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| National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association |
| Abbreviation | NAISDA |
| Formation | 1975 |
| Type | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance college |
| Headquarters | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Notable people | Carole Johnson, Stephen Page, Frances Rings, Clarence Slockee |
National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance training organisation founded in 1975 that has developed professional dancers, choreographers, and cultural leaders across Australia. Established amid the activism of the 1970s, NAISDA links traditional performance practices with contemporary choreography and supports cultural maintenance through formal courses, touring companies, and community programs. The organisation has influenced performing arts institutions, festivals, and cultural policy nationally and internationally.
NAISDA emerged from initiatives led by Carole Johnson, a performer associated with Black Theatre (Group) and influenced by contacts with American Dance Festival, Austudy, and community arts movements involving figures such as Judy Denis, Brian Syron, and activists tied to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Early locations included studios near Redfern, New South Wales and collaborations with National Black Theatre, Sydney and Australian Council for the Arts. In 1988 NAISDA consolidated a residential campus at Eora College-linked sites and later relocated to a purpose-built facility at Kariong on the outskirts of Sydney. Key milestones include accreditation of courses through institutions like TAFE NSW and partnerships with companies such as Bangarra Dance Theatre, where alumni such as Stephen Page worked, and festivals like Sydney Festival and Biennale of Sydney. Directors and choreographers associated over time include Carole Johnson, Lorraine McLean, and Clarence Slockee, aligning NAISDA with broader Indigenous cultural resurgence movements exemplified by events such as the Mabo Case aftermath and the Barunga Statement era.
NAISDA's mission synthesises vocational training with cultural maintenance, aiming to produce professional practitioners conversant with traditional dance from regions such as the Tiwi Islands, Arnhem Land, Gulf of Carpentaria, and contemporary performance languages influenced by figures like Keith Bain and Roslyn Kafer. Accredited certificate and diploma programs have been delivered in partnership with NSW Department of Education, TAFE NSW, and tertiary partners including University of New South Wales and University of Sydney for pathways into higher degrees. Curriculum blends modules on choreography, performance, cultural protocol, and arts management, referencing methodologies from Doreen Kartinyeri-informed community projects and intersections with Indigenous visual arts networks like Papunya Tula. Short courses and workshops cater to communities and festivals such as Darwin Festival and Woodford Folk Festival.
The primary campus includes studios, accommodation, rehearsal spaces, and cultural learning rooms located near Kariong and servicing communities across New South Wales, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. Facilities incorporate sprung floors, black box theatres, recording studios, and spaces for traditional instrument work informed by makers from Lockhart River and Torres Strait Islands. NAISDA has undertaken touring residencies at venues such as Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Adelaide Festival Centre, and community halls in remote locations including Maningrida and Pormpuraaw.
Alumni and faculty have included prominent artists who shaped Australian performing arts: Stephen Page, Frances Rings, Roslyn Oades, Clarence Slockee, Bobby McLeod, Wesley Enoch, Carole Johnson (founder), Tracey Moffatt (collaborator), Vernon Ah Kee (interdisciplinary exchange), Donna Abrahams and choreographers who later joined companies like Bangarra Dance Theatre and institutions such as Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and Victorian College of the Arts. Graduates have received awards including Helpmann Awards, recognitions from Australia Council for the Arts, and state cultural honors.
NAISDA has produced ensemble works that premiered at events such as Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival, Melbourne International Arts Festival, and international engagements at venues like Sadler's Wells Theatre and festivals including CTRL Alt Festival. Collaborations span partnerships with companies and artists: Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, Australian Chamber Orchestra, choreographers from Meryl Tankard's network, and composers associated with Gurrumul Yunupingu-led projects. Touring schedules have included regional and remote community circuits supported by funding from bodies such as Australia Council for the Arts and initiatives like Regional Arts Development.
NAISDA is governed by a board comprising Indigenous leaders and sector professionals with governance links to representative bodies like Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission-era networks, and funding partnerships have included Australia Council for the Arts, NSW Ministry for the Arts, private philanthropic trusts, and corporate sponsors. Educational accreditation partnerships have been maintained with TAFE NSW and articulation agreements with universities including University of Wollongong and University of Technology Sydney. Strategic partnerships extend to community-controlled organisations such as Aboriginal Legal Service affiliates and cultural centres like Bangarra Cultural Centre for program delivery.
NAISDA's cultural impact is evident in its role in sustaining regional dance practices from communities including Yolngu, Noongar, Kochi, and Kuku Yalanji through transmission projects, mentoring schemes, and collaborative choreographic commissions for festivals like Emerging Writers' Festival and Biennale of Sydney. Community engagement initiatives include outreach to schools, remote residency programs, and cultural governance training for community leaders, intersecting with reconciliation efforts such as National Sorry Day and educational initiatives linked to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. NAISDA continues to influence policy discussions around Indigenous arts workforce development and cultural sovereignty through public performances, publications, and alumni leadership roles in major arts institutions.
Category:Indigenous Australian organisations Category:Dance schools in Australia