2017 NIDA Annual Report ABOUT CONTENTS NIDA The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is a public, not-for-profit company limited Message from the Chairman 4 by guarantee and is accorded its national status as an elite training institution by the Australian Government. Message from the Director/CEO 6 NIDA continues a historical association with UNSW Australia and maintains strong Undergraduate Studies 8 links with national and international arts training organisations, particularly through membership of the Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence (ARTS8) and Graduate Studies 10 through industry partners, which include theatre, dance and opera companies, cultural Higher Education statistics 12 festivals and film and television producers. Vocational Studies 13 NIDA delivers education and training that is characterised by quality, diversity, innovation and equity of access. The institute’s focus on practice-based teaching and Vocational Studies statistics 14 learning is designed to provide the strongest foundations for graduate employment across a broad range of career opportunities and contexts. National and International placements 15 Entry to NIDA’s courses is highly competitive, with 1,602 applicants from around NIDA Open, NIDA Corporate, the country competing for an annual offering of approximately 160 places across NIDA Theatres and NIDA Melbourne 16 undergraduate, graduate and vocational disciplines. The student body for these courses totalled 288 in 2017. People and Culture 19 NIDA is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of External Relations 20 Communications and the Arts, and is specifically charged with the delivery of performing arts education and training at an elite level. NIDA Foundation Trust 22 The NIDA Open short course program, NIDA Corporate training and the NIDA Theatres Student productions 2017 24 complex provide opportunities to engage the wider community and to enable more people to access NIDA’s world-class education, training and facilities. Graduates 2017 36 NIDA has a highly active program of community engagement that assists in NIDA Board and Executive team 42 fundraising through private philanthropy and corporate sponsorship. Governance 43 Financial report 44 Donors and partners 71 REGISTERED OFFICE NIDA is located at UNSW Australia 215 Anzac Parade Kensington NSW 2033 Australia POSTAL ADDRESS NIDA National Institute of Dramatic Art is UNSW Sydney NSW 2052 Australia supported by the Australian Government TEL +61 2 9697 7600 FAX +61 2 9662 7415 EMAIL [email protected] WEB nida.edu.au AUSTRALIAN COMPANY NUMBER 000 257 741 AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS NUMBER 99 000 257 741 PROVIDER ID PRV12052 CRICOS PROVIDER CODE 00756M RTO CODE 90349 Images, this page (from top to bottom): The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Diploma of make-up services Showcase (Photos: Patrick Boland) Opposite page: The Changeling (Photo: Patrick Boland) 2 3 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN embraced by the Board as both necessary much-loved playwright and guest director. of the Audit, Finance, Administration Refshauge SC, who will also join the department, and providing executive and exciting. The Nick Enright Bequest has supported and Remuneration Committee, and Audit, Finance and Risk Committee. support as Deputy Director/CEO. many initiatives over the past decade at then, from May 2012, as a NIDA Board Justice Refshauge’s extensive The Academic Board of NIDA, led by Chair On behalf of the Board, staff, students, NIDA, including this year’s June Student Member. Her extensive work on the experience in both legal and arts Professor Prem Ramburuth, continues to and the entire NIDA community, I wish to Production Season. The October Student revised NIDA Constitution in 2016 was sectors is already proving a strong support our learning and teaching staff, thank Kate Cherry and the NIDA Executive Production Season was supported by much appreciated by the NIDA Board asset for NIDA. and ensures that our quality assurance Team for their strong leadership and the Paradice Family Foundation. The and management. Peter Lowry OAM’s and educational outcomes continue We also welcomed several new management of the organisation during student productions remain a significant final term as a director was due to finish to meet the highest standard. At the Company members in 2017 to expand the year. element in the unique training offered at at the 2018 Annual General Meeting and NIDA graduation in May, 117 students our engagement with arts professionals, NIDA, fostering collaborative work and he resigned his term on the 19 October from the Vocational (VET), Bachelor of including film and television director production experience. 2017 a little earlier than required. Peter Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts and screenwriter Ana Kokkinos, NIDA Jennifer Bott AO had joined the NIDA Board in August (MFA) courses received their awards. Kip The new Exclusive Partner for imaging alumni Jessica Arthur (Directing, 2015) Chairman 2012 as the Seaborn Broughton Walford Williams, Artistic Director of the Sydney technology agreement with Canon and Elizabeth Gadsby (Design for (SBW) Foundation representative, Theatre Company, NIDA Board member, Australia ensures that NIDA has at Performance, 2013), and NIDA BFA although since the constitutional and alumnus, gave a wonderful keynote hand the latest photography, cinema (Acting) graduands Violette Ayad, Wendy changes in May 2016, he had been a 2017 has proven to be a year of speech highlighting the need for students and print devices to enrich student Mocke, and Vaishnavi Suryaprakash. director in his own right. I would like to achievements, challenges and to be resilient and cope with rejection, learning experiences and creative acknowledge Kathy Farrell and Peter Finally, I would like to acknowledge new directions, and I would like to setback and success. achievement. In addition to training, the Lowry’s support and commitment to Michael Scott-Mitchell who left NIDA congratulate our Director/CEO, Kate Canon equipment will be used to enable NIDA is fortunate to have the dedicated NIDA over many years. in December 2017 after nine years Cherry, for ensuring the year has ended real-world applications throughout the generosity and commitment of our of service. He made a very significant on a solid financial footing and with a curriculum including NIDA’s annual As such, the Board has been fortunate donors. The work of the NIDA Foundation contribution to NIDA, overseeing the refreshed focus. student theatre productions and a range to welcome a new Board member at Trust (NFT) directors, led by Peter Ivany growth of an exciting, dynamic Design Image: Love and Money (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti) of other innovative storytelling projects the very end of 2017, the Hon Richard The strong financial turnaround in 2017 AM, in supporting NIDA is fundamental over the course of 2017–2019, providing is testament to the hard work of the NIDA in contributing to the success of NIDA. top quality equipment for use by management and staff. The surplus for I would like to thank all donors for students in their film, photography and the financial year was $76,838. There their confidence in NIDA and for their design coursework. was an overall revenue growth of 5.6% investment in our future. Our major with substantial increase from the Theatre donors in 2017 included the Paradice NIDA alumni continue to deliver hire and student fees. The Master of Family Foundation, the TAG Family exceptional work as actors, designers, Fine Arts courses contributed to the Foundation, Gary and Janine Wolman and technicians, creators, directors and revenue increase from student fees. The the Luminis Foundation. We are grateful writers. To highlight a few of the revenue growth was offset by decreases for the continued support of the Helpman successes during 2017: Robin Nevin in funding from the Department of Family Foundation, FreeTV Australia, and received a Helpmann Award for Best Communication and the Arts and Laurie Cowled, amongst many others who Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a sponsorship income. have given generously to support NIDA Musical for My Fair Lady, Jessica Marais won the TV Logie for Best Actress in The total operating expenditure students over many years. Love Child and The Wrong Girl, Rob increased marginally by 1.9% as We continue to receive considerable Collins was awarded TV Logie for Best compared to an increase of 8.7% in support from donors for our scholarship New Talent, Alexander Berlage for Best 2016. Overall, the return to surplus in and bursary program, with 114 students Lighting Design for an Independent 2017 is a most welcome result. receiving financial support in 2017. Production, Kate Gaul for her Sydney Student support is vital in helping NIDA continues to deliver excellence Theatre Awards Best Direction of an with living expenses and the backing in performing arts training from the Independent Production for The Ham of a wonderful group of supporters vocational sector diplomas to our Funeral (Griffin Theatre), while Academy and the NFT, who manage the fund, is traditional bachelor courses and a Award-winning costume and production much appreciated. NIDA students are suite of new masters courses. The designer Catherine Martin received incredibly hard-working and for those standard of graduates was evident a G’Day USA Lifetime Achievement with a full-time commitment to their during the actors and musical theatre Award for her contribution to Australia’s studies here the additional income showcases, EXPONIDA, and in the 15 creative industry. student productions staged across supporting their living in Sydney has There were some changes to the NIDA the year. Nevertheless, NIDA’s course been an important element in the Board in 2017. Justice Kathleen Farrell delivery continues to require review and successful outcomes achieved. attended her final Board meeting restructure, and the vision presented by The student production seasons in 2017 on 31 August 2017, having made a Kate to ensure the viability and continued honoured two of our major NIDA donors.