National Institute of Dramatic Art

National Institute of
Dramatic Art
Established	1958; 67 years ago
Location	Kensington, New South Wales, Australia (Map); 33°54′57″S 151°13′31″E / 33.9158°S 151.2252°E
Campus	Urban
Website	nida.edu.au
	File:National Insititute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) logo.jpg

The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is Australia's leading centre for education and training in the performing arts.^{[citation needed]} Founded in 1958, NIDA uses a conservatoire model, where students learn through practical experience, working on real productions. NIDA offers Bachelor's, Master's and Vocational degrees in subjects including acting, writing, directing, scenic construction, technical theatre, voice, costume, props, production design and cultural leadership.

NIDA also delivers short courses to thousands of students every year across Australia and internationally. https://www.nida.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/53280/NIDA_Annual_Report_2018_lowres.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) The NIDA Open program is Australia's largest non-profit, performing arts short course program.^{[citation needed]}

In 2018, NIDA was ranked as the 10th best drama school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter^[1] and in the Top 5 Undergraduate Schools for an Acting Degree in 2019.

NIDA's main campus is based in the Sydney suburb of Kensington, located adjacent to the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and is made up of a range of rehearsal and performance venues.

NIDA receives funding from the Australian Government through the Department of Communications and the Arts, and is a member of the Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence (Arts8),^[2] an initiative between the national performing arts training organisations and the Australian Government providing training for emerging artists.

History

NIDA was founded in 1958 as the first professional theatre training school in Australia. The idea of a national theatre training school was initiated by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust (AETT) in the mid-1950s. With the support of the then Vice-Chancellor (later Sir) Philip Baxter, NIDA was established in the grounds of the University of New South Wales. Robert Quentin, later Professor of Drama at UNSW, was appointed the inaugural Director.

Teaching began in 1959 and in 1960, the first 23 students graduated with a Diploma in Acting; today, NIDA welcomes over 200 full-time students to the Kensington campus, more than 12,500 NIDA Open participants from across Australia take part in part-time and short classes, and 2,900 clients attend NIDA Corporate's training for professionals each year.

From 1961 it offered both acting and production streams, and in the early 1970s design, technical production and directing streams were introduced. In 1991 NIDA expanded into the study of theatrical crafts – costume, properties, scenery and staging - and over the 2000s developed post-graduate courses in voice, movement studies, production management and playwriting. The current courses in six undergraduate, five post-graduate and four vocational diploma disciplines reflect NIDA's ongoing responsiveness to industry demands.^[3]

Admission

Entry to NIDA's Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts and Vocational courses is competitive, with more than 1,500 applicants from around the country competing for an annual offering of approximately 185 places across the six undergraduate, five post-graduate and four vocational diploma disciplines.

NIDA's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting is particularly competitive, with approximately 1,000 applicants per year attempting to secure one of 24 spots in the program.^{[citation needed]}

Campus

NIDA is located on Anzac Parade in the Sydney suburb of Kensington, across the road from the University of New South Wales. The campus was first opened in 1987, followed by additional buildings opened in 2001, which were awarded the 2002 Sir John Sulman Medal for public architecture.

Theatres

The NIDA campus has six professional performance venues^[4] , in addition to studios and rehearsal rooms. As the largest of the performance venues at NIDA, the Parade Theatre offers seating for audiences of up to 709 people in its three-tiered, horseshoe-shaped auditorium. The Playhouse is a 155-seat amphitheatre, designed for more intimate productions. NIDA has three smaller black box theatres – the Space, the Studio Theatre and the Reg Grundy Studio – that are frequently adapted to suit different production needs.

Library

The Rodney Seaborn Library is a specialist library for NIDA students, graduates and staff and is also open to the general public by appointment. Created in 1980.

The NIDA Archives collects, organises and preserves archival records created by or relating to NIDA.

Other facilities

The NIDA campus includes rehearsal rooms, multi-media and computer-aided design (CAD) studios, a sound stage, a lighting studio, production workshops, audio-visual facilities, and the Reg Grundy Studio film and television training and production facility.

Alumni

Graduates from the National Institute of Dramatic Art include:

Acting

Scenic Construction

Boaz Shemesh, Head of Set Construction for Sydney Theatre Company

Writing

Short courses

NIDA delivers hundreds of short courses every year across Australia and internationally through NIDA Open and NIDA Corporate.

NIDA Open

NIDA Open is Australia's largest non-profit, performing arts short course program. In 2018, more than 15,000 students attended NIDA Open courses in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Darwin and other locations. NIDA Open offers courses for children and young people from preschool through Grade 12, as well as adult courses, in acting, comedy, costumes, props, make-up, design, directing, filmmaking, musical theatre, physical theatre and movement, presenting, technical theatre, stage management, voice and writing.

NIDA Corporate

NIDA Corporate offers training in professional communication, presentation and leadership for individuals and businesses in the public and private sectors. In 2018, more than 9,000 participants attended NIDA Corporate training.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "The Old Globe and University of San Diego - The 25 Best Drama Schools for an Acting Degree, Ranked". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
^ Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (15 September 2008). "Arts training bodies". Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ "NIDA.edu.au: History".
^ https://www.nida.edu.au/venue-spaces

[1] "The Old Globe and University of San Diego - The 25 Best Drama Schools for an Acting Degree, Ranked". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 August 2018.

[2] Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (15 September 2008). "Arts training bodies". Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[3] "NIDA.edu.au: History".

[4] ttps://www.nida.edu.au/venue-spaces

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v t e Performing arts schools in Australia
Acting	Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts Adelaide College of the Arts Australian Institute of Music - Dramatic Arts (formerly Australian Academy of Dramatic Art) Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne National Institute of Dramatic Art New York Film Academy Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Screenwise Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Dance	Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts Australian Ballet School Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Music	Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts Australian Institute of Music Australian National Academy of Music Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Sydney Conservatorium of Music Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music UWA Conservatorium of Music Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Musical theatre	Australian Institute of Music Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Secondary	Australian Performing Arts Grammar School Newtown High School of the Performing Arts Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School John Curtin College of the Arts

v t e ARTS8 Australia's national elite arts training organisations
Training organisations	Australian Ballet School (Southbank, Victoria) • Australian National Academy of Music (South Melbourne, Victoria) • Australian Youth Orchestra (Sydney, New South Wales (NSW)) • Flying Fruit Fly Circus (Albury, NSW) • NAISDA Dance College (Mount Penang, Gosford, NSW) • National Institute of Circus Arts (Prahran, Victoria) • National Institute of Dramatic Art (Kensington, NSW)
Associated training organisations	Australian Film, Television and Radio School