART, which delivered an arts program to youth in Roebourne, was among the winners at this year's Australia Business Arts Foundatio

Special Reports 21 Sep 2011

Push to promote giving in a wealthy state

Philanthropy is an inevitable topic when it comes to wealth creators in Western Australia.

Cultural Industries 24 Aug 2011

Arts incentive worth supporting

THE first round of grants has been administered under the state government's Philanthropy Incentive Program, which aims to link philanthropic donors with arts organisations, using the Department of

News Articles for West Australian Opera

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