CEO Michelle Bell attended her first Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) in Boorloo / Perth a few weeks ago, coming back feeling inspired – and grateful for connections new and old.  

Seasoned market placers. Newbies to the scene. Old friends. New friends.

For one week, more than 600 delegates from across the globe converged to present and witness what Australia’s performing arts sector has to offer the world. APAM was not only a showcase, but an incubator: a place for connections, conversations and provocations that may quietly seed one of many creative endeavours in the years to come.

I arrived at my first APAM with an open and curious mind. At the outset, I couldn’t quite articulate how Artback NT sat within it all. But by the time I left, one thing was abundantly clear: participation in forums like this is vital for an organisation like ours.

Why?

• Because our geographic location can limit access to networks and face-to-face connection matters.
• Because showing up gives the Northern Territory sector visibility on a national and international stage.
• Because it helps us keep a pulse on the work being made and the challenges being faced.
• Because conversations spark new ideas, new ways of working and opportunities to learn from others.
• Because new introductions strengthen our reach.
• Because simply being present counts.

Being “in the room” matters. It’s where unplanned conversations lead to introductions across the space, which lead to email exchanges, which have the potential to open countless opportunities for NT artists and communities.

It’s no secret that our location limits the extent of face-to-face meetings. That’s exactly what makes gatherings like APAM so valuable. In just one week, it feels like six months of relationship-building can happen.

The energy is overwhelming in the best possible way. Everywhere you turn, people are engrossed in conversation. Presenters, producers, independent artists, companies, collaborators.

I was grateful for familiar faces to retreat to in the milling crowds. But I also embraced the unknown: new connections, generous exchanges and the kindness of strangers navigating that awkward space between not knowing someone and knowing them.

And that, perhaps, is the real gift of being there.

Asia Pacific Arts Awards

The week in Perth also coincided with the announcement of the 2026 Asia Pacific Arts Awards, recognising creative leadership and collaboration across the region. While held alongside APAM, the awards were presented as a separate event and offered a moment to celebrate the artists and organisations shaping the future of our sector.

It was particularly heartening to see several recipients with strong connections to the Northern Territory and Artback NT.

The Inspire Award (Organisations) was awarded to Asia TOPA, whose festival director Jeff Kahn has long been a supporter and advocate for work from the Territory. Asia TOPA commissioned Gapu Ŋupan through its development phase before presenting the work at the festival last year.

The Inspire Award (Individuals, Groups and Collectives) went to Hand to Earth, the extraordinary collaboration between Yolŋu songmen Daniel and David Wilfred, vocalist Sunny Kim and the Australian Art Orchestra. Artback NT toured Hand to Earth in 2021, and it was wonderful to see the group recognised for their ongoing impact.

While in Perth, I also had the privilege of joining a small group from the APAM delegation to see Daniel Wilfred perform in The Bhumejha Project at Perth Festival. Hosted by the Perth Indian community and set among the river gums outside the city, the evening was a powerful blend of song, dance and quiet reflection.

The Impact Award was presented to Small Island Big Song, led by Tim Cole and BaoBao Chen. Their story has a strong NT connection: the pair first met while working on Darwin Festival and spent years living between the Top End and Central Australia. Tim also worked with Artback NT during his time in the Territory. Their project continues to build meaningful cultural connections across island communities throughout the region.

Seeing these achievements recognised on this stage was a reminder of the influence and reach of artists connected to the Northern Territory — and the many ways Territory stories and collaborations continue to resonate far beyond our borders.