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Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

Creative thinkers perform here. They compose here. They build and design here. We're one of the world's leading performing arts academies. And no matter how talented you might be already, we'll challenge you to become even better. Because we know that creativity has no limits.

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Creative thinkers made here.
Creative thinkers made here.

Why study at ECU?

  • QILT - Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching

    Top uni in WA for Creative Arts

    Includes best ranking for undergraduate teaching quality, skills development, learning resources and student support.
    QILT is an independent Australian government survey.

  • The Good Universities Guide - teaching quality

    The highest quality teaching

    ECU is one of the best unis in Australia for teaching. We've had 17 straight years of 5-star ratings in the Good Universities Guide to prove it!

  • The Good Universities Guide - teaching quality

    A 5-star postgrad experience

    Our postgraduate students have rated us 5 stars for their overall experience in the latest Good Universities Guide. More 5-star ratings included: skills development, student support and teaching quality.

  • THE World University Rankings Top 100 Young

    One of the world's young guns

    We're ranked one of the world's best universities under 50 years old, and we've already established a global reputation for such a young institution.

Courses

In extremely competitive fields, the employment record of WAAPA graduates is outstanding and well-attuned to the needs of the industry.

WAAPA designers, arts management and production graduates are highly sought after, and many hold influential positions across performing arts companies, festivals, venues, film, television, major events, arts organisations and teaching institutions.

About WAAPA Courses

At WAAPA you can choose a degree specialising in a particular area, such as a Bachelor of Arts (Acting) or a Bachelor of Arts (Arts Management).

In some cases you can choose a specialisation within a degree. For example, you can specialise in Classical Vocal, Classical Instrumental, Composition and Music Technology, Jazz or Contemporary Music within a Bachelor of Music degree.

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Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts Disciplines

If you already know what you're interested in, choose a discipline.

Need some help deciding what to study?

Our future student events include a mix of on-campus and online sessions designed to help you decide what to study at ECU.

Download a guide

If you prefer paper over pixels, please download one of our guides.

Creative thinkers start here

Experience Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at ECU.

Explore your options

  • It takes a skilled and creative team to put on a show. WAAPA is the place to learn the diverse range of disciplines that work together to entertain and enthral an audience.

  • Watch WAAPA's unique interdisciplinary collaboration.

  • Our Bachelor of Performing Arts (Performance Making major) prepares self-reliant and entrepreneurial artists to be the initiators of their own work.

  • Hear from WAAPA Music student Caitlin Malcolm and Tim White, WAAPA's Head of Classical Music about how the Bachelor of Music course prepares students for a career in the music industry.

  • Get an experience you won't find anywhere else in Australia.

  • Our Certificate IV in Aboriginal Performance helps First Nations students refine their performance skills.

  • "When you choose to study at WAAPA, you'll be joining one of the world's most celebrated performing arts academies, recognised for the quality of its graduates-turned-stars."

  • WAAPA's production of Crazy for You at His Majesty's Theatre in Perth provided opportunities for students Holly Ballam (Stage Management) and Samuel Moloney (Music Theatre) to combine their backstage and on-stage skills under the watchful eye of industry professionals.

Scholarship opportunities to reduce your expenses

Scholarships recognise those whose life journey may have been challenging, as well as students who've shown outstanding academic excellence and endeavour.

A scholarship can help you realise your ambitions by paying for fees, text books and living expenses.

Realise your dream with our scholarships

Sound decision leads to working with Cirque du Soleil

Just two years after finishing his WAAPA training, Production & Design graduate Christian Peterson is now touring the world as a sound engineer with Cirque du Soleil.

After graduating, Christian worked full-time as a sound technician on festivals, concerts and theatre shows in Perth and around Australia. After scoring a gig on the Perth leg of the Cirque du Soleil show, Kooza he was offered the tour of Australia, New Zealand and Dubai with the Cirque show, Toruk.

Christian then spent several months in Montreal, Canada – where Cirque is based – designing and building the arena version of Corteo. He is currently touring North America with Corteo. Nice work we say!

Do you have any questions about the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts study area?

Student stories

  • Mariah O'Dea

    Mariah O'Dea

    WAAPA Performing Arts graduate

    The Bachelor of Performing Arts has given me the skills to maintain, develop and practice as an independent artist

    The Bachelor of Performing Arts is the type of course that doesn't confine you to one specific artistic form. Instead it opens doors and windows to numerous forms of performance art and how it exists in the world, broadening your own horizons of how you can be a part of it.

    It has let me experience what was once unknown practices such as the Suzuki Training Method and Butoh, it has even taken me to Singapore to train with many different cultures from all around the world at ITI. But most importantly, it has taught me what it truly means to be an artist.

  • Matt Raven

    I love to build things and create things.

    Matt Raven has turned a love of building and creating things into a whole new career direction at WAAPA.

  • Natalie Allen

    Natalie Allen

    WAAPA Dance graduate

    WAAPA was an invaluable experience and gave me many opportunities

    The Advanced Diploma course delivered exceptional training for me to develop many skills to become a professional dancer. The course involved choreographic practice, learning critical thinking skills and applying dance knowledge in performance.

    It definitely contributed to my success in the professional dance industry.

The Important Things

Things you should know about if you're thinking about studying here.

Course Entry

There's more than one admission pathway into an ECU course. It depends on what you've studied already, or your work or life experience.

Fees & Scholarships

Course tuition fees can change, but we can give you an estimate of your costs. If you're eligible, a scholarship or student loan can help too.

Applying

Applying for a course is a fairly simple process, especially if you have scanned copies of qualifications, your resume or other paperwork, ready to upload.

ECU Experience

Starting a course is an exciting and sometimes daunting time, so we make a massive effort to ensure you get all the support you need to have a positive experience.