Аннотация:Stage managers are critical participants in the Australian live performance industry that generated almost $1.5 billion in revenue in 2015 (Live Performance Australia 2015) and Australian census data indicate that this industry is being serviced by a disproportionately young, female workforce (ABS 2011). This study is an investigation into the career transition experiences of professional female stage managers in Australia. The study outlines the career development challenges experienced during mid-career and prompt premature exits from the profession. The research presents the experiences of professional female stage managers who have worked within Australia’s peak performing arts companies (AMPAG 2016) and makes recommendations regarding workforce retention strategies, educational models, psychological and social support mechanisms and organisational and sectoral strategies that will lead to increased sustainability within the profession.
