NIDA Women – Hanna Pasternak

In the lead up to International Women’s Day, we sat down with NIDA Financial Accountant,Hanna Pasternak, to discuss what the day means to her and how she is helping our students find their artistic voice.

Hometown: Beautiful mountain town  Jelenia Gora, Poland

Hobbies: Travelling, going to the cinema, theatre, jazz and live concerts, anything that has to do with music! And also hanging out with my friends and family

Favourite play or movie:I love foreign language movies; there are so many great classic and unique movies released to watch. Some of the most unique cinematic techniques have origins in foreign movies. Every country has its own history and culture, which is one of the main reasons why I enjoy watching foreign movies. But I also like a good comedy, it is the best way to relax and take a break from the day to day responsibilities.

Share a bit of your background with us, as well as how you ended up at NIDA eight years ago:

I came to NIDA after many years of working in the private corporate world. While here, I also graduated from the University of New England, with a Master of Commerce in Professional Accounting. NIDA is truly an amazing place to work. The main foyer is always filled with music, actors rehearsing their lines and visitors waiting to watch a show. You just don’t know what to expect each time you walk in.I feel like I’m part of something special, my role has a purpose!

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

It is an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge all women for their achievements, their strength and resilience, and for us to come together as one team, dedicated to supporting and empowering each other.

Who’s your most inspiring woman in the arts and why? How have different women in the arts influenced your career choices throughout the years?

There are just too many! I think it’s really important to see women achieving great things and I am truly inspired by these women who continually create and write.Additionally, I think that all women can and should feel empowered and confident in what they do. I admire every woman that works hard, is inspiring and fights for their own rights. All the different visions and accomplishments that I see being achieved by these women give me the confidence and different perspectives on life that I work hard towards. It further reminds me that life is what you make it.

What do you think has been the biggest step forward for women in the arts?

Over the past 10 years, I believe that diversity has become more and more visible and important in areas such as arts, for example in movies, women have a greater role in being able to make behind the scenes decisions or in theatres deciding what plays get produced. A woman’s perspective on a number of things can be quite different and as a result of the increased awareness of diversity, we are being heard. Having a wide variety of options to select from in the arts is an enormous step forward to suit the audience’s needs and wants, but also demonstrate the great work women are doing as it is a substantial industry and has considerable assets.

NIDA’s main goal is to help our students find their artistic voice. How do you think you help NIDA achieve this, in your role as Financial Accountant?

Through my role in finance, whilst I am not directly involved with students and their creative journeys, I am fortunate enough to get an insight into the institute’s projects and exciting plans in their early inception. By helping to shape and manage these projects and make sure that they can go ahead, I feel that I can help our students to have the best opportunities available to them. My perspective as a financial accountant is that our greatest investment at NIDA is in our students and in their education and hands-on experience, for them to then go out into the industry and the world of arts.

You can view more NIDA Women interviewshere.