25 Years of NICA
25 years of making the incredible, credible
For 25 years, NICA has delivered world-class circus arts education and has shaped the contemporary circus landscape. Now, we are stepping into an independent future backed by a strengthened Board and a bold vision to become a Registered Training Organisation. NICA champions collaboration and global exchange, connecting Australian artists with creative partners across the country and around the world. We are passionate about increasing access to excellence.
"NICA's home is remarkable for its engineering, its adaptability and its light.
Even a quiet visit presents students testing their courage and flair and highlights the critical safety features available.
The technical capacity and services are world class. Circus Schools may be small in student numbers but the variety of skills being developed is huge and the staff/student ratio is necessarily high."
- Ted Baillieu, NICA's Chair of the Board
Anniversary Show
We are celebrating with an anniversary performance, and you’re invited to join us.
Save the Date:
19 – 21 November
Sign up to our supporters newsletter to be informed when show is open for bookings.
Sign me up please
About our Gorgeous Home
Sidney Myer Circus Studio
The inaugural NICA training space, this purpose-built facility was designed by Bates Smart architects, completed in 2001.
The building was designed as the national training centre for both circus and gymnastics, a status it continues to uphold, hosting both Gymnastics Victoria and the National Institute of Circus Arts.
The designers note the steel enveloping the facility as a triumph, a feature which won the AISC Victorian Metal Building Award (2002).
Guang Rong Lu OAM National Circus Centre (NCC)
Completed in 2007 by Cox architects, this section of our campus was an extension from the original 2001 Sidney Myer building.
The NCC granted NICA a commercial-scale theatre venue for performances, which doubles as a full-size training space out of show season. The building still stands as an illustration of how great design connects circus and training to the local community.
The NCC was the Winner of ASI’s Architectural Steel Design Award, Large Project 2008.
Looking forward: creating access to excellence
Invest in the Future of Circus - and human possibility. Your gift to the Future Fund sparks creativity, brings world-class mentors, and gives students the tools to dream, perform, and inspire - on stage, and in the world.
NICA is a national not-for-profit arts training institute and registered cultural organisation, only partially funded by the Australian Government. We rely on the generosity of supporters to deliver our world-class programs, and are the only organisation in the Southern Hemisphere to offer accredited tertiary training in Circus Arts.
As well as providing professional tertiary education, NICA offers a wide range of recreational courses for children to adults and supports the circus arts industry through professional development opportunities and masterclasses.
When you contribute to the NICA Future Fund, your money becomes an instrument of transformation. This fund enchances the caliber of education and the environment we can offer to our students and community.
Keep up with us
Sign up to recieve our Latest News straight to your inbox!