Last month, NIDA Open welcomed the first cohort of teachers for the inaugural Creative Ambassador’s Initiative, as they trained with leading drama specialists from the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
Photo: NIDA’s Director of Acting John Bashford takes a session at the inaugural Creative Ambassador’s Initiative
Last month, NIDA Open welcomed the first cohort of teachers for the inaugural Creative Ambassador’s Initiative, as they trained with leading drama specialists from the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
Over the course of a week, fifteen primary and secondary early career teachers from around Australia participated in free professional development workshops at our Kensington campus in Sydney, which developed their skills as drama specialists, cultural leaders and creative pedagogues.
The new initiative is part of our commitment to providing ongoing professional development opportunities to teachers around Australia, and is an investment in the creative practice and artistry of early career teachers.
It is also a continuation of a series of investments into the future of Australia’s creative industries, and follows the recent June launch of the NIDA Open Scholarship program.
As part of their experience, the cohort was taught by several of NIDA’s drama specialists, including NIDA’s Director of Acting, John Bashford, Head of Music, Andrew Ross, and Head of Voice, Katerina Moraitis.
‘The Creative Ambassador’s Initiative was such an uplifting and educational experience. Not only was the level of professionalism and knowledge amazing but everything that was covered in the program, I can use in my classroom and also for myself as a performer and leader,’ said participant Luke Reynolds.
With discussion of high teacher attrition rates something that we are all familiar with, NIDA was interested to hear from the Creative Ambassadors about what could be done to better support early career teachers working in the field.
Overwhelmingly, teachers spoke about the need for professional support, mentoring and networking opportunities designed to provide a platform for workshopping challenges and sharing creative solutions. Many cited the week at NIDA as providing these essential experiences.
‘This course has connected a group of passionate and creative teachers and empowered us to push for the arts in our communities with the support of each other and NIDA,’ added Creative Ambassador, Jade Briscoe.
NIDA is thrilled to announce that the Creative Ambassador’s Initiative will run again in 2018, and applications will be open following the 2018 program launch. Be sure to keep an eye on the NIDA Schools webpage for information on this and other professional development opportunities for teachers.
