Performing Arts, Theatres and Cinemas Assistance Program guidelines

As part of the $67 million Level 1 COVID-19 Business Assistance Package, the $1.3 million Performing Arts, Theatres and Cinemas Assistance Program provides a one-off financial aid payment to a range of indoor entertainment venues (i.e. independent performing art venues, theatres cinemas, and live music venues) that have been impacted by capacity constraints introduced to manage the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

On this page

Objectives

To support eligible independent performing art venues, theatres and cinemas that have experienced a minimum 30 per cent decline in revenue due to the Level 1 Public Health and Social Measures requirements for density limits and social distancing. It achieves this through:

  • a one-off financial aid payment to partially offset the lost revenues associated with the Level 1 Public Health and Safety Measures.

Who can apply

To be eligible for the program the indoor entertainment venues (i.e. independent performing art venues, theatres,  cinemas, and live music venues) must:

  • have a valid and active Australian Business Number for the period covered by their application (ABN)
  • be located in Western Australia (WA)
  • not be owned by local* or State Government
    • *except for performing arts centres that have a Circuitwest membership prior to 1 January 2022.
  • have an annual turnover of more than $50,000 per annum (excluding GST)
  • have an Australia-wide payroll of less than $4 million per annum
  • have incurred a minimum 30 per cent reduction in turnover compared to the previous year* over a 6-week period between 1 January 2022 to 30 April 2022 due to the impact of COVID-19 health and social measures requirements for density limits and social distancing
    • *Note: The equivalent six-week period in the previous calendar year is the preferred comparative period. However, businesses may use the pre-COVID tax year (2018-19) instead. Also, business that have been trading for less than one year can still apply but will need to demonstrate a decline in revenue to another comparable period.
  • be an indoor entertainment venue (i.e independent performing art venues, theatres, cinemas, live music venues or similar).
  • not be a nightclub, bar or public hotel, unless a live music venue
  • if a live music venue stage on average three ticketed live music performances per week
  • have a bank account in the name of the business with an Australian financial institution or bank registered with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
  • have not applied for the Event Suppliers program, Nightclub Assistance Program or Getting the Show Back on the Road+.

    What are examples of independent performing arts centres, theatres and cinemas?

    Most independent performing arts centres have Circuitwest membership, this includes venues owned by local government and operated independently or operated directly by local government.

    A live music venue stages on average three ticketed live music performances per week.

    Examples of independent theatres are:

    • Astor Theatre
    • Regal Theatre.

    Examples of independent cinemas are:

    • Luna Palace Cinemas
    • Grand Cinemas
    • ACE Cinemas
    • United Cinemas
    • Orana Cinemas
    • Sun Picture Theatre (Broome)
    • Reading Cinemas Belmont and Mandurah
    • Fenwick 3 Cinemas, Esperance.

    What level of financial aid is available?

    The level of financial aid you can apply for is based on the following categories:

    • $12,500 one-off payment for venues with seating capacity of less than 100
    • $25,000 one-off payment for venues with seating capacity of between 100 and 300
    • $50,000 one-off payment for venues with seating capacity of greater than 300.

    One application may be made per single venue, which may or may not have a number of stages or screens.

    What are the key requirements of an application?

    The key requirements for the application are providing evidence to substantiate:

    • That your business has annual turnover of more than $50,000 per annum with copies of:
      • your lodged 2020-2021* financial year tax return (PDF copy). If unavailable, you may provide one or two of the following:
        • BASs for the 2020-21* financial year (PFD copies of the 4 quarters)
        • a report from your bookkeeping system for the 2020-21* financial year (PDF or excel format); and/or
        • a letter from your accountant.
        • * Note: If you are using an alternative 12-month period, provide the relevant tax return, BASs or bookkeeping report.
    • That your business has an Australia-wide payroll of less than $4 million per annum
      • For the purpose of this grant program, the number of employees is based on the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of 37 hours of work a week.
      • You will need to state the total number of hours worked in a week by full-time, part-time and casual (regular) employees of your business. This does not include the hours worked by the business owner.
      • You may provide this evidence in the form of a Single Touch Payroll report. This evidence must be uploaded as a PDF.
    • That the claim of a 30 per cent reduction in turnover with copies of:
      • your lodged January to March 2022 BAS and your January to March 2021* BAS (PDF copy). If unavailable, you may provide one or two of the following:
        • business bank account transactions that cover the downturn period and the comparison period (PDF copy)
        • a profit and loss statement from your bookkeeping system (PDF or Excel format)
        • a sales report from your store Point of Sale system (PDF or Excel copy); and/or
        • a letter from your accountant (PDF)
        • * Note: If you are using an alternative comparative period, provide the relevant BASs, bank account transaction listings or bookkeeping report.
    • That the business or organisation operations are active by providing documentation and links to online and social media accounts
    • That the business is legitimate by providing unedited/unredacted PDF copy of your most recent business bank statement of the account into which the grant will be paid. This is to assist in validating the eligibility of the application and protect the program from fraud.
    • Agree to the terms and conditions of the application, as the applicant will be legally bound by them once they have submitted their grant application.

    What is involved in the application process?

    • After reading through the guidelines, you apply to this program through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries — Culture and the Arts online portal (see link at the bottom of this page).
    • From the date you submit your application, it may take up to six weeks for your application to be processed and an initial assessment to be provided.
    • We are unable to provide an update on the status of your application during the grant application period. Please do not contact us regarding the progress of your application earlier than six weeks after lodgement as we will be unable to assist you due to the expected volume of applications.
    • If your application is successful, you will be notified by email, and you will need to respond to that confirming your supplier payment details.
    • You and/or your nominated accountant/tax agent/bookkeeper may be contacted to provide additional information to substantiate your claim. If you do not respond in a timely manner, the notification of the outcome of your application will be delayed.
    • You will be notified if your application is unsuccessful.
    • You may request a review of an unsuccessful decision, only if you are able to provide additional new information that substantiates why you believe your application should have been successful. To request a review email gtsbotr@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

    Application questions

    1. What is the applicant's relationship to the independent performing arts venue/theatre/cinema?
      (Identify the role that the application has in relation to the business.)
      • business owner
      • business employee
      • accountant
      • tax agent
      • bookkeeper
      • other.
    2. Does the independent venue meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in the program guide?
      (Refer to the program guide to check if the venue meets the eligibility requirements.)
    3. What is the name of the venue?
      (Provide the name of the venue.)
    4. What type of independent venue is it?
      (Identify the type of indoor entertainment venue.)
      • performing arts venue
      • theatre
      • cinema
      • live music venue
      • other.
    5. What is the address of the venue?
      (Provide the venue address.)
    6. Is the venue located outside of metropolitan Perth?
      (The Perth metropolitan area is based on the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development's (DPIRD) regions (opens a new window).)
    7. What type of organisation owns the venue?
      (To meet the eligibility requirements of this program the venue must not be owned by local or State Government, unless the venue is a performing arts centre venue with Circuitwest membership.)
      • not for profit organisation
      • private business
      • local government
      • State Government.
    8. What type of organisation operates the venue?
      • venue owner
      • separate private business or organisation
      • local government
      • State Government.
    9. If you are a performing arts centre venue, are you a member of Circuitwest?
      (Select the option applicable to the organisation or business.)
      • not a performing arts centre venue
      • a performing arts centre venue with Circuitwest membership
      • a performing arts centre venue but do not have Circuitwest membership.
    10. Has this venue operator received support for cancelled events through the Getting the Back on the Road+ program?
      (If yes, ensure that the funding received from Getting the Show Back on the Road+ is included in the revenue comparisons.)
    11. What is the venue’s normal maximum capacity’?
      (Please provide the capacity of the venue without any form of restrictions.)
      • venue capacity <100 patrons
      • venue capacity 100 to 300 patrons
      • venue capacity >300 patrons.
    12. Have you uploaded to the support material a copy of your documentation verifying your business’s annual turnover is more than $50,000?
      (Required documents are your lodged 2020-2021* financial year tax return (PDF copy). If unavailable, you may provide one or two of the following: BASs for the 2020-21* financial year (PFD copies of the 4 quarters); a report from your bookkeeping system for the 2020-21* financial year (PDF or excel format); and/or a letter from your accountant. * Note: If you are using an alternative 12-month period, provide the relevant tax return, BASs or bookkeeping report)
    13. Have you uploaded to the support material a copy of your documentation verifying your business has an Australia-wide payroll of less than $4 million per annum?
      (Required documents are Single Touch Payroll report. This evidence must be uploaded as a PDF)
    14. Was the venue's revenue adversely affected by the Level 1 Public Health and Social Measures requirements for density limits and social distancing?
      (This is an eligibility requirement for the program.)
    15. Briefly describe how the Level 1 Public Health and Social Measures impacted your business.
      (Provide overview details of the way that the business was impacted assists in the verification process for the claim.)
    16. Did the venue experience a minimum 30 per cent reduction in revenue over a six-week period between the 1 January 2022 and the 30 April 2022 compared to last year (alternative years can be used if required)?
      (This is an eligibility requirement for the program.)
    17. What is the commencement date of your six-week 30 per cent downturn period?
      (Indicate the date that you will use in this claim application for the commencement of the 30 per cent reduction in revenue in 2022.)
    18. What was the revenue during the 2022 six-week period?
      (Indicate the revenue for the whole six-week period as a dollar amount.)
    19. What evidence have you included in your support material to substantiate the revenue for the six-week period in 2022?
      (Briefly describe the documents provided to assist assessors in understanding why you have included these documents in the claim. The preferred support material is a copy of your January to March 2022 BAS quarterly statement. If unavailable, you may provide one or two of the following: a profit and loss statement from your bookkeeping system; business bank account statements covering the period; a sales report from your store Point of Sale system, and/or letter from your accountant. )
    20. Have you uploaded PDF or Excel versions of the documents to substantiate the revenue for the six-week period in 2022 in the support material section of this application?
      (Ensure you check that the supporting documents have been uploaded, as the claim will not be eligible if it does not include the required support material.)
    21. What is the commencement date of the comparative six-week 30 per cent downturn period in 2021 (Or alternative year if applicable)?
      (Indicate the date in 2021 that you will be using in this claim application for the commencement of the comparative period to your 30 per cent reduction in turnover 6 week period. Or alternative year if applicable.)
    22. If you used an alternative comparison period to last year, explain why?
      Describe the reasons why you have used an alternative to last year as the comparison period. If you did not use an alternative period then enter “not applicable”.)
    23. What was the revenue during your comparison six-week comparison period?
      (Indicate the revenue for the whole six-week period as a dollar amount.)
    24. What evidence have you included in your support material to substantiate this period revenue?
      (Briefly describe the documents provided to assist assessors in understanding why you have included these documents in the claim. The preferred support material is a copy of your January to March 2021 BAS quarterly statements. If unavailable, you may provide one or two of the following: a profit and loss statement from your bookkeeping system; business bank account transactions covering the period; a sales report from your store Point of Sale system, and/or letter from your accountant.)
    25. Have you uploaded documents to substantiate the revenue for the comparison six-week period in the support material section of this application?
      (Ensure you check that the supporting documents have been uploaded in the support material section of this application as the claim will not be eligible if it does not include the required support material.)
    26. What is the name of your accountant/tax agent/bookkeeper who can independently verify the revenue information provided?
    27. What is the telephone contact number of your accountant/tax agent/bookkeeper who can independently verify the revenue information provided?
    28. What is the email address of your accountant/tax agent/bookkeeper who can independently verify the revenue information provided?
    29. Have you provided links to Facebook in the support material section of this application?
      (If your business has a Facebook account provide a URL link in the support material section of this application. This is to assist in substantiating your business's credentials and validating the information provided in this application.)
    30. Have you provided links to Instagram in the support material section of this application?
      (If the business has an Instagram account provide a URL link in the support material section of this application. This is to assist in substantiating the business's credentials and validating the information provided in this application.)
    31. Have you provided links to any other social presence the business may have, such as Google My Business, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc. in the support material section of this application?
      (If the business has other social media accounts provide a URL link in the support material section of this application. This is to assist in substantiating the business's credentials and validating the information provided in this application.)
    32. Have you uploaded your most recent bank file statement in the support material section of this application?
      (To assist in validating the eligibility of the application and protect the program from fraud, it is important we receive a copy of the most recent bank statement of the account into which the grant will be paid. The statement must clearly show the account name, the BSB and account number. Files must be uploaded in PDF format with no redactions.)

    Support material

    You must provide the following documents as evidence to support your claim:

    • Proof that your business has annual turnover of more than $50,000 per annum by providing:
      • your lodged 2020-2021 financial year tax return (PDF copy). If unavailable, you may provide one or two of the following:
        • BAS for the 2020-21 financial year (PFD copies of the 4 quarters)
        • a report from your bookkeeping system for the 2020/21 financial year (PDF or excel format); and/or
        • a letter from your accountant.
        • Note: If you are using an alternative period, provide the documents relevant to that period
    • Proof that your payroll is less than $4 million in the form of a Single Touch Payroll report (PDF).
    • Proof of the 30 per cent reduction in turnover by providing:
      • your BAS statements for
        • January to March 2022 and
        • January to March 2021 BAS (or equivalent period if you are using a different comparable period). If unavailable, you may provide one or two of the following:
          • business bank account statements/transactions listing (PDF) that cover
            • the downturn period
            • the comparison period
          • a profit and loss statement from your bookkeeping system (PDF or excel format)
            • the downturn period
            • the comparison period
          • sales report from your store Point of Sale system (PDF or Excel)
            • the downturn period
            • the comparison period
          • and/or a letter from your accountant (PDF)
          • Note: If you are using an alternative period, provide the documents relevant to that period.
    • Your most recent bank file statement in the name of the business under this application as an unredacted PDF.
    • Links to social media accounts or other social business presences

    Personal information and disclosure of information in an application

    Applicants should be aware that DLGSC is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA), which provides a general right of access to records held by State Government agencies and local governments. Applicants are advised that information pertaining to the receipt of State Government financial assistance may be tabled in the Western Australian Parliament and listed in State Government media statements. This information could include the name of the recipient, name of the project, the grant funding amount, and project description. This could result in requests for more details to be released publicly.

    Contact us

    Online Grants portal technical support

    For assistance using online grants or to report any related technical issues, contact the Online Grants Support Team: onlinegrantsupportca@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

    Grants officers for application support

    For enquiries relating to this funding program, including advice or assistance with your application, contact a Grants Officer:

    • Grants Officer telephone 61 8 6552 7400
    • Toll free (country WA callers only) 1800 634 541
    • Email gtsbotr@dlgsc.wa.gov.au

    How do I apply?

    Applications are accepted via the Online Grants web portal.

    Page reviewed 02 May 2022
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