THE MISSING MIDDLE: THE PLIGHT OF INDEPENDENT THEATRE IN WA 
Features

THE MISSING MIDDLE: THE PLIGHT OF INDEPENDENT THEATRE IN WA 

17 July 2026

WA’s independent theatre scene is buoyant, but artists still face a difficult middle ground shaped by funding pressures, audience development and access to affordable venues. Ian Lilburne investigates what it will take for independent theatre-makers to build sustainable creative careers in WA.

Reading time • 10 minutesMulti-arts