NAISDA Dance College has welcomed Federal Government’s funding of $957,025 announced in the recent federal budget as part of its $9M commitment to eight national training organisations for next financial year, commonly known as the Arts8.
NAISDA is the only First Nations organisation within the prestigious Arts8 and the increased funding will support and build its capacity as Australia’s leading arts training organisation specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
Chairperson Mayrah Sonter said the funds help the organisation drive higher levels of national tertiary arts training education and career pathways through critical training courses and skills development.
“NAISDA’s First Nations students come from communities and regions across Australia to train towards careers which support our national creative economy,” she said.
“Our success and reputation have led to an enviable challenge.
“We have more young people seeking to join us than we can currently accept.
“Education is a pathway to change and we look forward to increasing curriculum and training resources to build opportunity and equip more young people with skills to last a lifetime.”
As a training organisation, NAISDA’s outcomes are unique with its pre-COVID student completion rate of 75 per cent, double the national average of 36 per cent for accredited VET qualifications.
The results speak to the success of the NAISDA learning model which removes many of the barriers to tertiary training experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people through a program of cultural connection, wellbeing and holistic learning support.
“We would like to thank Minister Tony Burke and the Office for the Arts for supporting NAISDA’s unique role in nurturing and equipping First Nations artists, performers and innovators whose artworks, steps, sounds and creativity shape the fabric of our nation,” Sonter said.
The funding will enable the college to further deliver on Revive – the government’s five-year Cultural Policy and roadmap towards a strong, equitable and innovative arts sector.
“Revive is a powerful statement recognising that our creative and cultural sectors have been operating from a place of deficit for so long,” Sonter said.
“This new starting point firmly places arts training and cultural organisations at the heart of possibility and change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, artists and all Australians.”
Source:
NAISDA