NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DRAMATIC ART THEATRE FILM TELEVISION 215 ANZAC PARADE KENSINGTON NSW 2033 POST NIDA UNSW SYDNEY NSW 2052 PHONE 02 9697 7600 2013 NIDA Annual Report FAX 02 9662 7415 EMAIL [email protected] ABN 99 000 257 741 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DRAMATIC ART Theatre, Film, Television WWW.NIDA.EDU.AU ABOUT NIDA The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is a public, not-for-profit company and is accorded its national status as an elite training institution by the Australian Government. CONTENTS We continue our historical association with the University of New South Wales and maintain FROM THE CHAIRMAN 4 strong links with national and international arts training organisations, particularly through membership of the Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence (ARTATE) and through FROM THE DIRECTOR / CEO 5 industry partners, which include theatre, dance and opera companies, cultural festivals and UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES 8 film and television producers. NIDA delivers education and training that is characterised by quality, diversity, innovation GRADUATE STUDIES 10 and equity of access. Our focus on practice-based teaching and learning is designed to HIGHER EDUCATION STATISTICS 11 provide the strongest foundations for graduate employment across a broad range of career opportunities and contexts. NIDA OPEN 12 Entry to NIDA’s higher education courses is highly competitive, with around 2,000 NIDA OPEN STATISTICS 13 applicants from across the country competing for an annual offering of approximately 75 places across undergraduate and graduate disciplines. The student body for these PRODUCTIONS AND EVENTS AT courses totalled 166 in 2013. NIDA PARADE THEATRES 14 NIDA is funded by the Australian Government through the Ministry for the Arts, DEVELOPMENT 15 Attorney-General’s Department, and is specifically charged with the delivery of performing arts education and training at an elite level. OPERATIONS 16 NIDA Open’s short course and corporate training programs provide additional training NIDA STUDENT options for students. PRODUCTIONS 2013 18 The Parade Theatres complex includes five world-class theatre spaces. GRADUATES 2013 26 NIDA has a highly active program of community engagement which assists in fundraising through private philanthropy and corporate sponsorship. STAFF 28 GOVERNANCE 29 FINANCIAL REPORT 30 NIDA is at the University of New South Wales DONORS AND PARTNERS 50 REGISTERED OFFICE 215 Anzac Parade Kensington NSW 2033 Australia POSTAL ADDRESS NIDA UNSW Sydney NSW 2052 Australia National Institute of Dramatic Art is supported by the Australian Government TEL +61 2 9697 7600 FAX +61 2 9662 7415 EMAIL [email protected] WEB www.nida.edu.au AUSTRALIAN COMPANY NUMBER 000 257 741 AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS NUMBER 99 000 257 741 CRICOS PROVIDER CODE 00756M Cover image: The Red Shoes NIDA Gala 2013 (Photo: Mark Nolan) (Photo: Maja Baska) 3 From the From the CHAIRMAN DIRECTOR / CEO On behalf of the Board, I wish to thank all the staff for Throughout the year, staff across the organisation their enthusiasm and dedication to NIDA. The success demonstrated their commitment to NIDA, delivering our graduates achieve in the industry both at home a wide range of projects to support the teaching and and on the international stage is a clear demonstration learning environment. of our staff’s expertise, guidance and supportive In May we celebrated the graduation of our 2012 approach to each student’s education at NIDA. students and welcomed acclaimed director Neil We thank the University of NSW, the Seaborn, Armfield AO as our key-note speaker and our Broughton and Walford Foundation, principal honoured guest. As well as celebrating Neil’s partner Seven Network, and our corporate contribution to the Australian arts industry, we sponsors and philanthropic donors for their honoured costume designer Anthony Phillips for his It is a great privilege to be writing my first annual generous contributions which ensure the In 2013, NIDA celebrated its past, affirmed the significant work. At the same time we were pleased report message as NIDA’s Chairman. It has been a success and growth of NIDA and our students. success of its present and embraced opportunities to to present the inaugural Leslie Walford AM Award to pleasure to work closely with Director/CEO Lynne In 2013, we acknowledged the passing of artists grow and meet the demands of the future. graduate Pip Edwards (Acting 2012) to recognise and Williams, my fellow Directors, the staff and students support her outstanding talent as an emerging artist. who made significant contributions to NIDA’s In March, we recognised an important era of during my first months as Chairman. teaching staff and to the education of our students. Australian theatre history celebrating the 50th Thanks to the generous support of the Australian NIDA continues to make a significant impact on Renowned milliner Jean Carroll OAM, who passed Anniversary of the Old Tote Theatre. Featuring Government during the past year, NIDA has expanded the quality of the dramatic arts in Australia. Our away in September 2013, shared her vast millinery an archival exhibition and program of events, our physical infrastructure and digital resources to teaching programs adapt and transform in step knowledge with our students throughout her career. the day was well attended by the general public provide additional space for teaching and learning, as with international performing arts practice, ensuring I also want to acknowledge Elke Neidhardt AM who and the wider theatre community. We welcomed well as access to modern, technologically connected that our graduates are industry-ready and that they passed away in November 2013. Her contribution to actors, directors and writers from the former rehearsal and studio spaces. The year featured the first are prepared to lead within a constantly changing NIDA and the passion she held for directing and the Old Tote Company and representatives from the production in our newly refurbished outdoor Atrium contemporary environment. NIDA will embark on theatre was an inspiration to many students, staff and contemporary Sydney theatre industry, including Theatre, with the commissioned work Hinterland, a new phase of expansion in 2014 as we look to our wider community. John Clark AM, Kim Carpenter AM, Ron Haddrick written by NIDA’s former Head of Playwriting, Jane extend not only our physical space but our academic Thanks to the members of the Board of Directors, AM MBE, Jennifer Hagan, Lee Lewis, Ralph Myers, Bodie, and directed by Julian Meyrick. offerings, ensuring we maintain our position as one NIDA Board of Studies and NIDA Foundation Trust, Chris Summers and Andrew Upton. The real and We continued to work closely with the arts and lasting value of the day was the lively discussion and of the leading dramatic arts education providers in who have shared their expertise and time with entertainment industry to ensure our students enthusiastic love for theatre shared between two Australia and internationally. NIDA during the past 12 months. In May 2013, we transition smoothly into employment after graduation. generations: NIDA students and Old Toters. In 2013, NIDA students demonstrated their welcomed well-known actor and NIDA alumnus Our industry mentoring programs, networking events Heather Mitchell to the Board of Directors. I would commitment to learning and their emerging talent In line with NIDA’s four-year plan, 2013 saw and the Australian and international placement like to acknowledge the Hon. Justice Kathleen in a successful production program; in EXPONIDA significant investments in new education and programs provide our students with opportunities Farrell, Peter Lowry OAM, Ralph Myers and Professor 2013 showcasing the work across a range of training programs, and in the quality of facilities and throughout their course of study to establish Prem Ramburuth, whose first year of service on the courses; and in the impressive Actors’ Showcase, resources to support them. After benchmarking our professional working relationships with leaders in Board ended in May 2013. We are grateful for their following which all graduating actors secured courses against national and international schools their fields. As an example, our Production students continuing service. I would also like to thank Jim industry representation, an important step when of dramatic art, we made the decision to revisit and completed secondments with companies as diverse Moser for his valuable contribution as his final term embarking on a professional career. refresh all the undergraduate and postgraduate as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Theatre concluded at the AGM in May 2013. Board member courses. Subsequently we decided to reflect the new Company, Kaldor Public Arts Projects, Global Under the leadership of Director/CEO Lynne Judith Isherwood stepped down from her role in approaches to inter-disciplinary collaborative practice Creatures, Victorian Opera, Fourth Wall Events, Williams, we have balanced a commitment to December 2013 and I thank her for her input over contained within the new courses in a name change Disney, Marvel, Cirque du Soleil, Pinchgut Opera, high-quality conservatoire training with the demands more than three years. to the internationally recognised degrees: Bachelor Belvoir and events such as Sydney Festival, City of a digital, fast-paced educational landscape. The In closing, I wish to thank my predecessor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA). of Sydney’s New Year’s Eve festivities and Sydney support demonstrated during the year by members Malcolm Long AM for his strong leadership, for the Mardi Gras. of the industry, the public, alumni and students, I would like to pay tribute to the NIDA teaching staff considerable achievements he attained, and the is testament to her knowledge and vision. for their expertise and commitment over this year We were delighted to welcome international music robust vision he and Lynne Williams shared during his in ensuring that the new BFA and MFA courses are theatre expert, Philip Quast, as our Seaborn, I was pleased to welcome Peter Ivany AM as six years as the Chairman and NIDA Board Member.