Wellington performing arts practitioners are suffering from a lack of infrastructure, venue and support for experimental or progressive artists. The formal structures for working and innovating in the performing arts are supporting less experimental and ‘more ticket sales’ based projects or large events that benefit a small group of people. This leaves many artists unpaid and volunteering to enrich this city with their projects. In response to these conditions The Performance Arcade will be hosting a series of talks, investigations and reporting on the current climate for independent performing arts. Special international guest USA Theatre director Christopher McElroen and NZ scholar and performance practitioner Ryan Hartigan (NZ) will run this series of discussions and interviews with the independent performing arts sector and various institutions and organisations.