NAISDA Online Auditions
For the first time in NAISDA Dance College’s 44-year history, auditions for next year’s intake will be completely online.
As Australia’s leading cultural and performing arts training organisation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, NAISDA students come from every state in the country. This year’s completely online process is now open, making it is easier and more accessible than ever before to apply and audition.
Chief Executive Officer of NAISDA Dance College, Kim Walker, explained the opportunities the new process brings. “Moving our auditions completely online began as a necessary response to COVID. With our national footprint, we needed to find a way of ensuring we could connect easily, safely and fairly with auditionees. This has developed into a really interactive, innovative, and perhaps a little less daunting, way for applicants to audition from their own homes”.
From its campus on Darkinjung Land on the New South Wales Central Coast, NAISDA is the only arts training organisation in Australia to deliver nationally accredited performing arts courses specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Cultural learning and knowledge is at the forefront of NAISDA training and graduates are recognised as shaping and leading the performing arts industry across multiple disciplines.
In another first, NAISDA is inviting online applications for its new 2021 Advanced Diploma course beginning next February. The latest addition to the NAISDA curriculum is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Practising Artists aged 18 years or older, with advanced training or experience within dance practice. Mr Walker outlined the benefits of the new qualification. “It has been designed for today’s practising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to help meet the changing demands and possibilities of portfolio and multi-careers in the arts industry. The Advanced Diploma acknowledges the importance of life-long learning, offering practitioners opportunities to retrain, enhance and diversify skills”.
With flexible learning streams the Advanced Diploma is tailored individually according to applicants’ experience and practice in chosen areas. Running for just 18 months, the qualification can be obtained without an extensive absence from the industry. “NAISDA has always been about creativity, culture, learning, cooperation, community and above all, excellence. Our students embrace the future, as well as honouring the past, our cultures and knowledge holders.
“We are delighted to launch the Advanced Diploma. It is as an important step as we pursue our vision for a new model of Indigenous creative learning in Australia.
“With courses to meet all creative aspirations and abilities, I encourage our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives, parents, teachers and arts workers to jump on our website and see how user friendly this year’s process is. I look forward to meeting applicants online at the auditions” continued Mr Walker.
Eligible applicants should visit www.naisda.com.au/audition-for-naisda to apply, with applications closing on 18 September 2020. For enquiries regarding the audition process, please contact NAISDA on (toll free) on 1800 117 116 or email auditions@naisda.com.au.
