Service organisations

Accessible Arts

Service organisations play important roles in the areas of advocacy, capacity building, communications and support. Arts NSW provides significant funding to peak bodies and service organisations to provide these specialist services in NSW.

Accessible Arts promotes and provides opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in arts and cultural activities either as audience members or through professional development. Main services include arts development, audience development, training and information. Accessible Arts act as a consultant to arts organisations, assist in making venues accessible and services more inclusive, marketing to the disability sector and strategic initiatives that promote access and full inclusion.

Arts Law Centre of Australia is a national community legal centre for the arts. It provides legal and business advice and referral services, professional development resources and advocacy for artists and arts organisations across all artforms. Arts Law provides information and advice on a wide range of legal and business matters.

Arts on Tour (AOT) is a key servicing organisation for performing arts touring in NSW. The organisation has become a primary support option providing tour development, coordination, administration, logistics and risk management support to independent and small to medium producers and major production companies. AOT is also an advocate for the NSW touring sector, providing information and advice, resources, industry analysis and facilitating forums.

Ausdance NSW is part of the national Ausdance network. It is funded principally by the NSW Government through Arts NSW and is the key support and advocacy body for dance, creation, presentation and participation in NSW.  Its portfolio of projects spans the fields of professional development, regional and community involvement, education, and social inclusion.  Ausdance NSW is committed to gaining recognition for NSW-based companies and artists both nationally and internationally.

Australian Music Centre (AMC) is a national service organisation dedicated to the promotion and support of both the art form of music and the creators and performers of contemporary classical, improvised jazz, experimental music and sound art in Australia. The AMC represents Australian composers and sound artists, manages development programs for emerging composers, publishes books and sheet music and has an extensive library collection.

Australian Writers Guild is the professional association for Australian performance writers including film, television, theatre, radio and digital media.  Established in by a group of radio writers in 1962, the guild has an almost 50 year history of representing the professional interests of Australian scriptwriters.

History Council of NSW aims to represent the interests of the history community in NSW. In doing so, it gives history a voice and ensures that history, in all its forms, is a part of life in policy and practice throughout our State.

Museums and Galleries NSW (M&G NSW) develops, supports and promotes regional, community and public museums and galleries across NSW. M&G NSW assists the development of the sector through the provision of advocacy, assistance and information services. The sector encompasses galleries and museums, artist-run spaces and Keeping Places throughout NSW. M&G NSW supports the professionals and volunteers who work in these organisations and the people who use their services. M&G NSW also has an increasing association with historical societies and libraries throughout the State.

MusicNSW represents, promotes and develops the contemporary music industry in NSW, in addition to managing a number of music development projects.  MusicNSW supports the creative and economic expansion of the State’s contemporary music industry through advocacy, resource assistance, activating growth of industry infrastructure, delivery of tailored initiatives and provision of advice and referrals.

National Association for the Visual Arts(NAVA) is the national peak body for the visual arts, craft and design sector. NAVA undertakes advocacy and lobbying, research, policy and project development, data collection and analysis.  It also provides direct service to its members and the sector generally by offering expert advice, referrals, resources, professional representation and development and a range of other services.

PlayWriting Australia is the national peak body for playwriting with a mission to support the development and promotion of great new Australian writing for performance. PlayWriting Australia works to discover creative artists, improve and enhance playwrights’ skills and boost national networks in order to see more Australian work on stage and in print.

Regional Arts NSW represents a state-wide network of Regional Arts Boards and provides a range of services and in the key areas of advocacy, capacity building, communications and support. Each region has its own Regional Arts Development Officer (RADO) who coordinates a cultural development program across the area and builds the capacity of the region to engage with the creative industries. The Regional Arts Network services over 100 local government areas covering more than 662,000 square kilometres and a population of 1.7 million people.

Royal Australian Historical Society (RAHS) is a voluntary organisation founded in Sydney in 1901 to encourage Australians to understand more about their history. RAHS engage in a variety of activities such as lectures and workshops, functions, walks, talks and visits on a wide variety of topics in Australian history. It also holds an annual conference, publishes magazines and journals, provides education and referral services, and maintains a research library with an extensive collection of resources, including pictorial resources, on all aspects of Australian history.

Local Government NSW represents 152 general purpose councils as well as about 13 special purpose councils. The association presents councils’ views to governments, promotes local government to the community and provides specialist advice and services.

The Band Association of NSW is a volunteer organisation which represents the Community and School Brass and Concert Bands to the NSW State Government agencies, the National Band Council and other State Associations. Its membership comprises community and school bands from all across NSW as well as regional organisations such as the Hunter Region Band Association and the Sydney Metropolitan Band Group. It aims to promote and represent NSW community bands, improve and develop musical performance within NSW bands and encourage, foster and develop community appreciation of NSW community bands.

Theatre Network NSW
Theatre Network NSW (TNN) is dedicated to strengthening and enriching the NSW theatre sector. TNN works in partnership with similar organisations nationally to lead, strengthen and support the professional theatre industry by building capacity in the small-to-medium and independent sectors, and connecting and working with the major companies.