Studio courses for adults and young people
Intensive part-time courses for young people and adults.
NIDA Studios are for committed and creative individuals seeking an intensive and practical training experience.
Designed to develop skills and techniques in the performing arts, NIDA Studios deliver rigorous, practice-driven training in a supportive and collaborative environment. Classes are delivered on weekends over six or 12 months with a twice-yearly intake.
Studio Courses for adults 18 years+
Commencing in February in Sydney:
- Actors Studio
- Screen Actors Studio
- Advanced Actors Studio
- Musical Theatre Studio
- Directors Studio: Stage and Screen Performance
- Writers Studio: Stage and Screen Performance
Commencing in February in Melbourne & Brisbane:
Commencing in July in Sydney & Melbourne:
Studio courses for young people 15-18 years
Commencing in February in Sydney:
Commencing in February in Melbourne and Brisbane:
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 are prerequisite training requirements for advanced studio courses such as Actors Showreel and the Advanced Actors Studio.
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:
- 25% discount on selected full priced adult short courses for the duration of your studio
- 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
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.
Quality teaching staff
NIDA Open tutors are experts in education and practice. Selected for their outstanding teaching ability, knowledge and industry experience, they are able to provide students with feedback, direction and guidance throughout each course. Many of our tutors are also NIDA graduates.
Current NIDA Studio tutors include: Les Chantery (actor, Schapelle); Julie Lynch (designer, Opera Australia); Ian Watson (director, ANZAC Girls, House Husbands); Tyran Parke (actor/musical theatre director, A Light in the Dark); Brendon McDonall (actor/director, Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Janet King); Anna Houston (actor, Venus in Fur, Darlinghurst Theatre Company); Shane Anthony (director, Griffin Theatre and Sydney Festival); Shaun Goss (actor, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries); Mitchell Butel (actor/director, Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir and Bell Shakespeare); and Ngoc Phan (actor, Schapelle, The Black Balloon and Queensland Theatre Company). Read more about our tutors.
Contemporary training practices
The 2018 NIDA Studios have been designed to reflect current practices in the arts and entertainment industries, drawing on the expertise of industry professionals. NIDA’s connection to the contemporary arts industry ensures students are provided with the opportunity to develop a professional network within the arts and entertainment industry.
Read what our students have to say about their Studio course.
Purpose-built facilities
Sydney
The NIDA Kensington campus is an award-winning facility tailored to dramatic arts training. The venue includes six professional performance spaces, rehearsal rooms, a sound stage, a lighting studio, make-up studios, 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, NIDA Studios are held in our brand new NIDA Melbourne rehearsal rooms, located at Creative Spaces: Guild, in the heart of the Arts Precinct in Southbank, and at The Abbotsford Convent, a unique learning and cultural centre 4km from the CBD.
What people are saying
'Wonderful, glorious, challenging, frustrating, frightening, liberating, incendiary, breathtaking, transformational. I am a different human.'
Student, Actors Studio, Kensington NSW
'Under Shaun’s guidance, we learnt the diligence, commitment and discipline it takes to be an actor; he taught us how to really DO ‘the work.’ He challenged me with a character that was beyond anything I had ever played before, and I will always be grateful for him believing that I could do it. The experience was phenomenal, in that he made us work incredibly hard for our characters and we each produced work of which we are very proud.'
Student, Screen Actor’s Studio, Melbourne VIC
Contact us
To talk to someone about the best studio course for you, please call 1300 450 417. We can advise you on options and pathways.