This site brings together producers and presenters to help generate performing arts seasons and tours around Australia. It has been created and is managed by the Blue Heeler Network.
The site welcomes profiles for three main types of user:
Producers – companies or individual artists who create performing arts productions
Presenters – organisations or individuals who manage and/or program performing arts venues
Tour Coordinators – organisations or individuals who work with producers and presenters to develop and coordinate tours
Producers also have profiles for any productions that they have available for touring and these detail the creative team, production history, technical needs and costs. They also contain photos, video footage and samples of marketing materials.
Presenters have profiles for the venues they manage and these contain basic details of the venue’s capacity, format and technical facilities as well as photos and web links.
As well as frequent updates about events and developments in the touring sector, the site also hosts voting rounds for various national and state touring mechanisms. During these rounds, presenters are able to view a selection of productions available for touring and express interest via online votes. This interest is then used by Tour Coordinators to help develop tours.
National Blueheeler Network:
Also supporting national touring
6PAC Victorian & Tasmanian Touring within the VAPAC network
6PAC is a Knox City Council, Knox Performing Arts Centre and VAPAC initiative which has increased the quality and quantity of professional theatre and performing arts touring to outer suburban Melbourne and regional Victoria. The aim of 6PAC is to tour a high standard of affordable performing arts product to a network of similar sized venues and promote the depth of talent that Victoria has to offer its arts communities.
Established in 2007 by Knox Arts Centre Coordinator Richard Mitchell, 6PAC delivers a low cost, non funded touring model that supports a healthy network of small, medium sized council operated performing arts centre’s throughout Victoria known as Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centre’s(VAPAC). 6PAC serves to compliment the vibrant touring program offered by RAV and does so without needing to add further pressure to the annual Arts Victoria Touring Victoria funding program.
6PAC aims to promote the type of product that usually doesn’t appear in suburban and regional venues. The diversity of the product toured by 6PAC plays a major role in the audience development strategies for the participating VAPAC venues. 6PAC sources the majority of our touring product from a number of avenues including La Mama, The Arts Centre’s Full Tilt program, VAPAC Show Case, 3MBS Artists in Residence program and submissions from independent producers.
6PAC is not just about touring, 6PAC plays a major role in building capacity for performers, artists and producers by supporting, assisting and educating the performers on how to get the most out of their 6PAC tour. 6PAC takes no fee for coordinating the tours and each of the venues involved enter into their own contract with the performers. The buy-in fee is negotiated by 6PAC and only includes the presentation of the performance.6PAC is a Knox City Council and Knox Performing Arts Centre initiative which has increased the quality and quantity of professional theatre and performing arts touring to outer suburban Melbourne and regional Victoria. The aim of 6PAC is to tour a high standard of affordable performing arts product to a network of similar sized venues and promote the depth of talent that Victoria has to offer its arts communities.
When involved in a 6PAC tour, the performers are entering a partnership that empowers them to take greater responsibility for their own future by understanding the processes required to undertake a tour through this network. This is achieved by the performers taking a lead role in their contract negotiations, which includes arranging marketing material and travel and accommodation costs with each venue coordinator. This is a great way for both parties to develop a relationship that paves the way to future opportunities and partnerships.
6PAC has successfully toured to twenty eight of the forty VAPAC venues throughout Victoria in its first three years of existence. For further information regarding 6PAC touring, please contact:
Richard Mitchell | 6PAC Coordinator | p - 0408 539 264 | e - richard.mitchell@knox.vic.gov.au