Role for arts collaborations

Collaborations between arts organisations across Australia and internationally have been a proactive way for Perth-based groups to overcome the tyranny of distance and achieve outstanding production results.

For the better part of 10 years, the concept has proved fruitful for some of Western Australia's most prominent performing arts centres, which would otherwise struggle to bring national and international acts to the west coast.

Two consortiums in particular, OZPAC and Mobile States, have been busy of late.

The UK dance drama Edward Scissorhands, currently on tour, is the first national tour organised by OZPAC.

OZPAC is the union of the Perth Theatre Trust, the Queensland Performing Arts Trust, the Sydney Opera House Trust, the Arts Centre Melbourne Trust, the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust, and the Edge Auckland.

The consortium was established eight years ago to exchange views on management matters, but created a programming arm in 2006 to look at economical ways to tour international productions around the venues involved.

AEG Ogden (Perth) chief executive Rodney Phillips, who is responsible for managing the Perth Theatre Trust venues, told WA Business News the trust hadn't had much success in organising major tours until now, but had identified the touring potential of Edward Scissorhands about a year ago.

"The show has 35 international dancers, it's the first time we tackled something that ambitious; we worked on it for a year," Mr Phillips said.

With the first show on the road, the consortium is now looking ahead for the future projects.

"We look for shows that have a major popular appeal, it can be a musical or a great symphonic orchestra," Mr Phillips said

The Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Performance Space (Sydney), Powerhouse Arts (Brisbane), Salamanca Arts Centre (Hobart), and Art House (Melbourne) established Mobile States four years ago.

Mobile States has toured eight theatre and dance shows since it started, which, according to PICA director Amy Barrett-Lennard, would have never made it to Perth otherwise.

"Touring is expensive and venues don't have the budget to do it...what was happening in Sydney wasn't likely to be seen in Perth," Mrs Barrett-Lennard said.

"It has been the only way for us to bring shows from over east up to now."