At NIDA, sustainability is a core value reflected in both our curriculum and our community activities. Throughout 2024, our students and staff have embraced the challenge of reducing their environmental footprint through initiatives implemented by NIDA Green and led by Sustainability Manager Imogen Ross. In wrapping up this year (with biodegradable wrapping, of course) we wanted to share just a few of the highlights from NIDA Green’s activities and celebrate all of the hard work and innovation put into making our campus a living example of how green practices can inspire and shape the future of the arts.
Sustainability is woven into NIDA’s pedagogical framework, ensuring students develop an awareness of eco-friendly practices alongside their artistic and technical training. From designing with sustainable materials to incorporating eco-conscious strategies into productions, students are encouraged to think creatively about minimising environmental impact. By integrating green practices into our curriculum, NIDA aims to foster a new generation of artists committed to creating with care for our planet.
However, sustainability isn’t limited to the classroom, and throughout 2024 NIDA has held internal events that are fun and engaging, encouraging students and staff to think green!
Mending Mondays is a NIDA Green initiative led by first-year Bachelor of Fine Arts Costume student Karamea Gostt, aimed at fostering sustainability and promoting creative reuse within the NIDA community. Launched in May 2024, the program encourages students and staff to breathe new life into their clothing by mending instead of discarding items, reducing textile waste. Held on the second or third Monday of each month, the sessions are held in the Costume 3 workshop with hands-on support from Karamea and participating NIDA costume students, skilled in repair techniques. Beyond its environmental impact, Mending Mondays has become a vibrant hub for fostering collaboration and camaraderie, bridging the gap between departments and creative disciplines, and creating meaningful connections among NIDA’s diverse community of artists and professionals.
To celebrate World Environment Day on 5 June, the Green Team organised the NIDA Clothes and Book Swap, transforming the atrium into a treasure trove of pre-loved goods. Staff and students eagerly participated, bringing in items to trade using a system of tokens where one token equalled one ‘new-to-you’ good. It was a fantastic success with many participants walking away with items they were excited to use. In 2025, the NIDA Clothes and Book Swap will take place earlier in April/May as part of National Textile Day and Earth Day recognition.
Now in its second year, the NIDA Seed Swap is a highly anticipated event that encourages the cultivation of organic food, native plants, and sustainable practices among staff and students. Held at the start of Spring, staff and students were invited to buy plants and seeds, share gardening tips, and discuss eco-friendly practices like attracting pollinators and avoiding pesticides, all while enjoying herbal tea in the NIDA atrium. This year’s swap featured IndigiGrow tube stock such as lemon myrtle and thornless native raspberry, with salad greens like rocket and parsley proving to be the most popular seeds. Many native plants were purchased, some of which were added to the NIDA gardens.
As part of a NIDA Green staff initiative, the NIDA Tea Garden has been established in the outdoor courtyard by Jessica Blaxland Ashby, Lynsey Brown, Imogen Ross and Kevin Laing in memory of long-time NIDA staff member Ian Turland who passed away in 2024. Ian famously loved a hot cuppa, as do many staff and students, who are welcome to harvest from a range of herbs including lemon balm, peppermint, chocolate mint and native thyme.
Previously awarded to Chris Milburn for his development of the Waste Tracker and his leadership on Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 2023, this year’s CEO Award for Excellence in Sustainability (The NIDA Green Award) was presented to second-year Technical Theatre and Stage Management student Jasmine Power. Jasmine joined the Green Team at the beginning of 2024, was the Environmental Sustainability Coordinator (ESC) on two NIDA productions and initiated the replacement of PVC tapes backstage with sustainable toggle alternatives. This year’s award was worth $500 and represents NIDA’s CEO Liz Hughes’ ongoing commitment to fostering sustainable pathways for students while studying here.
In October, NIDA invited four industry experts to engage with NIDA’s Learning and Innovation team and broader staff network to discuss what NIDA graduates need to know about environmental sustainability in stage and screen. In a lively three-hour session, key teaching staff collaborated with Theatre Green Book Australia, Arts on Tour, Sustainable Screens Australia, and actor/writer/director Nathan Harrison from Applespiel and Boho Interactive. The discussion focused on the evolving industry needs amid the climate crisis and resulted in a positive collaboration that enhanced NIDA’s sustainability strategies, further embedding sustainability and circular thinking into the curriculum.
NIDA is committed to reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and embedding sustainable practices across its curriculum, operations, and facilities. Across semester two, NIDA conducted a high-level carbon reporting process with external auditors, resulting in a comprehensive report on NIDA’s carbon footprint and recommendations for 2025 and beyond to continue NIDA’s path to achieving net zero by 2030. The future is green. We are on our way!
*Header image: Second-year Bachelor of Fine Arts Costume students at the 2024 NIDA Clothes and Book Swap. Photo by Imogen Ross.
