2026 Theme: Acting and Identity

We are very excited to announce that the next AusAct conference will be held at Charles Sturt University Sydney, Level 6, 77 Berry Street, North Sydney NSW 2060, on February 20 – 22, 2026. The theme for the conference is ‘Acting and Identity’, a timely exploration of how identity shapes, challenges, and transforms performance training practices in Australasia and beyond.
In an era increasingly defined by cultural complexity, intersectionality, and critical self-awareness, identity has become a central concern in the way actors are trained and in how they tell stories. As contemporary performance practice shifts to include a broader range of voices and lived experiences, actor training institutions are being called upon to reimagine traditional pedagogies to meet the demands of diverse and evolving cohorts.
AusAct 2026 aims to provide a platform for rigorous discussion, critical inquiry, and creative exchange about the intersections of acting and identity. We welcome proposals that examine how personal, cultural, neurodiverse, gendered, queer, Indigenous, or socio-political identities inform training methodologies, rehearsal room practices, and professional pathways. We are particularly interested in work that speaks to the Australasian context: how local traditions, geographies, histories, and communities shape who we are and how we train.

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