What a wonderful (and busy) year – 10 highlights of 2017 at NIDA

Photo: Kate Cherry on set with NIDA students

We take a look back at some of the highlights from 2017 at NIDA.

1. Kate Cherry’s first year

   It was Director/CEO Kate Cherry’s first year at NIDA. As an accomplished and active theatre director and arts leader, she has brought renewed artistry and industry networks to NIDA during her first year. She is one of very few women running a cultural institution while practising as an artistic director, and has an unwavering commitment to furthering the creative and cultural landscapes of Australia.

2. Scintillating student seasons
   
   Photo: our June and October seasons were a sight to behold

   As we say farewell to our final year Bachelor of Fine Arts students, we must also thank them for their work in what were two exceptionally entertaining and provocative student production seasons. From Judy Davis’s soul-searching Love and Money, to Egill Pálsson’s rampant The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Tom Wright’s shameless The Country Wife, June and October were good months to be in one of the NIDA Theatres.

   See the October and June galleries here, https://www.nida.edu.au/about-nida/galleries

3. 2017 Graduation
   
   Photo: NIDA students at their graduation earlier this year

   Our 2017 graduation featured 117 talented creative artists from our MFA, BFA and VET programs. NIDA alum and Sydney Theatre Company Artistic DirectorKip Williams delivered an inspirational address at the ceremony as the future creative leaders launched their careers.

4. Community outreach
   
   Photo: NIDA BFA and MFA (Design for Performance) students at NSW Health’s Forensic Hospital

   NIDA is committed to working in local communities, helping to further the artistic interests of people and organisations outside of our typical remit. 2017 saw partnerships with the likes of the Department of Education, to collaborate on a number of initiatives for the benefit of students of the dramatic arts in secondary and tertiary education in New South Wales; and NSW Health, with our MFA and BFA (Design for Performance) students designing a performance stage at the Forensic Hospital, a mental health facility, which will be used by patients who are undergoing art therapy.

5. NIDA Open scholarships launch
   
   Photo: Kate Cherry with Adelaide’s NIDA Open Scholarship winners

   This year we were delighted to introduce the NIDA Open Scholarships program in Adelaide, Newcastle and Perth, which enabled 12 aspiring students selected through a competitive application process to access expert drama training.

6. Inaugural Luminis Fellowship
   
   L-R: Mel George, Peter Brownie, Simon Mordant AM, Jamie Garis, Jennifer Bott AO, Kate Cherry

   At the beginning of the year, NIDA announced the Luminis Foundation Indigenous Fellowship for Cultural Leadership, which is awarded each year to an Indigenous student undertaking the MFA in Cultural Leadership at NIDA.

   The first recipient of the fellowship was Mel George.

7. ABC and triple j unearthed collaborations
   
   Photo: NIDA’s MFA (Directing) and BFA (Design) students who work with triple J Unearthed artists

   Each year NIDA’s MFA Directors team up with our BFA Designers and collaborate with some of Australia’s most talented emerging artists, creating some stunning music videos.

   See the full selection of videos and more details here

8. NIDA Melbourne takes off
   

   After launching in early 2017, NIDA Melbourne is making its mark in the Melbourne creative eco system. With NIDA Open and NIDA Corporate programs running form the venue, 2017 has also seen the successful launches of NIDAnights and new residency initiative Launchpad. With so much work going in this year, 2018 is looking to be a busy year for our second permanent location.

9. Guest artists
   
   Photo: Voice coach Rowena Balos with NIDA BFA (Acting) students

   From world-renowned voice coach Kristin Linklater to international video projection designer Sean Nieuwenhuis and leading puppeteer Finn Caldwell, NIDA welcomed an array of talented artists through its doors in 2017. All of whom have mentored our students to become better artists, with wider knowledge and industry understanding.

10. Creative Ambassadors Initiative
    
    Photo: John Bashford with 2017’s Creative Ambassadors

    In 2017, NIDA launched a ground-breaking new initiative that provides early career drama teachers with complimentary training to help them become cultural leaders at their respective schools. The Creative Ambassador’s Initiative from NIDA Open was successful in helping develop participating teachers as artists by extending their skills in areas such as theatre performance, staging, directing and drama.

    Read more here, https://www.nida.edu.au/about-nida/news/nida-welcomes-creative-ambassadors-from-across-australia