Donating Material to our Collection

The S,B&W Foundation welcomes donations that strengthen our ability to preserve and share Australia’s performing arts heritage. We are particularly interested in materials that illuminate the careers of performers, designers, directors, theatre companies, and creative organisations, as well as items that help document the broader history of Australian stage production and community performance.

If you would like to offer material to the archives, we encourage potential donors to contact the Archivists to discuss the significance, condition, and context of the items. This helps us determine whether the material aligns with our collecting priorities and whether we can provide appropriate long-term care and access. In some cases, we may request additional information or a brief inventory to assist assessment.

The generosity of theatre lovers has enabled us to build a collection of well over 20,000 different programs from Sydney and other NSW venues. We retain three copies of each. The scope of our collection includes theatre of all types, including opera and other song performances, ballet and other dance, and circus. With most of the major theatre companies already well represented in the collection, programs from small theatres and groups beyond the mainstream, both professional and amateur, are of particular interest.