Festival of Emerging Artists at NIDA

Four new Australian plays will spearhead NIDA's Festival of Emerging Artsists in February which is being presented as a free ticketed live event.

The theatrical experiences range from the ancient past to fantastical futures. Expect murder, Minotaurs, remade myths and bold new voices speaking with wisdom, wit and wonder.

Presented 22-26 February 2022 at Australia’s world-ranked performing arts institute, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), the Festival introduces the next generation of Australia’s leading directors and designers. In the tradition of NIDA alumni immediately finding employment in the entertainment industry, these are the new creative artists to watch in 2022.

Established in 2019 by NIDA Artistic Director David Berthold, the annual Festival of Emerging Artists brings together the many talents nurtured at NIDA across all disciplines, in support of its graduating Directing and Design students. This year’s Festival includes six live theatre productions, an inspiring installation and a new collaborative digital work. It is an exclusive industry event with limited tickets available to the public.

With 2022 marking the 50th anniversary year of NIDA’s Directing course, the Festival kicks off the golden year showcasing the talents of six new graduating directors, who follow in the footsteps of recent NIDA alumni directors such as film/TV director Shannon Murphy (Babyteeth, Killing Eve), Spectre Studios co-founder Mark Grentell (Backyard Ashes, The Merger) and stage director/choreographer Liam MciLwain (Les Misérables, Come From Away). 

Collaborating with nine graduating design students, their productions feature established actors including Shakira Clanton (Redfern Now) and Dalara Williams (Top End Wedding, Black Comedy), Dina Panazzo (Bloodshot Heart) and Odile Leclezio (The Killing Field), performing alongside recent NIDA acting graduates and other emerging Australian artists.

"This Festival stands as the culmination of the practical component of training for the directors," says Dr Benjamin Schostakowski, Head of Directing, Course Leader at NIDA. "It’s a place for the students to connect with contemporary audiences and express their unique directorial potential as they transition into the industry. These productions stand as a testament to creative artists moving into a radically changing and evolving arts climate."

Bob Cousins, Course Leader, Design for Performance, says, "This year’s ambitious designs present the distinct visions of the nine BFA Design for Performance graduates across four NIDA venues and beyond into the virtual." Given the challenges students faced in the past two years, Cousins says the Festival "is a celebration of the collaborative resilience of all involved and an optimistic assertion of the crucial role that performance can play in building an empathetic understanding of the world and our place within it."

The 2022 Festival features the world premiere of four new Australian plays: Burning, a new First Nations work, Too Human a contemporary farce about mixed-race identity, BETH, a camp and murderous comedy adapted from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and HYDRARCHOS, a story of dinosaur bones.  Hotel, from the great British playwright Caryl Churchill and The Life I Gave You, Pirandello’s magical and melancholic story are also presented.

Additionally, installation work Apocalyptic Hours offers an experiential journey, peeking into the creator’s life during lockdown and The Space Between, is a digital collaboration with New Canvas, a leading XR studio for immersive narrative media, directed by Leticia Cáceres.

NIDA’s 2022 MFA (Master of Fine Arts) Directing graduating students are: Eve Beck, Madeleine Diggins, Samuel Jing, Rikiah Lizarraga, Amy Sole and Alexei Ymer-Welsby.

NIDA’s 2022 BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) Design graduating students are: Soham Apte, Blake Hedley, Amy Jackson, Hannah Tayler, Phoenix McKay, Angelina Meany, Hayden Relf, Isabella Saltearn and Hannah Yardley. 

DATES: Festival of Emerging Artists, from 22-26 February

TICKETS: Public bookings open Wednesday 16 February at 9am https://www.nida.edu.au/productions/festival-of-emerging-artists

Due to COVID-19, NIDA is presenting the season as a free ticketed live event, which may be streamed should conditions require. Spaces are limited to the live events (but unlimited for any streamed event).