Overview

Elevate your artistic practice with NIDA’s immersive Residency Program. Designed for passionate individuals eager to refine their craft, this program offers a unique opportunity to develop essential skills in collaboration with NIDA teaching artists who are industry experts. Whether you’re an emerging talent or an experienced artist, our residencies provide a challenging and supportive environment where your creative potential can flourish. 

Dive into the art of set and costume design, learning to bring the visual world of a performance to life on stage.  Unlock your potential to design boldly and imaginatively, creating original concepts using sketches, drawings, collages, and model boxes. Explore innovative ways to translate your creative vision into impactful design choices for stage and screen.  

Open to applicants from around the globe, NIDA’s Residencies foster a dynamic cultural exchange, making our program a vibrant hub for artistic innovation. Tailor your experience with a two or three-week residency packed with intensive training.

Components

Week one: Research and analyse a script for the purpose of concept development. Apply the principles of effective costume and set design for live performance to your concept. Discover how to define your role as a designer to create the visual narrative that aligns with the director’s brief. 

Week two: Develop your concept for a set text and undertake technical exercises related to costume-making or model-building to realise elements of your design. 

Optional week three: Develop an appreciation of screen language and explore the impact of visual storytelling.  Adapt and present  your design concept for a screen context. 

Prerequisites

Entry to NIDA Residencies is by selection. Please enrol to lodge your application. 

For more information, please see our Terms & Conditions.