The Live Performance Committee has been very active across the range of APDG initiatives over the last few months. The recent Planning Day was a full day of discussion towards setting our short-, medium- and long-term strategic planning goals. There was a lot of discussion about building our membership base – attracting new members and retaining current ones.

A number of participants mentioned a lack of awareness of what the guild does. I was reminded of a recent conversation with a mid-career designer who is not a member, and has never been a member, and asked them why they hadn’t joined. Their response – “Well the guild is just the Awards isn’t it?” – was revealing. I spent quite a few minutes rattling off all of the guild’s most recent activities: surveying members on their use and attitudes to AI and submitting these views to two federal Government enquiries, participation in the international costume designer’s advocacy campaign Naked Without Us, negotiating with a producer on behalf of a live performance designer who had not been reimbursed for costs (I informally negotiate several disputes like this each year), working with the Bureau of Statistics and the major arts advocacy bodies across the screen and live performance sectors to get designers properly recognised in the census (if we are not counted, we don’t exist), the setting up of a funded training program for Costume Supervisors, working with the Powerhouse Museum on a major design exhibition, beginning an engagement with the MEAA on updating the Award for designers…

I went on for a bit but felt I had just skimmed the surface. This newsletter is full of the work we are doing month by month on behalf of designers. Whether you are a member or not the guild is working for you, and we would love to have you working with us. If you are not a member, or are a lapsed member, take a minute or two to consider how you could be making a difference to your industry, to your peers, and to your own job satisfaction.

Thank you to all of the designers who have submitted their work into the 2025 Awards. It has been great to see such strong entries, particularly in the multi-discipline category, and the steady growth of entries from our video and lighting designers.

Special thanks to the LP members who have put their hand up to judge the awards this year. We make a special effort to make each panel a balance of perspectives, with 6 judges running their expert eyes over entries in each category.

And thanks always to the team who make up the Live Performance Committee, and who are so generous with their good advice.

The next LP Committee meeting is scheduled for 19 August, 7:30pm, all APDG members are welcome.

Cheers,
Stephen Curtis
National Live Performance Representative

2025 Live Performance Committee remaining meeting dates  (7:30 – 9:30pm via Zoom)

• Tuesday August 19
• Tuesday November 18

Image: Set and Costume Design by Charlie Davis, Lighting Design by Paul Jackson APDG, STC production Do Not Go Gentle. Roslyn Packer Theatre, 2023. Photo: Prudence Upton.