Historically, contemporary practitioners have had difficulty in touring their work nationally, due largely to the high costs involved, and the limited availability of programming funds to this sector.

Mobile States, a consortium of Australia’s major independent contemporary performance presenters, was established to address this situation. It provides touring opportunities for small companies and independent artists in contemporary practice, enabling audiences across the country to experience performance from outside their hometowns. More broadly, touring facilitates a national dialogue and debate about performance and culture, and fosters creative exchange among practitioners.