Our History

Established in 1966, Arena is one of Australia’s longest-running producers of theatre for young people.

 

Arena’s longevity is a testament to our ongoing investigation of the central question “What is the role of performance for young people in today’s world?” Over more than fifty years the responses to this question have ranged from our modest beginnings performing school holiday shows, to our current incarnation as a leader in contemporary theatre practice.

​

In 2008 we launched an online history project detailing every Arena production between 1966 and 2008, based on archival materials and candid interviews with past artistic directors.

If you would like to read the Arena story, you can download below.

 

​

​

​