Studio courses for adults and young people
Intensive part-time courses for young people and adults.
NIDA Studio courses nurture creative development to unlock your potential as an artist. You will learn what it takes to tell, interpret and share stories, building on your strengths and learning new tools to extend your practice and pursue your passion.
Guided by Australia’s leading practitioners, NIDA’s Studio program is a rewarding and rigorous experience, fostering creative communities beyond the four walls of a classroom. We encourage you to give your best, embrace the unknown and become a part of the next generation of storytellers.
Classes are delivered on weekends over six or 12 months with a twice-yearly intake.
Students graduate from a NIDA Studio with an autonomous and confident skillset that can be applied to building a professional career, going on to full-time training or simply enhancing their personal and professional creative lives.
Whatever your goals, a NIDA Studio will be a transformative part of your journey.
How to apply
Entry to studio courses is by audition or interview. All application information is available on each course page.
The audition/interview process
Auditions and interviews are an opportunity for us to get to know you and for you to ask any questions.
You will be asked to prepare for your audition/interview and will have an opportunity on the day to collaborate with others.
*Please note there may be prerequisite requirements for advanced studio courses such as Actors Showreel and the Advanced Actors Studio.
Audition and interview dates for adults and young people
Studio Courses for adults 18 years+
Commencing in February in Sydney:
- Actors Studio
- Advanced Actors Studio
- Screen Actors Studio
- Actors Showreel Studio
- Designers Studio - Stage and Screen
- Directors Studio - Stage and Screen
- Filmmakers Studio
- Musical Theatre Studio
- Writers Studio - Stage and Screen
Commencing in February in Melbourne and Brisbane:
Studio courses for young people 15-18 years
Commencing in February in Sydney:
Commencing in February in Melbourne and Brisbane:
Commencing in June in Sydney:
Studio benefits
With small class numbers and support from industry professionals, NIDA Studios offer fantastic opportunities to hone creative skills. As a NIDA Studio student, you also receive:
- access to an online learning management system
- individual tutorials with your core tutor (four-term program only).
- access to the NIDA library
- invitations to NIDA productions.
Quality teaching staff
NIDA tutors are experts in education and practice. Selected for their outstanding teaching ability and knowledge of industry experience, they are able to provide you with feedback, direction and guidance as you progress through your course.
Current NIDA Studio tutors include: Les Chantery (actor, The Schapelle Corby Story); Julie Lynch (designer, Australian Opera); Nick Simpson-Deeks (actor, Winners and Losers); Ian Watson (director, ANZAC Girls); Tyran Parke (music theatre director, A Light in the Dark); Sonia Todd (actor, Rake, Home and Away); Dan Krige (actor/writer/director, Catching Milat); Anna Houston (actor, Venus in Fur, Darlinghurst Theatre Company); Imara Savage (director, After Dinner, Sydney Theatre Company); Pip Edwards (actor, ANZAC Girls, Wonderland), Alison Rooke (dramaturg and writer, A View From Moving Windows) and Ben Mathews (actor, Love My Way and director and writer). Read more about our tutors.
Contemporary training practices
We have designed our 2016 NIDA Studios to reflect current practices in the arts and entertainment industries, drawing on the expertise of industry professionals to ensure all students graduate with an up-to-date and competitive skillset.
Read what our students have to say about their Studio course.
World class facilities
Sydney
The NIDA campus in Kensington is an award-winning facility tailored to performing arts training. The venue includes professional theatres, rehearsal rooms, a sound stage, a lighting studio, fully equipped production workshops and the latest in audio-visual facilities.
Brisbane
In Brisbane, NIDA Studios are run at the state-of-the art facilities of TAFE Brisbane, located in the heart of Brisbane’s cultural precinct.
Melbourne
In Melbourne, we partner with Australia’s national centre for elite vocational dance, the Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre in Southbank and The Abbotsford Convent, a unique learning and cultural precinct 4km from the CBD.
Contact us
To talk to someone about the best studio course for you, please call 02 9697 7626. We can advise you on options and pathways.