NIDA officially launched the careers of 147 talented creative artists at the graduation ceremony for the class of 2017. Newly-appointed Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts Sam Walsh AO and former NIDA Academic Board member and alumni Alana Valentine each delivered an inspirational Occasional Address to the future creatives.
Photo: Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts, Sam Walsh AO
View photos from the ceremony
Last Sunday (20 May), the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) officially launched the careers of 147 talented creative artists at the graduation ceremony for the class of 2017. Newly-appointed Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts Sam Walsh AO and former NIDA Academic Board member and alumni Alana Valentine (Playwrights, 1989) each delivered an inspirational Occasional Address to the future creatives.
Filled with excitement, hope and determination, NIDA’s gifted graduates left the building with one of the following degrees: Master of Fine Arts in Design for Performance, Directing, Voice, Cultural Leadership or Writing for Performance; Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting, Costume, Design for Performance, Properties and Objects, Staging, or Technical Theatre and Stage Management; the Diploma of Live Production and Technical Services; the Diploma of Musical Theatre; Diploma of Stage and Screen Performance; or the Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-up Services).
The ceremony, led by NIDA Director/CEO Kate Cherry, was an opportunity to celebrate the graduates’ aspirations, imagination, dedication, courage and tenacity.
‘NIDA is proud of its legacy of nearly 60 years of conservatoire education, with artistic practice always at the forefront of everything we do,’ said Cherry, as she listed some of the world’s most successful artists that the graduating cohort had experienced, including NIDA guest artist actor/director Judy Davis, director Priscilla Jackman, performer Robyn Archer AO, international vocal specialist Kristin Linklater, Indigenous theatre director Rhoda Roberts, distinguished Icelandic director, Professor Egill Heiðar Anton Pálsson and mentors Margot Robbie, Tim Minchin and Barry Humphries.’
‘You have been tested and have risked much. You have developed a core purpose and the ability to work in a team. And you have thrived. Today we celebrate your aspirations, dreams, imagination and courage,’ said Cherry.
Sam Walsh AO spoke about his life in business at Rio Tinto and offered advice to the next generation of artistic practitioners. ‘You must learn to take charge and pursue with energy those things that will help you fulfil your goals. Nobody gets a career break just sitting back and waiting for some miracle to happen. You must create your own opportunities.’
NIDA alumni Alana Valentine spoke passionately to the students about the arts in our society. ‘Whether you are in a tiny little co-op theatre production or in an international blockbuster movie franchise you will be doing the cultural work that feeds our spirits and nurtures our souls. You will be the keepers of our hearts and our hopes and without you we cannot continue to cohere the society in which we live. Without you we will turn on each other, we will not be able to go on unless you give us the joys and rage and insight and pain and perspective that only this new generation can.’
Guest speakers included student Nikita Waldron (Acting, 2017) and actor Jessica Marais (Acting, 2007), nominated for a Gold Logie this year.
Two special awards were presented to high achieving students. The Lynne Williams Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cultural Leadership was presented to Yasmin Masri.
‘The Lynne Williams Award was developed in recognition of the former NIDA CEO’s contribution in developing the graduate school and the MFA Cultural Leadership course,’ said NIDA Director Graduate Studies and Head of Cultural Leadership Associate Professor Cheryl Stock AM.
‘Yasmin Masri is not only outstanding academically but has demonstrated impressive leadership qualities and the capacity to contribute to our cultural future. She will use this award to travel overseas and further her creative and curatorial work in architecture, craft and design.’
The Leslie Walford AM Award was presented to Bachelor of Fine Arts (Costume) graduate Kathleen Szabo. ‘Kathleen’s work has always been of the highest standard and she excelled in every area of her course. She was supervisor of two of the biggest productions in her final year and I know she will make the best use of this award,’ said NIDA Head of Costume, Annette Ribbons.
Learn more about NIDA’s BFA and MFA courses at Open Day on Saturday 16 June. Register here: nida.edu.au/courses/open-day
NIDA Graduating Class of 2017
Master of Fine Arts (Cultural Leadership)
Andrew Deusien
Teik-Kim Pok
Daniel Dunlop
Katherine Quigley
Yasmin Masry
Jo Thomas
Mathew Millay
Andrew Westle
Master of Fine Arts (Design for Performance)
Maya Cranny
Nicholas Fry
Genevieve Graham
Nagham Helou
Patrick Howe
Martin Kinnane
Charlotte Mungomery
Mathilda Robba
Master of Fine Arts (Directing)
Christopher Bond
Shannan Ely
Alanah Guiry
Sarah Hadley
Rachel Kerry
Andrew McInnes
Matthew Taylor
Master of Fine Arts (Voice)
Nina Allinson
Syaiful Ariffin Bin Abdul Rahman
Samantha Dowdeswell
Odile LeClezio
Robert Marshall
Simon Masterton
Bosilka May
Master of Fine Arts (Writing for Performance)
Georgina Adamson
Angela Collins
Michael Costi
Suvi Derkenne
Sarah Odillo Maher
Katherine Sullivan
Hannah Tonks
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
Violette Ayad
Toby Blome
Zelman Cressey-Gladwin
Enya Daly
Toby Derrick
Emily Edwards
Nicholas English
Maryanne Fonceca
Ethan Gibson
Helia Lalanne Sulak
Lucas Linehan
Mandela Mathia
Wendy Mocke
Kurt Ramjan
Christopher Ratcliffe
Laila Rind
Ariadne Sgouros
Jasmin Simmons
Alexander Stylianou
Vaishnavi Suryaprakash
Nikita Waldron
Dalara Williams
Jeremiah Wray
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Costume)
Isabella Cannavo
Rachel Cherry
Ella Horsfall
Kathleen Szabo
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design for Performance)
Christopher Baldwin
Ella Butler
Damien Egan
Kyle Jonsson
Heather Middleton
Gabrielle Rowe
Clare Staunton
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Properties and Objects)
Adelle Kristensen
Savannah Mojidi
Indigo-Rose Redding
Jessie Spencer
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Staging)
Mathew Bruhwiller
Taylor Hill
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Technical Theatre and Stage Management)
Veronique Benett
Brittany Coombs
Lachlan Hogan
William Nelson
Raymond Pittman
Emeline Sandt
Millicent Simes
Dana Spence
Julian Starr
Diploma of Live Production and Technical Services
Jenny Chan
Byron Cleasby
Luke Dang
Milly Herberte
Gabriel Jaworski
Jake Mortimer
Joseph Newton
Holden Osborne-Snell
Krystelle Quartermain
Quinton Rich
Ella Van dam
Rachel Wee
Diploma of Musical Theatre
Brianna Altmann-Bishop
Cara Bessey
Tiegan Denina
Ellis Dolan
Lincoln Elliott
Aaron Gobby
Everett Joy
Jack Keen
Jesse Layt
Olivia McLeod
Billie Miles
Kaitlin Nihill
Chaya Ocampo
Daniel Pryke
Adam Spain-Mostina
Grace Stamnas
Harrison Sweeney
Chemon Theys
Rachel Tunaley
Taylah Wright
Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-up Services)
Sarah Abel
Cailin Christie
Catherine Coad
Olivia Cooper
Emily Dupriez
Emily Geyer
Georgia Moroney
Hayley Naude
Tegan Sereno
Naomi Sharp
Amber Watson
Olivia Watts
Ellen Whitfeld
Emelie Woods
Diploma of Stage and Screen Performance
Katerina Dominis
Danielle Graham
Lilly Hatwell
Emma Haughey
Mia Healey
Anthony King
Holly Lambert
Francisco Lopez
Joseph Moore
Courtney Neville
Peyton Sears
Emily Shelmerdine
Harrison Stacey
Samuel Tye
Edgidio Valastro
