2015 Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship Recipient – Jeremy Allen

Posted by Jennifer Colhoun on

In 2015, Jeremy Allen took up his Big Kahuna Imagineering scholarship at NIDA  and so far we’ve heard exciting reports about his progress. Along with his set designs, billed as having ‘enormous theatrical potential’, Jeremy has been making waves with some exciting costume designs. NIDA’s undergraduates present their productions twice a year (in June and October), and Jeremy’s creative outputs will be showcased at June’s production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

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2013 Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship Recipient — Hugh O’Connor

Posted by bkisbigblog on

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We’re thrilled to introduce the 2013 NIDA recipient of the Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship — Hugh O’Connor — who was chosen for displaying considerable novelty in his material science.

Currently in his third and final year of Design at a National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Hugh is deep into the production of Louis Norwra’s play Cosi, directed by David Berthold — a semi-autobiographical play depicting a young theatre director tackling the monumental task of directing Mozart’s Così fan tutte… with a cast from a mental asylum.

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Stage design for the NIDA production of Louis Norwra’s play Cosi, directed by David Berthold.

With themes of love, madness, art and politics, Hugh has created a totally immersive set in which the audiences experiences the play in order to convey those themes in the fullest and most genuine way.

“I believe that the basis of all storytelling is emotional connection, a shared understanding of what it means to feel sadness and joy, fear and awe, pain and ecstasy,” Hugh said.  “I don’t believe that any two projects can use the same approach to achieve an empathetic connection.”

Whether it’s a fully immersive set, complete with roof, walls and floor or an empty stage with only a single actor and the imagination of the audience, Hugh’s interest lies in pushing his exploration of these varied techniques and materials to create stories without pretense which convey a small (sometimes large) part of what it means to be human.

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Co-Production Design, The Witches directed by Lucas Jerevies

Hugh credits passion for creating work that engages and moves audiences to his years as an actor and director for Lismore-based, youth theatre company Theatre-Theatre between 1998 and 2008.

Today, Hugh’s production credits include…

And, as a “big fan” of both Wilson and Waits, Hugh is also excited about his involvement in the end of year production for the Tom Waits/ Robert Wilson musical adaptation of  Woyzeck directed by Imara Savage, which he is co-designing with classmate Elizabeth Gadsby (recipient of the 2012 Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship).

Receiving the Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship has allowed Hugh to dedicate his full engagement and concentration to his work at NIDA.  As the amount of time and energy required for creative projects is immense, and without this scholarship, Hugh’s final year “would have been difficult indeed.”

As Hannah McCann, NIDA Development Officer, said:  “The support of bursary provides relief from financial pressures for many NIDA students and allows recipients to concentrate fully on their studies, maximising the opportunities presented to them while they are at NIDA.”

Upon completing his studies at the end of the year Hugh is planning on working in theatre design (both set and costume) and exploring the world of film and television production design. In 2014, he is planning to travel to Berlin to undertake work in the German theatre industry with the aim of securing a position as an intern/assistant with a designer/theatre company.

Certainly a budding creative to watch!  Grab your tickets for Cosi showing this June and check out Hugh’s work for yourself!

Here are a few more examples of productions Hugh has worked on…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6feN5D9494]

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Stage Design for Act 1 of Die tote Stadt produced by NIDA
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Stage Design for Act 2 of Die tote Stadt produced by NIDA

2012 Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship Recipient — Elizabeth Gadsby

Posted by bkisbigblog on

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As a passionate patron of the arts, Big Kahuna Imagineering sponsored a National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) scholarship for a Design student displaying considerable novelty in their material science.

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Elizabeth among the designers and directors in Perth at the begining of the year for 2012 Perth Festival — the oldest annual international multi-arts festival in the southern hemisphere.

This year’s recipient, Elizabeth Gadsby, came highly recommended by Michael Scott-Mitchell, Head of Design and Director of Undergraduate Studies at NIDA as well as award-winning production designer.

Entering her second year at NIDA when the scholarship was awarded last March, Elizabeth has had a challenging and fulfilling year designing the opera Die tote Stadt and working with the Director Lucas Jervies shooting a music video for a Melbourne-based triple j Unearthed artist Taxidermy Hall.  She also worked as co-production designer on a short film called Jack Off directed by Max Doyle.

Now preparing for her final project for the year, Elizabeth is working with postgraduate director Harriet Gilles on an edited version of Goethe’s Faust which focuses on ‘The Gretchen tragedy’.

During the design process Harriet and Elizabeth delved into the play’s symbolism and logistically worked through different materials that could exist as a sculptural element to the set whilst responding to the performance. Originally they discussed salt blocks then wax blocks and now have settled on fresh cabbage as the material of choice.  Currently in pre-production, rehearsals for Faust start early next month and the performances will be held late November/ early December.

The Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship has allowed Elizabeth to continue studying at NIDA which she says “has been such a rewarding opportunity.”

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Stage Design for Act 1 of Die tote Stadt produced by NIDA
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Stage Design for Act 3 of Die tote Stadt produced by NIDA

“NIDA is Australiaʼs pre-eminent institute for dramatic education and it is fundamental that the most talented students have the opportunity to study here,” said Elizabeth Nicoll, Head of Development at NIDA. “The support of donors for the NIDA Scholarships and Bursaries program is invaluable and greatly appreciated. It helps us ensure that no student is precluded from having the opportunity to make the most of their intensive NIDA training and fulfill their creative journey”.

In regard to Elizabeth’s next step, she says she’s really looking forward to using the skills she’s developing at NIDA in the theatre and film industry and wider community upon graduation.  And she certainly has an exciting final year ahead, with two NIDA productions and further development of animated drawings for her secondment on the commissioned work Freeze Frame, directed by Debbie Allen and designed by Michael Scott-Mitchell for Brisbane Festival 2013. She is currently developing a puppet show with the Little Baroque Co. as part of the London Handel Festival to be shown in April 2013.

Stay tuned — we see great things in Elizabeth’s future!

Check out the music video for a Melbourne-based triple j Unearthed artist Taxidermy Hall that Elizabeth worked on with Director Lucas Jervies…

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBTM4Z1EIsk]