Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
| Established | 1980 |
|---|---|
Parent institution | Edith Cowan University |
| Affiliation | CILECT |
| Director | David Shirley |
| Students | 1,287 |
| Address | 1/2 Bradford Street , Perth , , Australia 31°55′15″S 115°52′04″E / 31.920882°S 115.867735°E |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colours | Dark purple |
| Website | Official website |
The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a performing arts school in Perth, Western Australia. Established in 1980, it is notable for being the most comprehensive performing arts school in Australia by disciplines of study and has produced some of Australia's most prominent graduates in the field.
It is scheduled to re-locate to the currently under-construction Perth CBD campus following completion in late 2025. The ECU City campus, which is designed by Lyons and will be located in Yagan Square, is planned to have six performance venues which are projected to have 300 performances annually. The campus will be accessible by public transport, being built on top of the underground Perth Busport opposite the Perth railway station.
As of 2019, the executive dean of the school is Prof David Shirley FRSA. Prior to being assigned, he was the director of the Manchester School of Theatre and chair of the Federation of Drama Schools in the United Kingdom.