OUR STORY

Founded in 1964 by Robert Allnut, Jack Mannix and Patrick Milligan, in the period just before the New Wave of the late 1960s and early 70s, there were very few places for artists to develop new work. Located at The Corn Exchange, 173-185 Sussex Street, PACT became that place—a cooperative involving people who would go on to make major contributions to Australian theatre, film and television including alumni such as Peter Weir, Jack Thompson, Leonard Teale, Grahame Bond, Alex Buzo and Dorothy Hewett.

PACT’s vision is driven by the belief that emerging artists are the engines that power the arts sector, producing the most ground-breaking works of today and tomorrow.

By the early 1970s, Australian stories were being told on both stage and screen, and in 1974 PACT shifted its focus to young people, becoming PACT Youth Theatre and appointing Mannix as its first Artistic Director.

In 1988, the company moved to its current premises at 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville, and was at the forefront of a new movement in diverse cultural storytelling supporting local communities and makers—works such as Taga Theatre Group’s Al Qamareya (The Moongate) in 1991; the premiere of the stage adaptation of Looking for Alibrandi in 1995; and Stand Your Ground in 2001-03, which developed into the first Gathering Ground event at The Block in collaboration with Redfern Community Centre in 2006.

In 2009, PACT developed a new vision and name, becoming PACT Centre for Emerging Artists. This was driven by the artists themselves, who were closer to 30 than 20 and did not necessarily identify as youth. In 2020, PACT reshaped its team to embrace a model of collaborative cultural leadership, appointing a group of exceptional artists as our Artistic Directorate. This new direction marked a return to the company’s original vision—to recognise the strength in collectivity, and to support emerging artists to develop new Australian work.

Today, PACT continues to nurture the next generation of outstanding performance makers through mentorships, residencies, talks, workshops, exhibitions, and performances. We draw on our near 60-year history and our network of artists as a unique asset, which—together with our iconic warehouse space in Erskineville—fuels a vibrant and inclusive hub where adventurous artists, curious audiences, and the local community gather.