The Australian Ballet has appointed award-winning queer-led education organisation Queer Town as its first official Impact Partner, launching a two-year collaboration to further embed LGBTIQA+ inclusion across the national ballet company.
The Australian Ballet and Queer Town have partnered to strengthen inclusion across the arts, creating workplaces and cultural spaces where LGBTIQA+ people are safe, seen, and genuinely valued.
Since 2023, the partnership has already driven meaningful change, including staff workshops, leadership consultations, and advisory input on the 2024 world-premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Oscar in Melbourne. Both organisations also jointly celebrated Wear It Purple Day, reinforcing their shared commitment to safe and inclusive cultural spaces.
Over the next two years, the partnership will expand, reviewing and embedding inclusive policies across the company, rolling out Queer Town’s acclaimed LGBTIQA+ 101 e-learning course to all staff, and delivering Allyship in Action workshops to strengthen inclusive practice on and off stage.
“As one of the country’s leading cultural institutions, already recognised as a leader in advancing inclusion within the arts, The Australian Ballet has a responsibility to model what meaningful inclusion looks like. By partnering with Queer Town, we are extending work already underway and showing what’s possible for the wider arts sector,” said The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director, David Hallberg (he/him).
“This is how ballet continues to thrive: by reflecting the breadth of our community and creating space for every story to be told. This partnership with Queer Town is not just symbolic, it is transformative. Ballet as an art form is ever evolving, and so must we. Inclusion is not an add-on; it is foundational,” said Hallberg.
“Our mission at Queer Town is ending LGBTIQA+ discrimination together, and this partnership with The Australian Ballet allows us to do that work on a cultural level, helping create spaces where LGBTIQA+ people feel safe, seen and valued,” said Queer Town Founder and CEO, Archie Beetle (they/them).
“We’re honoured to be working with The Australian Ballet to continue to evolve inclusive practice while honouring the artform’s traditions. It’s exciting to consider the long-term impact this could have, not only for the Ballet, but for the wider arts community and the LGBTIQA+ people within it,” added Beetle.
This work is important. LGBTIQA+ Australians continue to face significant barriers in workplaces, schools, and homes, with disproportionately high rates of poor mental health and suicide (Private Lives, 2020). This partnership is one step towards changing that narrative within the arts.
Looking ahead, the partnership will continue to weave inclusion through the fabric of The Australian Ballet while drawing on Queer Town’s expertise in community-led practice. Together they aim to set new benchmarks for inclusive practice in the arts, driving lasting change and building a cultural landscape that celebrates authenticity and belonging.
For more information, visit: www.queertown.com.au for details.
Image: Archie Beetle and David Hallberg – courtesy of The Australian Ballet