The Association of Performing Arts Collections (APAC) is the membership organisation for professionals, specialists, and other individuals working with or interested in performing arts heritage in the United Kingdom and Ireland. APAC offers meetings, visits, symposia, study days, an email forum, working groups, and collaborative projects.
APAC advocates the widest possible engagement in performing arts heritage collections by the general public.
APAC is the UK’s Subject Specialist Network for performing arts and has close links with SIBMAS, the international association for this sector.
Cover of the sheet music for ‘The Colleen Bawn Quadrille’, c.1861. From: Calthrop Boucicault Collection, Special Collections & Archives, University of Kent
Toy theatre print of William Macready as Count Florinski in ‘The Exiles of Siberia’, published by O.Hodgson, 1831. From: Roy Waters Theatre Collection, Archives, Royal Holloway, University of London
Scrapbook of theatre architect E.A. Woodrow, 1890s. From: The Theatres Trust
Choreographer Frederick Ashton’s message in one of G.B.L. Wilson’s car journeys visitors books. From: GBL Wilson Archive Collection, Royal Academy of Dance, Philip Richardson Library
Programme for the Oxford Theatre, 1911. From: The Theatres Trust
Anita Heyworth in ‘Fire or Spirit of the Bushfire’ (1926). Photograph: Thomas Longworth-Cooper. From: Natural Movement Archive, National Resource Centre for Dance.
Exterior of the Royal Albert Hall at its opening on 29 March 1871. From: Royal Albert Hall Archive
Mask for Christopher Bruce’s dance work ‘Ghost Dances’ (1981) for Rambert Dance Company, designed by Belinda Scarlett. From: Rambert Archive
Playbill advertising the children’s pantomime ‘Babes in the Wood’ at the Lyceum Theatre, 24 December c.1913. From: Melville Collection, Special Collections & Archives, University of Kent
Costume design by Jeannetta Cochrane for Yvonne Arnaud in ‘Love for Love’ by William Congreve, Phoenix Theatre, London, 1943. From: Central Saint Martins Museum and Study Collection
Architect-engineer Edwin O Sachs on skeleton stage bridges during the remodelling of the Royal Opera House stage, 1900-1901. From: Edwin O Sachs Photographic Collection, Royal Opera House Collections
Programme for the Guthrie Theater’s 2008 production of ‘The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde’ by Thomas Kilroy. From: Tom Kilroy Archive, James Hardiman Library, NUI Galway
Find Collections
There are several ways to locate performing arts holdings, including browsing the APAC members list and searching Archives Hub.