The Fellowship
The Gloria Payten Foundation and The Gloria Dawn Foundation are an extraordinary gift to the performing arts in Australia. The Foundations represent the entire estate of Gloria Payten, a leading theatrical agent, who established International Casting Service in 1960.
It was Gloria Payten’s intention to honour the memory of Gloria Dawn, one of Australia’s foremost actresses, through these Foundations. The remarkable contribution of these women to the performing arts in this country now continues after their deaths.
The Foundations provide Fellowships (known as ‘The Glorias’) for professional actors and directors in theatre, film, and television to travel overseas to broaden their knowledge through either formal courses of study or by self-devised programs of observation and secondment. By the terms of Gloria Payten’s will, the Fellowships are open to actors and directors only.
It is a condition of the Fellowships that the Fellows return to Australia to work in the industry and thus share their knowledge with those around them.
The number of Fellowships and the level of grant will vary from year to year.
Aim
Fellowships are intended for the purpose of international travel and study. The Fellow must agree to return to Australia within twelve months of the expiry of the Fellowship. On returning to Australia, the Fellow is expected to work, as far as possible, as an actor, director, teacher, or writer in the entertainment industry in Australia for a major part of the next three years.
Fellowships may be used to include such activities as:
- a formal course of study
- attachment to a school
- attachment to a theatre company
- attachment to film or television production companies
- attendance at an international festival
- visits to specific performances
- interviews or meetings with distinguished artists
Applications for 2023 have now closed
Applications are invited from professional actors or directors in theatre, film or television, who are either or both graduates of a full-time acting or full-time directing course at a recognised tertiary institution; or have worked substantially and professionally as an actor and/or director for at least two years.
In accordance with the terms of the Bequest, the Trustees of the Foundations are:
Brendon Lunney, Executive Producer, Chairman;
Liz Hughes, Chief Executive Officer, NIDA, ex officio;
Prof. Emma Redding, Director, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, ex officio, represented by Associate Professor Chris Mead Head of Drama, VCA.
At the request of the Trustees, the Fellowships are administered by NIDA.
- Adolphus Waylee (2023, Actor)
- Nikki Shiels (2023, Actor)
- Zoë Hollyoak (2023, Director)
- Vaishnavi Suryaprakash (2022, Actor)
- Clemence Williams (2022, Director)
- Claudia Osborne (2022, Director)
- Chika Ikogwe (2022, Actor)
- Carissa Licciardello (2020, Director)
- Jenny Wu (2020, Actor)
- Jessica Arthur (2020, Director)
- Anthony Taufa (2019, Actor)
- Alistair Clark (2019, Director)
- Matt Levett (2019, Actor)
- Rob Collins (2018, Actor)
- Sara West (2018, Actor/Director)
- Harriet Gillies (2018, Actor/Director)
- Hannah Barlow (2017, Actor/Director)
- Libby Munro (2017, Actor)
- Ash Ricardo (2017, Actor)
- Scott Sheridan (2017, Actor)
- Briallen Clarke (2016, Actor)
- Elsie Edgerton-Till (2016, Director)
- Benjamin Schostakowski (2016, Director)
- Derek Walker (2016, Director)
- Constantine Costi (2015, Director)
- Joel Jackson (2015, Actor)
- Paige Rattray (2015, Director)
- Kip Williams (2015, Director)
- Matthew Backer (2014, Actor)
- Melissa Chambers (2014, Actor)
- Sarah Goodes (2014, Director)
- Eryn Jean Norville (2014, Actor)
- Imara Savage (2014, Director)
- Candy Bowers (2013, Actor)
- Sarah Giles (2013, Director)
- Shelly Lauman (2013, Actor)
- Tanya Goldberg (2012, Director)
- Naomi Edwards (2011, Director)
- Anna Houston (2010, Actor)
- Melanie Beddie (2008, Director/Dramaturg)
- Darren Gilshenan (2006, Actor)
- Ben Harkin (2004, Director/Producer)
- Saskia Smith (2004, Actor)
- Benjamin Winspear (2002, Actor/Director)
- Brendan Cowell and Anthony Hayes (2001, Actor/Director/Writer and joint fellows)
- Marty Dennis (2000, Director)
- Jacqueline Linke (2000, Actor/Writer)
- John Brumpton (1999, Actor/Director)
- Jennifer Hagan (1999, Actor/Director)
- Benedict Andrews (1998, Director)
- Rachael Swain (1998, Director)
- Helmut Bakaitis (1997, Actor/Director)
- Michelle Doake (1996, Actor)
- Sue Ingleton (1996, Actor/Writer)
- Christina Andreef (1995, Director)
- Kirsty Reilly (1995, Director)
- Steven Vidler (1995, Director)
- Nicholas Lathouris (1994, Actor)
“I feel so honoured and thankful to be a recipient of the Gloria Fellowship. My recent field research abroad has deepened and enriched my practice beyond what I could have ever imagined.”
— Clemence Williams (MFA Directing, 2016)
