Pop-Up chamber opera company

Audience members buying tickets, local businesses and donors giving sponsorship, and arts funders offering grants.

Ticket sales per season, topped up with sponsorship, donations and project grants. Income comes in bursts around each production, so budget season by season.

• Singing, music or stage direction experience
• Organising people, rehearsals and budgets
• Promoting shows and building an audience

• Music, libretto and translation rights: check whether works or editions are still in copyright and whether you need licences (for example via APRA AMCOS)
• Public liability insurance and venue requirements, which vary by venue and council
• How you pay performers and musicians: check award or industry pay rates with Fair Work or the relevant union
• Grants are competitive and not guaranteed, so make sure a show can run on tickets alone
• Check how to set up (sole trader, incorporated association or company) and when GST applies

Startup costs are typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on the size of the cast, the venues you hire and the works you stage. It helps to make sure a show can run on ticket sales alone.

Check whether works, librettos or translations are still in copyright and whether you need licences, for example via APRA AMCOS. Also check public liability and venue requirements, how to pay performers under award or industry rates, and when GST applies.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on ticket sales, sponsors and the number of shows. Grants are competitive and not guaranteed, so don't rely on them.