Hugh Jackman To Donate $1 Million To WA Arts

Returning briefly to his home of Perth this weekend during a whirlwind promo trip for X-Men: Days Of Future Past, Hugh Jackman launched the Jackman Furness Foundation For The Performing Arts at the West Australian Academy Of Performing Arts.

The star announced during the launch at Roundhouse Theatre on Saturday that he and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, would be donating $1 million to the foundation to support a system that had given him so much during the early stages of his career.

“There's not a day I don't use something I learnt here. And as I said, I would not have got what I got if not for what I learnt here at WAAPA,” Jackman said.

Accompanied by Founding Patron and iconic Australian actor Jack Thompson and Trustee Partner Geoff Michael, Jackman took part in a Q&A after the launch, giving further recognition to the importance WAAPA played in his life.

“The foundation of this place is its teachers. That is what we are here to support. The foundation wants to support this institution and other arts institutions.”

Thompson told theMusic.com.au that he believed WA produced such high quality talent because of the competitive nature that stemmed from its isolation.

“If you have an idea in the area of the arts in this country – a play or something you want to get off the ground in the theatre – you're best to start in either Brisbane or Perth because the nature of those cities in the sense of geographic isolation works in its favour because all of the people there are enthusiastic about what happens because it's coming from there,” Thompson said.

“I think the reason that [WA] is such an incubator for the arts is that there is a sense of it being so special. Last night I went to the final dress rehearsal for As You Like It at Black Swan Theatre at the wonderful Heath Ledger Theatre, and believe me, it's a stunning performance.”

“We still have this thing – if you're not fantastic, don't even attempt it, and that's a criteria that's here and that's a criteria that is in this city and that you feel in all areas of endeavour. I think that's why it's such an incubator, and I think that's why it's so powerful.”

The Jackman Furness Foundation For The Performing Arts is aiming to raise $10 million dollars in its first four years to feed into WAAPA and other performing arts institutions.

Hugh Jackman graduated from WAAPA in 1994.

Check out our coverage of the X-Men: Days Of Future Past premiere in Melbourne.