2014 Master of Fine Arts Directing production of Antigone, Image: Lisa Maree Williams
Known for being at the forefront of performing arts education around the world, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is dedicated to discovering Australia’s next generation of creative leaders.
‘For more than 50 years we have been discovering and developing some of Australia’s most successful artists and practitioners – Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Kip Williams, Tommy Murphy, Miranda Tapsell and Sarah Snook, to name a few,’ said Director/CEO of NIDA, Lynne Williams.
Applications are now open for 2016 and NIDA has expanded its range of study options to include three new Master of Fine Arts courses in Cultural Leadership, Design for Performance and Voice. These new courses join the already successful Masters courses in Directing and Writing for Performance; an extensive list of Diploma courses in Musical Theatre, Live Production and Technical Services and the new Specialist Make-up Services; and the popular Bachelor of Fine Arts courses in Acting, Costume, Design for Performance, Properties and Objects, Staging, and Technical Theatre and Stage Management.
Director of Graduate Studies and Head of Directing, Dr Egil Kipste said, ‘I think what makes NIDA different from a sandstone university is that we are practice-based and practitioner-lead. There is a real theoretical underpinning to everything that we do, which is then counter-balanced by a myriad of practical opportunities where students can put their new-found theories into practice. We are very conscious of producing graduates who have the knowledge and ability to succeed in their chosen industry.’
Robyn Archer AO, who is the inaugural Chair of the Cultural Leadership course, said she is looking forward to working with the first group of students and exploring what leadership means in arts and culture and its challenges.
‘Leadership is something you don’t necessarily learn on the job, and many talented people may never find the opportunities within a given employment structure to build the skills needed to lead in the cultural and creative space.
Archer continued: ‘That’s why this course is so essential – rather than relying on chance to hand down the experience of our current leaders, we are actively harnessing their knowledge to nurture the next generation.’
Kipste said the MFA in Cultural Leadership will bring together a cohort of students from varied fields.
‘We’re really keen to reach out to people from assorted backgrounds, including theatre, film and television, museums, art galleries, event management – all areas that are involved in producing culture of various kinds – and then facilitate the collaboration and exploration of new practices in a highly creative environment.’
It is an environment that will be further enriched by the addition of a new Graduate School.
‘We are launching a new 14 million dollar Graduate School, comprising two floors and housing bespoke areas for different disciplines.
‘A creative hub, or hothouse is the kind of philosophic underpinning behind all of this – our aim is to bring together highly motivated and experienced emerging and mid-career artists so they can learn and be stimulated by each other’s work across a range of disciplines while, of course, focusing on their own work too,’ added Kipste.
The new MFA courses will bring a new cohort of students to the already diverse mix of NIDA students in 2016, with the MFA in Cultural Leadership offering Australian Government funded fellowships, including one fully-funded Indigenous fellowship. The MFA in Design for Performance will bring creative practitioners into the building to explore new technologies, practices and ideas in design for a range of cultural industries, whilst the MFA in Voice will attract established artists who will undertake specialised study exploring innovations in voice teaching and coaching.
In particular, all NIDA graduate courses offer students valuable international opportunities to gain industry experience and grow their networks.
‘Cultural Leadership and Voice students have the incredible opportunity of an international industry placement, and Design for Performance, Directing and Writing for Performance students will have the chance to attend international festivals and events, such as the Edinburgh Festival or the Berlin Theatre Festival,’ says Kipste.
With excellent student-teacher ratios per course, unique industry access and a team of dedicated teaching staff, NIDA provides a unique conservatoire learning experience and stepping-stone to a career in the arts and entertainment industry.
Applications are now open for NIDA’s Diploma, Bachelor and Masters courses for 2016. To find out more about the courses and how to apply, please visit the NIDA website.
Watch Robyn Archer speak about the newly introduced MFA in Cultural Leadership at NIDA.
