NIDA “Reluctantly” Axes Children’s Classes Amidst UNSW Housing Development

The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) has terminated its children’s acting classes in Kensington and Parramatta, attributing ongoing construction at the former.

Building works for student accommodation at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) are taking place next to NIDA, on the site of a former carpark. The institute says that it accordingly decided to end the course, and to close the satellite program in Parramatta.

NIDA “always open” to working with others

A NIDA spokesperson told the City Hub that resultant “site constraints” at Kensington “have significantly reduced our capacity to run children’s courses.”

“In particular, the building works mean there is no safe area for parents to drop off and pick up K-6 children and complete the necessary sign-ins. As a result, we have reluctantly suspended the program.”  

In addition to student accomodation, the finished premises will include hospitality venues and an underground carpark. Meanwhile, parking is available in several spots on campus. NIDA is positioned next to the UNSW Anzac Parade light rail station.

“As NIDA Kensington is the central site for the children’s program and has historically funded program development, staffing and administration for offsite delivery across Sydney and nationally, this has impacted the viability of delivering the K-6 program elsewhere.”

The institute said that NIDA Open still offers programs for children in years 7-12 at Kensington. A schools program for years 3–12 is also available on premises, and in schools around Australia.

Nonetheless, City of Parramatta councillor Steven Issa was distraught at the satellite course being discontinued. “Western Sydney is home to more than 2.5 million people and it is one of the youngest and most culturally diverse regions in the nation,” he noted in a recent meeting.

“Dramatic arts are one of those few platforms where all of the stories from all of the migrants, the Indigenous, the working class can express their stories, they can develop their stories and share them collectively.’’

NIDA’s Kensington site is within the City of Randwick, which declined to comment for this article. However, the performing arts institution said that it “is always open to discussions with other organisations about ways we can work together to bring our great training and education offerings to a broader community.”

Young thespian laments loss of classes

Arnold Walsh is a young actor who as a child attended NIDA’s youth courses. He said that it is “unfortunate to hear that children won’t have the privilege of attending these classes going forward.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed and greatly benefitted from weekly classes and holiday programs at NIDA, so I would not wish for anyone to miss out on the opportunity to have the same great experiences I had.”