The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

based in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, it 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. In 2024, NIDA was named as #13 in the "World's 25 Best Drama Schools" by ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

''. NIDA's main campus is based in the Sydney suburb of

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

, located adjacent to the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

(UNSW), and is made up of a range of rehearsal and performance venues. Its performance venues include the Parade Theatre (also the name of an earlier venue in NIDA's history); the Space; the Studio Theatre; and the Playhouse, while the Rodney Seaborn Library forms part of its library and the Reg Grundy Studio is a training and production facility for film and television. Many of Australia's leading actors and directors trained at NIDA, including

Cate Blanchett Catherine Élise Blanchett ( ; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor and producer. Regarded as one of the best performers of her generation, she is recognised for Cate Blanchett on screen and stage, her versatile work across stage and scre ...

Toni Collette Toni Collette (born Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television, blockbusters and independent films, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, wit ...

Sarah Snook Sarah Ruth Snook (; born 1 December 1987) is an Australian actress. List of awards and nominations received by Sarah Snook, Her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award. A gr ...

Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...

Judy Davis Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress. In a career spanning over four decades of both List of Judy Davis performances, screen and stage, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses ...

and

Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor whose various projects extend from film and television into opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries. He is regarded by ...

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 The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust (AETT) is an Australian theatre and performing arts company based in Sydney established in 1954. It is today especially known for its music scholarship program. History The Australian Elizabethan Theatre ...

(AETT) in 1954. With the support of the 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. After 1961 it offered both acting and production streams, and in the early 1970s design, technical production and directing streams were introduced. NIDA ran the

Old Tote Theatre Company The Old Tote Theatre Company (1963–1978) was a New South Wales theatre company that began as the standing acting and theatre company of Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). It was the predecessor to the Sydney Theatre Company ...

until 1969, whose productions were initially funded by the AETT and subsequently by the

Australia Council for the Arts Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

and the

New South Wales Government The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the executive state government of New South Wales, Australia. The government comprises 11 portfolios, led by a ministerial department and supported by several agencies. Th ...

. In 1967 the Old Tote moved its administration to separate premises, to a building which still exists on the UNSW campus, then known as the Parade Theatre, and on 7 May 1969 gave its first performance at that venue, a production of

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (; born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

's ''

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...

''. The present campus was first opened in 1987. 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. Additional buildings opened in 2001, which were awarded the 2002

Sir John Sulman Medal The Sir John Sulman Medal for Public Architecture is an architectural award presented by the New South Wales chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects since 1932. The medal is sometimes referred to as the Sulman Award and now recognise ...

for public architecture.

Governance and funding

NIDA receives funding from the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...

through the Department of Communications and the Arts, and is a member of the "

Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence Performing arts education in Australia refers to the teaching of different styles of creative activity that are performed publicly. The performing arts in Australia encompasses many disciplines including music, dance, theatre, musical theatre, ci ...

" (ARTS8), an initiative between the national performing arts training organisations and the federal government that provides training for emerging artists.

Admission

Entry to NIDA's Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts and Vocational courses is highly competitive with an admission rate of around 12% and even lower for some courses; 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.

Campus

NIDA is located on Anzac Parade in the Sydney suburb of

, across the road from the

Theatres

NIDA campus has six professional performance venues, in addition to studios and rehearsal rooms. The largest of these, the Parade Theatre, has three-tiered seating which accommodates up to 707 people. Other venues include the Playhouse, the Space, and the Studio Theatre.

Library and archives

The Rodney Seaborn Library, named in honour of arts philanthropist

Rodney Seaborn Rodney Frederick Marsden Seaborn (1912 − 17 May 2008) was an Australian psychiatrist, businessman, and philanthropist in the performing arts sector. He was responsible for supporting many theatre companies and professionals in Sydney, and ...

(1912–2008), is a specialist library for NIDA students, graduates and staff and is also open to the general public by appointment. 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.

Ranking

In 2018, NIDA was ranked as the 10th best drama school in the world by ''

'' It is consistently ranked as the top school in Australia, or in the top five, by many sources. In 2021, it was reported as the 16th best drama school in the world by the same source, making it the only Australian drama school to make the list.

Alumni

The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is Australia's leading centre for education and training in the performing arts. A complete list of NIDA alumni can be found on th
NIDA website
Many of NIDA's prominent alumni were featured in a photo essay in ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...

'' in celebration of the school's 60th anniversary in 2019. Graduates from the National Institute of Dramatic Art include:

Acting

Murray Bartlett Murray Bartlett (born 20 March 1971) is an Australian actor. He became known for starring as a luxury resort manager in the first season of the HBO dark comedy series ''The White Lotus'' (2021), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outsta ...

AC *

Grant Bowler Grant Bowler (born 18 July 1968) is a New Zealand-Australian actor and television presenter who has worked in American, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian film, television, and theatre. He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne ...

Tom Burlinson Tom Burlinson (born 14 February 1956) is a Canadian-born Australian actor and singer. Early life Tom Burlinson was born in Toronto, Canada, the son of Antony T. Burlinson (born 1923, in Greenwich, Middlesex) and Angela Schofield (born 1926, ...

Nathin Butler Nathin Art Butler is an Australian actor, writer and producer. His career has spanned over 300 episodes of television and 15 films in America and Australia, including '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', '' Hawaii Five-0'', ''General Hospital'' and ''Westwo ...

* Rob Collins *

Timothy Conigrave Tim Conigrave (19 November 1959 – 18 October 1994) was an Australian actor, activist and author of the internationally acclaimed memoir, ''Holding the Man.'' Education and career Conigrave was born in Melbourne, and attended the Jesuit-run Xa ...

Ryan Corr Ryan Corr is an Australian actor. He is known for his roles in the Australian drama series ''Packed to the Rafters'', '' Love Child'' and '' Underbelly'', along with film roles in '' Wolf Creek 2'' (2013), '' The Water Diviner'' (2014), '' Holdi ...

Peter Dahlsen Peter Dahlsen (born 23 February 1951) is an Australian actor turned barrister. In that country, he was known for appearing in soap operas: as Richie Bates in '' Bellbird'' (including being in the 1000th episode) during the 1970s and as Bill Ash ...

Murder in the Cathedral, NIDA Theatre (1969-1988), Kensington, NSW, 6 April 1971
/ref> *

Essie Davis Esther "Essie" Davis is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her roles as Phryne Fisher in '' Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' and its film adaptation, '' Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears'', and as Amelia Vanek in '' The Babadook''. ...

Andrea Demetriades Andrea Demetriades (born 1987) is an Australian actress known for her television, theatre and film roles. Personal life Demetriades was born in Perth, the youngest of four sisters. Her father, Costas, emigrated from Cyprus to Australia in 1969 ...

Eamon Farren Eamon Farren (born 19 May 1985) is an Australian actor. Following starring roles in the films '' X: Night of Vengeance'' (2011) and '' Chained'' (2012), he came to prominence for portraying Richard Horne in the 2017 revival of ''Twin Peaks''. ...

Lewis Fitz-Gerald Lewis Fitz-Gerald (born 15 November 1958) is an Australian actor, screenwriter and television director, who lectures in Screen and Media Studies at Australia's University of New England. Career Fitz-Gerald in 2018 was named for the drama se ...

Colin Friels Colin Friels (born 25 September 1952) is an Australian actor of theatre, TV, film and presenter. Early life Friels was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland.Interview with Colin Friels, ''George Negus Tonight'' (ABC Television), 26 August 200 ...

* Harry Greenwood *

Remy Hii Remy Hii is a Malaysian-Australian actor born in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Hii attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art for three years, and appeared in various theatre productions, before being cast in his first television role. Hi ...

Matthew Le Nevez Matthew Le Nevez (born 10 January 1979) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Doctor Patrick Reid in the TV series ''Offspring'', Detective Brian Dutch in the Tasmanian Gothic sci-fi television show '' The Kettering Incident ...

* Glenda Linscott *

Jessica Marais Jessica Dominique Marais is a South African-born Australian former actress. She is best known for her roles in Australian television. Her accolades include five Logie Awards and nine nominations, as well as two Equity Ensemble Awards nomination ...

* Ingrid Mason"The Sullivans stars 'just good friends'", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 20 February 1977 (pg.81) *

Catherine McClements Catherine McClements is an Australian stage, film, and television actress, and television presenter. She is known for her TV roles in '' Water Rats'' and '' Tangle'', for which she won Logie Awards, and has performed in stage productions for th ...

Garry McDonald Garry George McDonald AO (born 30 October 1948) is an Australian actor, satirist and comedian. In a career spanning five decades he has had many theatre, television and film roles, and has been listed as a National Living Treasure. He is bes ...

AO * Andrew McFarlane *

Jacqueline McKenzie Jacqueline Susan McKenzie (born 24 October 1967) is an Australian film and stage actress. Early life Born in Sydney, New South Wales, McKenzie attended Wenona School in North Sydney, New South Wales, North Sydney until 1983 then moved to Pymb ...

Heather Mitchell Heather Lee Mitchell is an Australian actor, who has appeared in Australian stage, television, and film productions. She is best known for her leading role in the 1990s television show '' Spellbinder''. More recently, she appeared as Anita in ...

* Michelle Vergara Moore * Toby Leonard Moore *

Robyn Nevin Robyn Anne Nevin (25 September 1942) is an Australian actress recognised with the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards and the JC Williamson Award at the Helpmann Awards for her outstanding contributions to Australian theatre performance art. F ...

AM *

Matthew Newton Matthew Joseph Newton (born 22 January 1977) is an Australian actor, writer, and director, and son of Australian TV personalities Bert and Patti Newton. He made his motion picture debut in 2000 in the Australian film ‘ Looking For Alibrand ...

Bojana Novakovic Bojana Novakovic (, sr-Latn, Bojana Novaković) is an Australian actress. She is known for starring in the police procedural television series ''Instinct'' (2018–2019). In film, she has appeared in '' Drag Me to Hell'' (2009), ''Edge of Dark ...

* Zindzi Okenyo *

Miranda Otto Miranda Otto (born 16 December 1967) is an Australian actress. She is the daughter of actors Barry Otto, Barry and Lindsay Otto and the paternal half-sister of actress Gracie Otto. Otto began her acting career in 1986 at age 18 and appeared in a ...

Edmund Pegge Edmund Pegge (born 1 April 1939) is an Australian actor, who has worked in both Australia and the United Kingdom. Early life Arriving in Adelaide as a teenager, Pegge completed his education at St Peter's College before graduating from the Na ...

Susie Porter Susie Porter (born 1970 or 1971) is an Australian television, film and theatre actress. She made her debut in the 1996 film '' Idiot Box'', before rising to prominence in films including '' Paradise Road'' (1997), '' Welcome to Woop Woop'' (1997 ...

Philip Quast Philip Mark Quast (born 30 July 1957) is an Australian actor and bass-baritone singer. He has won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical three times, making him the first actor to have three wins in that category. He is perhap ...

Richard Roxburgh Richard Roxburgh (born 23 January 1962) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of a number of accolades across film, television, and theatre, including several AFI and AACTA Awards, Logie Awards, and Helpmann Awards. He bega ...

* Alex Russell *

Toby Schmitz Toby Schmitz (born 4 May 1977) is an Australian actor and playwright. He was born in Perth, Western Australia, attended Perth's Scotch College and briefly studied law at the University of Western Australia. He graduated from the acting course ...

Shari Sebbens Shari Sebbens is an Aboriginal Australian actress and stage director, known for her debut film role in '' The Sapphires'' (2012), as well as many stage and television performances. After a two-year stint as resident director of the Sydney Theat ...

Hugh Sheridan Hugh Sheridan (born 30 June 1985) is an Australian actor, singer, and television presenter who is known for his role as Ben Rafter in the television series ''Packed to the Rafters''. Sheridan is a four-time Logie Award winner, in the Most Popu ...

* Rosalind Speirs *

Yael Stone Yael Stone is an Australian actress. She has worked extensively in Australian theatre and has won two Sydney Theatre Awards. On screen, she is best known for her portrayal of Lorna Morello in the Netflix series ''Orange Is the New Black''. Ston ...

Miranda Tapsell Miranda Tapsell (born 11 December 1987) is a Larrakia Aboriginal Australian actress of both stage and screen, best known for her role as Cynthia in the Wayne Blair film '' The Sapphires'' and her 2015 performance as Martha Tennant in the Nine ...

Anna Torv Anna Torv (born 7 June 1979) is an Australian actress. Her performance as Olivia Dunham in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox science fiction series ''Fringe (TV series), Fringe'' (2008–2013) earned her four consecutive Saturn Award for Best A ...

Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is a British actor. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA) and has been recognised as an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia. Born in Colonia ...

* John Wood *

Sam Worthington Samuel Henry John Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an Australian actor. He is known for playing Jake Sully in the ''Avatar'' franchise (2009–present), Marcus Wright in '' Terminator Salvation'' (2009), and Perseus in '' Clash of the Titan ...

Meyne Wyatt Meyne Wyatt (born 1989) is an Aboriginal Australian actor, known for his stage, film, and television roles. In 2012, he played a supporting role in the musical comedy film '' The Sapphires'' and also made his debut with the Bell Shakespeare com ...

Gareth Yuen Gareth Yuen is an Australian actor who portrays the character Dax Lo, the Blue Ranger on the 2007 television series '' Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive''. He appeared at the Power Morphicon in June 2007. He is a 2005 graduate of Sydney's Natio ...

Design

Alice Babidge Alice Babidge is an Australian production, costume and set designer. She is known internationally for her work in film, opera and theatre. Biography Babidge studied design at National Institute of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2004. She then j ...

* Kym Barrett *Theodore Benton * Adrian Britnell * Fiona Crombie, 2019

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nominee for ''

The Favourite ''The Favourite'' is a 2018 satirical absurdist period dark comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, and written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. A co-production between Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the film star ...

'' *Peter England * Dale Ferguson *

Dane Laffrey Dane Laffrey is an American scenic designer best known for Broadway show''Maybe Happy Ending''(2024), Parade' (2023), Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol' (2022) ''Once on This Island'' (2017), '' Spring Awakening'' (2015), and '' Fool for Love ...

* Catherine Martin *

Ralph Myers Ralph Myers is an Australian theatre designer and director, and the former artistic director of Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre, Belvoir. In 2005 and 2006 Myers was the resident designer at the Sydney Theatre Company; he was later an associate arti ...

, Former Artistic Director

Belvoir St Theatre Belvoir is an Australian theatre company based at the Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney, Australia, originally known as Company B. Its artistic director is Eamon Flack. The theatre comprises two performing spaces: the Upstairs Theatre and the small ...

*Jacob Nash, Head of Design for

Bangarra Dance Theatre Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company focused on contemporary dance. It was founded by African American dancer and choreographer Carole Y. Johnson, Gumbaynggirr man Rob Bryant, and South African-bor ...

*Deborah Riley,

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

-winning production designer of ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...

'' *Gypsy Taylor *Daniel Tobin * Gabriela Tylesova * Michael Wilkinson, 2014 Academy Award Nominee for ''

American Hustle ''American Hustle'' is a 2013 American black comedy crime film directed by David O. Russell. It was written by Eric Warren Singer and Russell and inspired by the FBI Abscam operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s. It stars Christian Ba ...

Directing

*Jessica Arthur * Paul Curran *

Gale Edwards Annette Gale Edwards (born 14 November 1954) is an Australian theatre director, who has worked extensively throughout Australia and internationally. She has also directed for television and film. Professional career Edwards began her career at ...

*Sarah Giles *

Jennifer Kent Jennifer Kent is an Australian director, screenwriter, and former actress. She is best known for writing and directing the psychological horror film '' The Babadook'' (2014). Her second film, '' The Nightingale'' (2018), premiered at the 75th ...

Lee Lewis Lee Lewis (born 1970) is an Australian theatre director. Early life and education Lewis was born in 1977 in Chicago, Illinois. Her family emigrated to Australia when she was a child. Lewis trained as an actor at Columbia University in New Y ...

* Greg McLean * Jonathan Messer * Tommy Murphy *

Moffatt Oxenbould Moffatt Benjamin Oxenbould (born 18 November 1943) is a retired Australian opera director. The Sydney-born Oxenbould was artistic director of Opera Australia from 1984 until his retirement in 1999. In 1962 he joined the company – known as Eliz ...

Marion Potts Marion Potts is an Australian theatre director. Early life and education Potts developed an interest in the theatre when she went to see Shakespeare’s ''Twelfth Night'' on a school excursion. While attending the University of Sydney, she j ...

* Ryan Whitworth-Jones *

Kip Williams Kip Williams is an Australian director and writer of theatre and opera. Williams was Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company from 2016-2024. His appointment at age 30 made him the youngest artistic director in the company's history. Biogr ...

, artistic director of

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...

Production

Kuo Pao Kun Kuo Pao Kun (193910 September 2002) () was a playwright, theatre director, and arts activistKwok, Kian-Woon. "Remembering Kuo Pao Kun (1939–2002)." Inter-Asia Cultural Studies 4.2 (2003): 193–201. in Singapore who wrote and directed both Ma ...

* Garry McQuinn, co-founder of RGM Productions * Sally Riley, Head of Scripted Production for the

Australian Broadcasting Company The Australian Broadcasting Company Pty. Ltd. was a short-lived Australian commercial broadcasting company set up by Sir Benjamin Fuller and Frank Albert. Founded in Melbourne in 1924 with a capital of £A 100,000 by a consortium of enter ...

Jim Sharman James David Sharman (born 12 March 1945) is an Australian director and writer for film and stage with more than 70 productions to his credit. He is renowned in Australia for his work as a theatre director since the 1960s, and is best known in ...

, Director of

The Rocky Horror Picture Show ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 independent musical comedy horror film produced by Lou Adler and Michael White, directed by Jim Sharman, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The screenplay was written by Sharman and Richard O ...

Scenic construction

* Boaz Shemesh, Head of Set Construction for

Writing

Jackie McKimmie Jackie McKimmie (born 1950) is an Australian writer and director of films and television. Select credits *'' Madness of Two'' (1982) – writer *''Stations'' (1983) (short) *'' Australian Dream'' (1986) *''Waiting Waiting, Waitin, Waitin', or T ...

Alana Valentine Alana Valentine is an Australian playwright, dramatist, librettist, and director working in theatre, film, opera, and television. Early life and education Alana Valentine graduated with a Bachelor of Communications from University of Technology ...

Awards

NIDA alumni have won close to 1,000 awards including 8 Academy Awards, 9 Golden Globes, 10 Emmys, 48 Logies, 18 BAFTAs, 5 Oliviers, 5 Tonys and more. ;Academy Awards *Catherine Martin (Design, 1988): 2014 Winner Best Achievement in Costume Design ''The Great Gatsby''; 2014 Winner Best Production Design, ''The Great Gatsby''; 2002 Winner Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, ''Moulin Rouge!''; 2002 winner Best Costume Design, ''Moulin Rouge!'' *Cate Blanchett (Acting, 1992): 2014 Winner Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, ''Blue Jasmine''; 2005 Winner Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, ''The Aviator'' *Mel Gibson (Acting, 1977): 1996 Winner Best Picture, ''Braveheart''; 1996 Winner Best Director, ''Braveheart'' ;BAFTA Awards *Catherine Martin (Design, 1988): 2014 Winner Best Costume Design, ''The Great Gatsby''; 2014 Best Production Design, ''The Great Gatsby''; 1998 Winner Best Production Design, ''Romeo + Juliet''; 1993 Winner Best Costume Design, ''Strictly Ballroom''; 1993 Winner Best Production Design, ''Strictly Ballroom'' *Cate Blanchett (Acting, 1992): 2018 Winner, Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film; 2014 Winner, Best Leading Actress, ''Blue Jasmine''; 2005 Winner, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, ''The Aviator''; 1999 Winner, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, ''Elizabeth'' *Baz Luhrmann (Acting, 1985): 1998 Winner Best Direction, ''Romeo + Juliet''; 1998 Winner Best Adapted Screenplay, ''Romeo + Juliet'' *Judy Davis (Acting, 1977): 1981 Winner Best Actress, ''My Brilliant Career''; 1981 Winner Most Outstanding Newcomer to Leading Film Roles, ''My Brilliant Career'' *Deborah Riley (Design, 1996): 2018 Winner Production Design, ''Game of Thrones'' *Fiona Crombie (Design, 1998): 2019 Winner Best Production Design, ''The Favourite'' *Craig Pearce (Acting, 1984): 1998 Winner Best Adapted Screenplay for ''Romeo + Juliet'' *Angus Strathie (Design, 1988): 1993 Winner Best Costume Design, ''Strictly Ballroom'' ;Golden Globe Awards *Sarah Snook (Acting, 2008): 2024 Winner Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama, ''Succession''; 2022 Winner Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film, ''Succession'' *Cate Blanchett (Acting, 1992): 2023 Winner Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, ''TÀR''; 2014 Winner Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, ''Blue Jasmine''; 2008 Winner Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, ''I’m Not There''; 1999 Winner Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, ''Elizabeth'' *Judy Davis (Acting, 1977): 2002 Winner Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television, ''Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows''; 1992 Winner Best Performance by an Actress in A Mini-series or Motion Picture for TV, ''One Against the Wind *Mel Gibson (Acting, 1977): 1996 Winner Best Director – Motion Picture, ''Braveheart'' ;Primetime Emmy Awards *Sarah Snook (Acting, 2008): 2023 Winner Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, ''Succession'' for episode ‘''Tailgate Party''’ *Murray Bartlett (Acting, 1991): 2022 Winner Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, ''The White Lotus'' *Deborah Riley (Design, 1996): 2018 Winner Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More), ''Game of Thrones'' for episode ‘''Dragonstone''’; 2016 Winner Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More), ''Game of Thrones'' for episodes Blood of My Blood''’, ‘''The Broken Man''’ and ‘''No One''’; 2015 Winner Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More), ''Game of Thrones'' For episodes: ‘''High Sparrow''’, ‘''Unbowed''’, ‘''Unbent''’, ‘''Unbroken''’ and ‘''Hardhome''’; 2014 Winner Outstanding Art Direction for a Contemporary or Fantasy Series (Single-Camera), ''Game of Thrones'' for episodes ‘''The Laws of God and Men''’ and ‘''The Mountain and the Viper''’ *Judy Davis (Acting, 1977): 2007 Winner Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, ''The Starter Wife''; 2001 Winner Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, ''Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows''; 2001 Winner Outstanding Makeup – Miniseries, Movie, Special, ''Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows''; 1995 Winner Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special, ''Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story''

Learning by doing

Industry engagement and collaborative student learning are core part of NIDA courses. NIDA utilises a conservatoire model, where students learn by practical application through in-house productions and working with professional companies on short-term placements. In addition to classwork, students will work on multiple practical projects during their time at NIDA, ranging from full theatrical productions to short films. Depending on the program, students may also undertake interstate and international trips as part of the learning process.

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. Tutors include voice specialists, movement and body language practitioners, film and theatre directors, actors and television presenters. In 2018, more than 9,000 participants attended NIDA Corporate training.

Controversy

In 2012, former NIDA board member and Liberal senator

Chris Puplick Christopher John Guelph Puplick ( ; born 13 May 1948) is a former Australian politician. He was a Senator for New South Wales from 1978 to 1981 and from 1984 to 1990, representing the Liberal Party. Early life Puplick was born on 13 May 1948 i ...

, who had served on the board for three years, wrote an essay titled "Changing Times at NIDA" which was published in the October issue of the publication ''Platform Papers''. In the essay, Puplick criticized the teaching standards of the school and its director and chief executive, Lynne Williams, stating that she has had no significant experience in theatre to head the school and that her style was "Thatcherite". Soon after Puplick's statements were reported, chairman of NIDA's board, Malcolm Long, and Lynne Williams replied back to the comments, with Long stating that Williams had the complete support of the board and described Puplick as "an apparently disaffected former board member." Williams had defended herself stating her management style was not "Thatcherite". Long also mentioned that amongst Williams' supporters were

and

. Supporting Puplick were actor, director and a graduate of the school

Jeremy Sims Jeremy Hartley Sims (born 10 January 1966) is an Australian actor and director. Career Jeremy Sims was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1966, and was educated at Wesley College (1977–83). His first appearance on the big screen was as "boy ...

, who had launched the essay, and Kevin Jackson, who had taught acting at the school for 27 years. In June 2020, a letter from over 100 alumni, students and former staff was signed and sent to NIDA's chief executive Liz Hughes accusing the school for failing to support Indigenous, Black and other students of colors. The letter which was sent to Hughes via email accused the school of "systemic and institutionalised racism" and where students had felt that they were there simply to fulfill diversity quotas.

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* {{authority control Australian tertiary institutions Drama schools in Australia Education in Sydney Educational institutions established in 1958 Film schools in Australia Theatres in Sydney 1958 establishments in Australia Buildings and structures awarded the Sir John Sulman Medal Kensington, New South Wales