NIDA Connect was designed to deliver creative industry practice and training to outer metropolitan and regional Australians. These communities often miss out on premium training opportunities due to location, financial and human resources. 

The Connect program comprised four elements:  

• Skills development short courses for young people, delivered online and face to face 
• Train the Teacher program for local artists to deliver skills development short courses 
• Broadcast/streaming of NIDA student productions for schools and communities 
• Student workshops to accompany the NIDA student productions 

The short courses covered Acting, Writing for Performance, Design in Performance, Technical Production, Film & TV Production and Digital Storytelling.  

The Train the Teacher program consisted of 16 hours of online training in either a group setting or one-on-one to upskill local teachers, artists or community leaders. 

Streaming NIDA’s student productions meant attendance was no longer bound by being located in Sydney, encouraging emerging artists across Australia to engage with NIDA. The complementary workshops explored themes and skills evident in the production. 

Outcomes 

NIDA Connect enabled the participating organisations to reach new audiences and local talent, expanding their access to trained arts professionals, and providing enriching education opportunities. The Train the Teacher program helped develop the skills of 21 local teaching artists, without the requirement to leave their communities.  

NIDA Connect was supported by the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund.