by Amanda Webster
Prepare for your dream career through pre-professional training.
Have you ever secretly fantasized about becoming the next Nicole Kidman or Hugh Jackman, but never taken the plunge and explored the possibility of a career in the performing arts? Pre-professional training could be the perfect opportunity to explore your interest and provide genuine insight into the reality of working in this exciting industry. Stepping out of your comfort zone can also lead to significant personal growth, increased confidence, and valuable networking opportunities.
NIDA Open “has been running non-accredited short courses for the past thirty years for people from five to eighty-five,” says theatre director and acting teacher Gillian Meisner-Lemon [left], the current head of NIDA Open. The accessible courses, which help people explore their creative potential and develop artistic skills, are open to everyone. Gillian recalls a former participant in her eighties who “had never got around to exploring her interest in the arts before joining an Open workshop.”
NIDA Open Studios courses are part-time intensive for young people and adults in acting, singing, writing and directing, delivered in a supportive environment under the guidance of industry professionals. The Studios offer “rigorous training, which reflects NIDA’s core training offered in the Bachelor of Fine Arts,” says Gillian. “We’re really focused on the actor’s process and introducing them to the language of the industry.” The focus is on “process, training, the learning of technique and applying it.” Perfect for people “looking to stretch themselves and give them their first real taste of what professional practice looks like.”
The Studios are delivered by what Gillian refers to as “teaching artists”, all working industry professionals chosen for their exceptional teaching ability, many of whom are NIDA graduates. Tutors and alumni include Pip Edwards (actor), Andrea Demetriades (actor), Shaun Goss (actor), Zoe Houghton (actor, writer, director) and Brendon McDonall (actor, director, filmmaker). There are also opportunities to meet and work with guest tutors whose industry insights not only prepare students for the stage and screen but also the realities of the entertainment industry.
When asked about the most important skills for an actor to develop to be successful, Gillian says undeniably, “to be flexible and responsive.” This skill is invaluable during the audition process, throughout the workshops, and in practice. “Learning on the job, continually developing—that’s where that flexibility comes in again,” says Gillian.
Entry to the pre-professional courses is by audition. Applicants, says Gillian, are given something to prepare beforehand, which they deliver in the workshop. This goes back to the importance of being responsive and present. “It’s really important how they work with other people in the room”; that they “take direction and accept offers from others to collaborate.”
Not only can performers benefit from the Studios experience, but Writers and Directors Studios offer insight into the language and professional context of the performing arts. The Writers and Directors Studios focus on the stage and how to adapt and pivot those skills to different mediums according to industry needs.
With the increase in content from streaming platforms and international productions being shot and produced in Australia, Gillian talks about the “skills gap” and “volume of people [required] to fill roles.” For the past three years, NIDA has been working in partnership with Screen Territory in the Northern Territory, running vocational workshops to help train people who may “have experience, say in hairdressing, or make-up for weddings or tailoring but don’t have the knowledge on how to break down a costume for a character, for example.” With Australia’s ‘skills gap’ and popularity as a film production destination, now could be the perfect time to explore your creative potential.
NIDA Open Studios offers the resources, mentorship, and practical experience to turn your passion into something more serious. The pre-professional Studios are also a perfect introduction to the three-year Bachelor of Fine Arts.
The courses run on the weekends for six or twelve months and have a twice-yearly intake. More info on the pre-professional Studio Courses can be found here.
