Theatres can feel like privileged spaces. Is it time for more companies to try “pay what you can” schemes to allow more people in? Photo: Alev Takil, Unsplash.
If you are a theatre lover, you’ll no doubt be accustomed to putting a portion of your income aside to make sure you have enough for your special nights at a show.
As a spokesperson from Malthouse Theatre told ArtsHub in 2023, ‘The cost of producing new Australian theatre has grown exponentially,’ and that ‘every budget line has increased’, adding that the company ‘continue[s] to seek support through fundraising to ensure that [they] don’t push these costs onto audiences’.
ArtsHub's Arts Feature Writer Jo Pickup is based in Perth. An arts writer and manager, she has worked as a journalist and broadcaster for media such as the ABC, RTRFM and The West Australian newspaper, contributing media content and commentary on art, culture and design. She has also worked for arts organisations such as Fremantle Arts Centre, STRUT dance, and the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of WA, as well as being a sessional arts lecturer at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
