AAPPAC 2026 conference in Hong Kong to explore the future of performing arts

Hosted by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, the conference will examine how performing arts organisations can respond to economic pressure, technological change, evolving audiences and shifting cultural priorities.

This year’s theme, The Next Act: Shaping the Future, reflects what organisers describe as a pivotal moment for the sector. The programme will bring together speakers from across the region and beyond to consider how resilience, innovation and a stronger sense of purpose can support the next phase of performing arts development.

Funding, governance and future growth

The conference will open with From Survival to Strategy: Economic and Funding Pressures and Future Pathways for Performing Arts in the Asia-Pacific.

The session will consider the financial and structural pressures facing cultural organisations, including tightening resources and changing policy environments. Speakers will explore how funding models, governance, strategic partnerships and leadership can help organisations move beyond short-term survival and towards sustainable growth.

The discussion will also examine how financial and institutional constraints might be reframed as opportunities for innovation and long-term value creation.

Responding to technological change

Technology and its impact on live performance will be the focus of Disrupt or Disappear? How Live Arts Innovate in the Tech Turn.

Contributors from the creative, digital and policy sectors will examine how performing arts organisations can use technology to extend audience reach and deepen engagement while retaining the human connection, artistic identity and authenticity associated with live performance.

Topics will include immersive experiences, hybrid presentation models and the changing relationship between physical and digital participation.

New approaches to programming

Artists, producers and curators will discuss changing approaches to creative practice in Programming the Future: New Approaches.

The session will explore how programming can amplify a wider range of voices, support inclusive storytelling and challenge established presentation formats. It will also consider the role of programming in shaping community relationships, cultural participation and wider social impact.

AAPPAC marks its 30th anniversary

The conference will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres.

A panel entitled The Future of Performing Arts Centres will reflect on three decades of regional cooperation and consider how performing arts venues have responded to changes in artistic practice, audience behaviour and global conditions.

Experienced sector leaders will discuss how AAPPAC can continue to strengthen collaboration, connectivity and cultural leadership across the Asia-Pacific.

Collaboration, inclusion and sustainability

A series of breakout sessions will offer more focused discussion under the theme Future of Performing Arts Collaboration, Inclusion and Sustainability.

Build for the Future: The Challenge of New Build vs Refurbishment will examine the practical and strategic considerations involved in constructing new cultural venues or adapting existing buildings. The session will draw on the development of the WestK Performing Arts Centre, which is scheduled to open in 2027.

Programme for the Future: Inclusive and Sustainable will consider how artistic excellence can be balanced with social relevance, community engagement and cross-sector collaboration.

A third session, Cross-Border Collaborations: Case Studies, will present examples of international co-productions, touring and regional exchange, with an emphasis on building partnerships that are both meaningful and sustainable.

Hong Kong artists featured in showcase programme

The conference will include a curated programme of work by Hong Kong artists, spanning physical theatre, contemporary dance and interdisciplinary performance.

Selected by WestK Performing Arts, the showcases will demonstrate how local practitioners are reinterpreting tradition, experimenting with new artistic forms and contributing to Hong Kong’s cultural identity within the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Delegates will also receive a special preview of the WestK Performing Arts Centre, the district’s new flagship venue.

New networking formats

Alongside the conference sessions and performances, AAPPAC is introducing two structured networking initiatives.

The pre-registered Coffee Social will bring delegates together at small themed tables for participant-led discussion. A 10 Minute Mixer will use a series of short matchmaking rounds to connect professionals from different disciplines, countries and institutions.

The conference will be followed immediately by the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo, which runs from 9-13 October. Delegates attending both AAPPAC and HKPAX will be eligible for a joint ticket discount.