Guidelines

The APACA Drover Awards were instigated in 2003 to recognise excellence in performing arts touring. The purpose of the awards is to:

• Acknowledge the skill and expertise required for touring
• Promote the importance of touring for APACA members
• Encourage excellence.
• Reward and show our appreciation for the excellence,hard work and dedication demonstrated by touring companies.

Inaugural Awards

The inaugural awards for producers were introduced for the July 2003 to June 2004 year. The Best Presenter Award was introduced in 2008.

After a review of the Drover awards by the APACA Executive Management Committee in consultation with sector representatives, the Drover Award categories now focus on a single award for Presenters and a single Award for touring production companies and where applicable the associated tour coordinator of that tour. 

The Award Categories

1. TOUR OF THE YEAR

This award recognises both the production company with an outstanding commitment to touring and the tour coordinator delivering exceptional touring services. It rewards the commitment to form strong partnerships and to work collaboratively to develop audiences and enrich the cultural lives of all Australians. The Tour of the Year is awarded for overall excellence in touring, recognising the quality of the production, the marketing campaign and the people making it happen.

NB This award would be for a single touring production with both the Tour Coordinator and Producer receiving an award.

2. BEST PRESENTER

The Drover Award for best presenter recognises the achievements of an outstanding presenting organisation and will be awarded to the presenter who works with the producer to provide consistently outstanding production, marketing and management services. In addition, this presenter will have achieved exceptional success in audience development and community engagement.
 

3. TOURING LEGEND

This award recognises an outstanding contribution to performing arts touring in Australia and is awarded at the discretion of the APACA Executive Management Committee.

Best Presenter Award Reference Criteria

The presenter:

• Provides excellent technical service and support.
  • A well-maintained and equipped venue, professional staff
• Provides excellent customer service.
  • Meets and greets the production company and is courteous and helpful.
  • Undertakes regular and open communication with the producer and tour coordinator prior to, during and after the tour.
• Provides excellent Administrative support.
  • Sign and return all documents (MOU’s, technical specifications, marketing requirements, contracts) prior to the production in a timely manner.
  • Complete and return all post production and acquittal information in a timely manner.
• Provides excellent marketing support.
  • A consistently high standard of promotion for shows in an effective and timely manner.
• Sets an exceptional standard in regard to audience development and community engagement.
  • This may be reflected by the audience numbers, diversity of audience [e.g. age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status] or by the depth of engagement in a particular community sector.
  • Undertakes activities that develop audiences [both numbers of and cultural development of].
  • Provides a program of events that is artform balanced in accordance with community needs.

Tour of the Year Award Determination

An Awards Committee comprising the APACA Executive Committee and a touring coordinator decides the winners of the awards.

The awards are determined using an Academy Awards approach (i.e. industry judgement) rather than a Logies approach (i.e. popular vote)

Decisions are made using a consensus approach, however if consensus cannot be reached a vote will be taken with the President having the casting vote.

The panel may choose to award equal/joint winners, or not award a category if the feeling is that the standard it not high enough.

The panel must abide by the Drover Panel Code of Conduct [see below].

Eligibility

Touring productions are eligible for award nomination if the tour:

• Is completed during the period 1 May to April 30
• Includes at least five APACA members

Any of the following tours are eligible:

• Tours funded by Playing Australia
• Tours funded by State Ministries
• Tours that are not funded

The Process

1. Eligible productions are determined and listed on the APACA website.
2. APACA members nominate candidates from the list for the award. Members must provide a brief supporting argument for their nomination
3. Nominations must be received via the apaca website by 20 May.
4. Nominations are collated and distributed to the Drover Awards panel.
5. Awards panel meets in June to discuss nominations and decide on award winners.
6. Awards announced at annual APACA Conference.

Best Presenter Award Determination

Producer Eligibility to Nominate a Presenter

• All producers, subsidised or otherwise, having toured to at least five APACA venues in the year preceding April 30 are entitled to lodge one nomination only.

Presenter Eligibility

• All current APACA Ordinary Members are eligible to receive the award.

The Presenter Awards are determined by discussion and vote of the Drovers Presenter Award Committee from a list of nominations provided by producers throughout Australia.

The Drovers Presenter Award Committee shall comprise:

• Three Tour Coordinators,
• Five producers [a minimum of one shall be a large producer or AMPAG company or designated representative thereof; a minimum of one shall be a small to medium producer company or designated representative thereof; a minimum of three shall be subsidised producers]
• And the previous year’s Touring Legend [where applicable].

Selection of the Drovers Presenter Award Committee Members is undertaken by the APACA Management Committee under the recommendation of the Executive Director.

Producers shall be contacted via email and invited to nominate a presenter in accordance with the criteria outlined below.

Presenter Awards Timeline
May

• Determine and confirm Presenter award panel.

June

• Guidelines sent to Producers.
• Closing date for Producers to return nomination forms.
• Teleconference of Presenter Award Committee to determine winners.

Award Panel Code of Conduct

• Panel members must declare conflict of interests.  A conflict may be perceived or actual.  A conflict will occur in the following instances:
  • A panel member is involved in the tour in a greater capacity than just a venue on the circuit or producer on the tour.  This would include being a producing partner, a financial investment for the tour in whole, support of pre-production phase of project.
• Panel members are required to keep all discussions about awards confidential both before and after the awards are made.  All emails, correspondence, reports and files must be kept confidential leading up to the awards and destroyed after.
• Panel members must not publicly talk about the awards in a manner that is less than positive.  It is not acceptable for panel members to talk about the awards in a disparaging, vindictive or harmful manner.
• The panel’s decision is final and no individual panel member may dispute the award or express their individual disagreement in public about decisions made.
• “In public” is not limited to talking in public arenas.  It also means talking to colleagues, friends, industry members, publishing articles, sending emails or sharing information with other nominees.
• Panel members must be experienced in and knowledgeable of touring.  This is to be self assessed and monitored, however the APACA President may determine that a panel member is not qualified to be on the panel.
• Panel members must act honestly, with integrity and be impartial.

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