ASPIRING young actors in Swan Hill have the chance to learn from some of the best in the industry next weekend.
Enrolments are open for the NIDA Connect skills development course, a free program in partnership with the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
NIDA Connect program manager Joey Demczuk told The Guardian this was a unique opportunity for young people to learn in their home town with local people.
“The feedback that we are getting so far is that these opportunities are rare in rural Australia, but that doesn’t mean that the young people in these places don’t deserve artistic outlets and creative energy practice,” she said.
“Instead of flying people out to deliver a course and then flying them back, we have opted for a new model where we upskill local talent to be able to deliver workshops in their own communities.”
Teaching the course in Swan Hill is local Tahlia Henderson.
“Many people would know Tahlia through her work as a teacher at St Mary Mackillop College and also the Swan Hill Theatre Group,” Ms Demczuk said.
“But this is not Tahlia in her usual school environment – this is a different Tahlia, this is a Tahlia that will get people up and get them moving.”
As a hybrid model of learning with both online and face-to-face elements, Ms Henderson will be assisted in teaching the program by NIDA tutor Brett Rogers through Zoom.
“These are people who have worked in the industry for years, who have excellent experience – they are actors, designers, stage managers – and they are with young people, so they are there to answer questions and help facilitate the courses,” Ms Demczuk said.
The NIDA Connect program gives participants an introduction to a broad range of fundamental acting skills, including improvisation, spontaneity, physicality and the key principles of Stanislavski’s system.
“With NIDA, it lives and breathes embodied learning,” Ms Demczuk said.
“This is not your usual school situation where you sit and listen and someone talk – you get up, you get moving and it’s very hands on.”
The course is open to 15 to 18-year-olds and will be held at the Swan Hill Town Hall on Friday, May 19 from 4pm to 8pm, Saturday, May 20 from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, May 21 from 10am to 5pm.
While the course is free to attend, bookings are essential. To register, visit open.nida.edu.au/class/RNCA-23VRX2
For further enquiries, contact the Swan Hill Town Hall bookings office on 5036 2384.
