Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) was established in 1980 to provide performing arts tuition. WAAPA (commonly pronounced "whopp-a") operates as a part of ECU, located at the ECU campus of Mount Lawley, a suburb in Perth, Western Australia. It is a highly prestigious school, and has been acclaimed as one of the world's leading performance training institutions.

The Director of WAAPA is Professor Julie Warn.

Courses

WAAPA provides courses in many fields of performing arts including acting, music theatre, directing, dance, jazz and contemporary music, classical music, performance making, arts management, production, and design. Broadcasting is now taught in the School of Communications and Arts of ECU. Originally an initiative of the State Government the Academy receives funding from both the State and Commonwealth governments.

The WAAPA Performance Season

A further primary purpose of the Academy is to 'stage' concerts and performances, laying the path for a smooth transition from student to professional.