by FilmInk Staff

Creative entrepreneurs are shaping the future. If you’re an artist, producer or creative changemaker ready to take your practice further, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) Master of Creative Arts Entrepreneurship and Cultural Innovation can help turn your vision into reality. 

This new suite of postgraduate programs is an Australian-first design, enabling creative and artistic practitioners to develop an innovative portfolio of practice while deepening their knowledge and capability in entrepreneurial strategy, design thinking, commercialisation and innovation models. 

The course equips students with the skills to lead, innovate and thrive in a rapidly evolving creative economy. It combines advanced theory with hands-on practice through industry collaborations, incubator-style learning and real-world projects. 

With specialist pathways in Creative Producing, Creative Technologies and Social Innovation, the Master of Creative Arts Entrepreneurship and Cultural Innovation offers flexibility to tailor learning to professional ambitions with embedded qualifications at Graduate Certificate (6 months) and Graduate Diploma (12 months). 

WAAPA Course Coordinator Dr Jennifer Halton said creative practitioners need a broad skill set and a bold vision to build careers and create opportunities in today’s creative sector. “Australia’s creative and cultural industries (CCIs) contribute more than $67 billion and 600,000 jobs to the economy and continue to evolve rapidly. CCIs are significant drivers of Australia’s research and innovation ecosystem. WAAPA’s new Masters program will empower the next generation of creative visionaries to play a vital role within this ecosystem, transforming emerging ideas into successful entrepreneurial projects and innovative ventures. Graduates of this program will shape and lead the Creative Industries of the future,” she said.    

A unique learning experience at ECU City Campus 

The degree will be delivered from ECU City Campus, placing students at the centre of Perth’s cultural, creative and business precincts. 

“This suite of courses celebrates WAAPA’s move to ECU City Campus where ECU is part of an exciting and influential Creative Industries, Business, and Technology Precinct. Students will benefit greatly from our co-location with arts, cultural and innovation partners in the Perth creative ecosystem, delivering industry-aligned projects in their Capstone unit. The whole course will offer important opportunities to meet with and learn from Industry bodies, not only in WA, but nationally and globally,” Dr Halton said 

What makes this course truly unique is that it has been purpose-built for creative arts practitioners. The first program of its kind in Australia, it delivers entrepreneurship and innovation learning, industry-led case studies, and meaningful engagement opportunities tailored to the distinctive realities of the creative sector. 

Strong industry focus 

Industry partnerships are a central part of the program, giving students access to mentors, creative leaders and organisations from across the arts and cultural sectors. 

Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) is one of ECU’s valued industry partners. 

Georgia Hayward, Curator, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) said: “Creative innovation is essential to shaping a future that is adaptable, inclusive and culturally vibrant. We need artists and creatives who can bring together imagination, critical thinking and practical action to develop new ways of responding to our increasingly complex social, cultural and economic conditions. Programs such as WAAPA’s Master of Creative Arts Entrepreneurship and Cultural Innovation are vital because they equip cultural practitioners with the skills, networks and confidence to lead with creativity, transforming rich conceptual engagement into community impact.” 

Applications for the Master of Creative Arts Entrepreneurship and Cultural Innovation are now open. The course will commence in Semester 1, 2027. 

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