2026 Growing Together

Express your interest in ‘Growing Together’

A new audience development program for the Western Australian performing arts sector, delivered by Patternmakers, in partnership with CircuitWest 

Instead of approaching audience development as individual organisations, what if we worked together, to share skills, insights and relationships? 

Instead of promoting ‘what’s on’, what if we used ecosystem thinking to reach more people and create more value? 

Instead of putting it off, waiting for the right time or funding opportunity, what if we started today and took one small action every week? 

Small steps, taken together 

Audience development can feel overwhelming and out of reach. When we think of audience development strategies, we often think of big budgets, new research and hiring consultants. 

Growing Together takes a different approach. Instead of a lengthy plan you don’t have time to execute, it’s a 16-week program of small, steady actions, taken alongside a cohort of organisations facing the same challenges as you.  

Just like gardens don’t grow overnight, this program won’t promise instant transformation. It’s about creating space to take small steps together, and drawing on the collective knowledge and relationships already in the room. 

You’ll have a chance to work on new habits, a stronger database, a wider circle of contacts and a group of peers who are on the same page about growing together. 

Is this for you? 

Growing Together is designed for small to medium performing arts organisations, both presenters and producers. You’ll get the most from it if: 

• You run a regular program of performances or events (theatre, dance, music, circus, film and more), whether in a venue or on tour 
• You exist to serve and inspire audiences and communities, whether that’s a hometown crowd, a touring circuit, or an artform community that follows your work wherever it goes  
• Your team wears many hats: perhaps a venue manager or producer, a part-time or casual front-of-house, box office or tour coordinator, and someone (maybe you) juggling marketing between everything else  
• You run basic campaigns to promote events, build participation and sell tickets, whether that’s your own box office or working through presenting partners  
• You understand audience development is about more than marketing, but haven’t had the time to move beyond simple sales campaigns.  

What you’ll get 

A 16-week program, run in two parts (Spring 2026 and Autumn 2027, with a break over the summer holidays). There will be four topics across the program: 

Each fortnight, you’ll join a 90-minute online workshop (Wednesday mornings, 10.00 to 11.30am AWST) with a consistent rhythm: a short case study or provocation, hands-on work on your own real assets, peer troubleshooting in small groups, dedicated task time, and a moment to set your intentions for the fortnight ahead. There will be eight online workshops in total.  

On the alternate weeks, there’s an optional 30-minute check-in for individuals who want to build a reflective practice and keep momentum ticking along. 

Along the way, you’ll also get: 

• A Growth Map: a simple, visual document you build across the program to track your priority pathways to growth (not a formal strategy, just a practical one-pager you’ll actually use) 
• Access to a digital discussion board to share ideas and troubleshoot with the cohort between sessions 
• A library of resources and templates to dip into during and after the program 
• One 1:1 call with Tandi during the program, for the questions that need a private conversation 

Your commitment 

This program asks for a modest, sustainable investment of your team’s time: 

• Two people from your organisation participate (two are recommended, to ensure this approach is shared across the organisation, though if some weeks only one can attend, that’s okay too) 
• Attendance at eight fortnightly 90-minute Zoom sessions, plus a short welcome and wrap-up session 
• Some time between sessions to work on the small actions you set for yourself; expect an hour or so a week at a minimum, and more if you want to be ambitious about growing connection  
• A program fee of $60 + GST, covering your organisation’s place across the full 16 weeks, with the bulk of the program costs to be subsidised by the WA Government and CircuitWest.

Key dates 

Applications: 

• Expressions of Interests (EOIs) open: Wednesday 29 July 2026 
• EOIs close: 12pm AWST Monday 24 August 2026  
• Successful Participants informed by Friday 4 September 2026 

 Part A: Spring 2026 

• Orientation email: 15-16 September 
• Welcome session: 10am to 11.30am AWST, Wednesday 30 September 
• Session 1: 10am to 11.30am AWST, Wednesday 14 October  
• Session 2: 10am to 11.30am AWST, Wednesday 28 October 
• Session 3: 10am to 11.30am AWST, Wednesday 11 November 
• Session 4: 10am to 11.30am AWST, Wednesday 25 November 
• Break: late November to early February 

 Part B: Autumn 2027 

• Session 5: 10am to 11.30am AWST, Wednesday 10 February  
• Session 6: 10am to 11.30am AWST, Wednesday 24 February  
• Session 7: 10am to 11.30am AWST, Wednesday 10 March 
• Session 8: 10am to 11.30am AWST, Wednesday 24 March 

How to get involved 

1. Register your EOI via a short online form: tell us about you, your organisation and your team 
2. We review EOIs against the selection criteria below, aiming to build a balanced cohort across the state 
3. We’ll be in touch to confirm your place and get you set up ahead of the welcome session 
4. Save the dates in your calendar now, to ensure you’ll preserve your availability if you are selected.  

Submit your EOI

EOIs closes 12pm AWST Monday 24 August 2026.

Spaces are limited, so an early expression of interest is a good idea. 

How we select participants 

Expressions of interest are assessed against three criteria: 

• Relevance and potential for impact. Does your organisation’s size, team structure and current audience development maturity suggest this program will make a real difference? We’re especially looking for organisations who have the appetite for growth but haven’t yet had the time or tools to act on it. 
• Capacity to commit. Can two people from your organisation attend all eight online sessions? How will you safeguard the time and capacity? 
• Balance across the group. We aim for a mix of regions, organisation types (presenters and producers) and experience levels, so the peer-learning side of the program reflects the diversity of WA’s performing arts sector.  

About your facilitator

Growing Together is designed and presented by Tandi Palmer Williams, Director of Patternmakers.

After starting her career in economics and finance, Tandi has spent the past 15 years specialising in research and strategy on Australian arts participation.  

Working alongside producers and presenters just like you, Tandi has designed pilot programs, run consultation processes, facilitated audience focus groups and evaluated audience development initiatives. This work has identified a common challenge: that audience development is not a one-off project, but an ongoing process of care, cultivation and connection.  

From 2025 to 2028, Patternmakers is focusing on audience and community wellbeing – and working with arts organisations to connect meaningfully with more parts of Australian communities.

Frequently asked questions 

Who runs Growing Together? 

Growing Together is designed and delivered by Tandi Palmer Williams, Director of Patternmakers, an arts and culture research consultancy. Tandi has worked in audience research for over a decade with performing arts organisations, peak bodies and government right across Australia. This WA program is delivered in partnership with CircuitWest. 

Do I need to be a CircuitWest member to take part? 

No. We do acknowledge there are limited spots available and priority may be given to CircuitWest members.  

What if I’m a producer, not a presenter? 

Both producers and presenters are welcome to apply. This program is about coming together to share and collaborate as a sector.  

How much time will this actually take? 

Beyond the eight 90-minute online workshops, expect to spend around an hour a week on your own actions. Some weeks will need more, some less. The reflective check-ins on alternate weeks are optional, so you can dial your commitment up or down depending on how things are tracking. 

What if we can only send one person, not two? 

Two is recommended because it helps ideas and momentum survive the inevitable busy week (or leave of absence). This might be the venue manager and marketing/administration coordinator. If during some weeks, one person is unable to attend, you are welcome to invite an alternative team member to participate.  

Do we need to attend every session live? 

Sessions will run via Zoom (or a similar platform) so if there are circumstances that prevent you from attending a workshop, recordings will be shared so you don’t fall behind. 

What’s a Growth Map, and do we need any special skills to make one? 

No special skills required. It’s a simple, visual document that you’ll build gradually across the eight sessions, with guidance and a template provided. By the end, you’ll have a practical, plain-English record of your priority pathways to growth. 

Will the program involve research? 

The program doesn’t include new data collection. However, we’ll draw on existing sector studies and insights available to the group. Growing Together is about taking small steps with what we have today.  

What happens over the summer break? 

Growing Together runs in two parts, from 30 September to 25 November (Spring 2026) and from 10 February to 24 March (Autumn 2027), with a deliberate break over December and January.  

What does the program cost? 

The program fee is $60 + GST, covering your organisation’s place across the full 16 weeks. It’s been kept deliberately low, since this program is designed for organisations without big marketing budgets to spare. 

Who do I contact with questions? 

Reach out to Tandi at info@thepatternmakers.com.au about the program or Weng-Si at wcheang@circuitwest.com.au if you have any membership questions.  

Submit your EOI 

EOIs closes 12pm AWST Monday 24 August 2026.