Explore some highlights and significant events that have shaped NICA across the years.
2001
NICA begins!
NICA begins at the Sydney Myer Studio in Prahran. Original Circus & Performance Team: Bob Burton, Stephen Burton, Mathew Daniels, Sergei Druzhina, Arturo Gomez, Kate Kantor, Guang Rong Lu, Kathryn Niesche, Earl Shatford, Jing Jing (James) Xue and Zhong De Jong.
Forty members of Flying Fruit Fly circus visit from Albury-Wodonga in March. Students attend Alegria, Cirque du Soleil and enjoy an industry day backstage. Brazilian clown Angela de Castro conducts a masterclass with NICA students.
Brazilian clown Angela de Castro conducts a masterclass with NICA students.
Awesome.
Another test! exciting stuff!
2002
Diploma of Circus Arts
Pamela Creed and Lu Guang Rong visit Montreal to attend the first international meeting for social circus instructor training in June.
In May, the first NICA students graduate with a Diploma of Circus Arts.
NICAmites from NICA's community classes stage Acromania in December.
Students participate in the raising of the Circus Joseph Ashton tent for its return season at Burnley Oval.
Twenty NICA students experiencing financial hardship are awarded partial fee scholarships by John T Reid Charitable Trust (13) and Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and the NICA Encouragment Scholarship awarded to Hazel Bock.
2003
NICA expands
NICA stages the first performances for the public in venues outside the Sidney Myer Circus Studio. For the first time NICA has students in training at every level of the vocational degree course. The first group of students complete the three year degree course, graduating with a Bachelor of Circus Arts, awarded by Swinburne University of Technology.
NICA Short Courses: NICAMites (Prahran) and Ringside Circus (Ringwood) join forces to stage Creature Feature, four individual interpretations of The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, under the guidance of Simone O'Brien.
Serious Circus is born, part of NICA Short Courses, and aimed at young people interested in circus as a serious career pursuit. Four students from Serious Circus successfully audition for the 2004 intake of the Bachelor of Circus Arts.
NICA puts 18 of Australia's finest young circus talents with a multi-ethnic training team and you've got the start of a new breed of performers. Lee Christofis, The Australian, 22 April 2003 On Edge, directed by guest director Gail Kelly is the opening performance for the launch of BMW Edge at Federation Square.
CircaNICA, the agency for NICA graduates is formed. 2003 The CircaNICA agency was established in 2003 in response to the demand for highly skilled circus artists, both in Australia and overseas. Primarily representing graduates of the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA), the agency has now expanded to include select circus and physical theatre artists from Australia and around the world. Housed at NICA, CircaNICA (now rebranded as NICA Represents) draws on the wealth of knowledge and infrastructure of the school, allowing it to offer the widest selection of circus related entertainment options in Australia. Since inception, the artists have paved the way for the next generation presenting bold and innovative artistic ideas.
2004
Honouring Sir Rupert Hamer
Sir Rupert Hamer, Chair of the NICA Board sadly passes away. As mourners leave Sir Hamer’s state funeral they witness NICA performers, high up on a trapeze in Federation Square, paying tribute to NICA’s great supporter and sponsor.
NICA enters into the Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence (later to become Arts8).
NICA receives $6 ,000,000 from the Federal Government for the building of the National Circus Centre (NCC).
CircaNICA Roadshow—the third-year ensemble show directed by Neil Gladwin goes on a Victorian regional tour.
2005
Social Circus
Connections begin with the European Federation of Professional Circus Schools (FEDEC), Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain (Paris), Brussels and London Circus Schools.
Connections grow with Cirque de Soleil’s outreach program. NICA will go on to become the Australian partner for the delivery of Social Circus Instructor Training in conjunction with Cirque du Soleil.
The National Indigenous Peer Educators program is established, supported by Cirque du Soleil and Rio Tinto. One outcome is the creation of the Indigenous Circus Arts Network (ICAN) .
2006
Construction begins
Construction starts on the National Circus Centre (NCC).
Mr Lu created and directed the Aerial aspects of the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. Mr Lu and Holly Rollins created and directed the circus aspect of the Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.
Commonwealth Games Cultural Program (Melbourne Festival): Love Happens graduate show, directed by Rodrigo Matheus & Carla Condiotto.
Circus V, a tapestry designed by Ken Whisson in 2006, was woven to celebrate the contribution to the arts made by Sir Rupert Hamer, former Premier of Victoria and Minister for the Arts.
The Constructivist Trio starring 3rd Year Students Mace Innes, James Kingsford-Smith and Mathew Louden, directed by Helene Embling and Lu Guang Rong, was award Bronze at the Wuhan International Acrobatic Art Festival
2007
Master workshops & International Festivals
Treasurer Hon Peter Costello opens the NICA National Circus Centre (NCC), 4 April. Major funding contributors: $8.3million Commonwealth Government; $1.2million Swinburne University of Technology for land purchases and $300,000 from the Pratt Foundation.
DiVino is presented as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, starring third-year NICA students, graduates and industry professionals, supported by live musicians and directed by Valeria Campo from Italy.
Visiting international master teacher Mr Lu Yi from San Francisco Circus School provides specialist training.
Andrea Ousley joined two international trainers from Cirque du Soleil’s Cirque du Monde to run a week long Train the Trainer program following the international conference. Andrea is also invited by Cirque du Soleil to join two master trainers to deliver the Train the Trainer program to participants from the American Youth Association. In combination with Cirque du Soleil, NICA hosts the sixth meeting of the International Network for Social Circus Training (INSCT). Participants from South Africa, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Canada and Mexico spend a week at NICA.
NICA and the Melbourne Museum create a partnership where students research and develop a school holiday circus show to complement one of the museums exhibits. The show, Bugs Backyard Circus, played up to three times per day throughout January.
As part of MIAF, NICA hosts a workshop with international dance legend Merce Cunningham
2008
Global connections
NICA sends Earl Shatford to the 8th Wuhan International Acrobatic Art Festival. Earl wins the Award of Excellence in the People’s Choice category. Earl is then invited to perform with other selected artists at the 10th Shanghai International Arts Festival.
NICA trainer Vasily Ivanov and students Jessica Ward & Caroline Walsh participate in a pedagogical exchange workshop at the Centre National des Arts du Cirque in Chalons-en-Champagne, France.
NICA hosts four students and a teacher from the Ecole National de Cirque de Montreal for two weeks, in addition to 12 students and their teacher from the New Caledonia Circus school visiting NICA for two weeks.
CircaNICA Manager Kate Priddle is invited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to make a presentation to eight Japanese event companies in Osaka. Kate visits graduates working in Macau, Universal Studios Osaka and Disney Tokyo.
2009
Train the Trainer Program launches
NICA graduate Emma Henshall wins the gold medal at the 4th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris.
Third-year students Billie Wilson-Coffey and Julian Aldag are awarded the Bronze trophy at the Moscow World Festival of Circus Arts in September.
As part of the Train the Trainer program, Andrea Ousley provides training with Cirque du Monde in Durban, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Andrea is also invited by Cirque du Soleil to join two master trainers to deliver the Train the Trainer program to participants from the American Youth Association.
NICA is invited to attend the first International Circus School Forum in China to make a presentation about circus education and training in Australia. NICA partners with Cirque du Soleil to develop social circus projects in Durban and Singapore.
2010
Certificate III & IV
NICA introduces the Certificate III in partnership with the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and later in the same year gains accreditation for the Certificate IV in Circus Arts.
NICA attends the Wuhan International Acrobatic Art Festival, China. NICA participates in Heads Up—the Indigenous and Social Circus Conference in Sydney, July.
Graduate Julian Aldag receives a Cirque du Soleil award for innovative artistic vision and performance at the 12th Latina International Circus Festival, Italy.
In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, NICA works on a series of programs in Singapore, including assisting with the Singapore Youth Olympic Games and running Social Circus Instructor Training.
2011
Cultural Exchanges
NICA celebrates its 10th Anniversary with a gala dinner with Federal Minister for the Arts Simon Crean as the guest speaker. Following dinner, guests attended a Circus Cabaret starring NICA graduates and emceed by Frank Woodley.
Students and Staff from the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe join NICA for the Nanjing Cultural Exchange project. They trained with us and the students performed in the 3rd year Ensemble Beautifully Imperfect directed by Rob Tannon.
NICA presents the Melbourne Circus Festival as part of its 10th Anniversary celebrations. The Hon Ted Baillieu MP, Premier of Victoria & Minister for the Arts, officially launches NICA’s 10th Anniversary at the opening of Beautifully Imperfect.
NICA is recipient of the inaugural Richard Pratt Creative Fellowship. Eighteen second-year students and three staff tour China for the International Study Tour supported by Arts Victoria. The tour concludes in Shanghai at the Second International Forum on Circus Education in China.
NICA introduces the Certificate IV in Circus Arts.
2012
Lu Guang Rong attends a conference in Montreal hosted by the National Circus School of Canada, to develop an aerial straps manual for use by all members of the European Federation of Professional Circus Schools (FEDEC).
NICA presents National Circus safety workshops to the Chinese circus industry at the invitation of the Chinese Acrobatics Association and the Shanghai Circus School.
NICA presents at the National Youth Circus Symposium in Bathurst and the Circularity Contemporary Circus Festival. The international study tour this year was supported by the Richart Pratt Creative Fellowship, allowing fourteen second-year students to perform in FEDEC’s Circle as part of the Circa International Circus Festival in Auch, France.
Supported by Arts Victoria, four CircaNICA artists perform in The Exhibitionists at the Olympic Games in London. Social Circus program sponsored by the City of Stonnington.
NICA receives funding for the third consecutive year to enhance outreach work with youth from the council-run Prahran adventure playground.
