Talented alumni celebrated at APDG Awards

The 10th Annual Australian Production Design Guild Awards were held virtually on Sunday 7 November. The APDG Awards gather professionals from the Australian film, television, stage and interactive multimedia industries to celebrate the art of visually captivating audiences.

NIDA congratulates the following alumni who received these much-deserved accolades:

• Morgan Moroney (Technical Theatre and Stage Management, 2020) won the NIDA FOUNDATION TRUST EMERGING DESIGNER FOR A LIVE PERFORMANCE AWARD for Ghosts, the October Student Production at NIDA in Morgan’s final year. This production was the culmination of all his training and experience as Ghosts incorporated digital projection, lighting, live theatre and an electronica-inspired score in a compact and intense retelling of Ibsen’s classic play.
• The CAMERON CRESWELL OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO DESIGN AWARD recipient was Catherine Martin APDG (Design, 1988).  Adding to her four Oscars, five BAFTAs and a Tony Award, plus more, this prestigious award acknowledges her incredible creative costume and design work across her 20-year career.
• Receiving the STANMART FILM SERVICES ART DIRECTION OR SET DECORATION FOR A TELEVISION PRODUCTION AWARD was Operation Buffalo, the ABC TV drama inspired by the events of British nuclear tests at Maralinga, featuring Nicholas Dare as Art Director (Design, 2001).
• Peter England APDG – Set Design (Design, 1994) and Jacob Nash – Set Design (Design, 2005) won the CREATIVE CRUNCHERS DESIGN COLLABORATION FOR A LIVE PERFORMANCE OR EVENT AWARD for Knowledge Ground (Exhibition). Knowledge Ground was an immersive installation experience celebrating the 30th anniversary of Bangarra Dance Theatre which navigated a series of thematic worlds, created using unique elements from Bangarra’s productions – including set, costumes, artefacts, AV projection, language recordings and film footage.
• Anna Tregloan APDG (NIDA Board Member) received the RESENE PAINTS SET DESIGN FOR A LIVE PERFORMANCE AWARD for The Planet - A Lament. Garin Nugroho’s staged song cycle, The Planet – A Lament merged film with live dance and a 14-voice choir accompanied by a Papuan soloist to impart a moving story of creation set against the backdrop of environmental disaster.
• Courtney Westbrook (Design, 2016) and Ara Nuri Steel (Design, 2016) Production Designers, Miniatures and Animation took out the AFTRS EMERGING DESIGNER FOR A SCREEN PRODUCTION AWARD for stop motion short film CNUT.  The pair became friends while at NIDA and after graduating in 2016 started their company ARACOURT. Together they specialise in production and costume design. CNUT is their first in-house stop motion animation film.

NIDA would like to acknowledge all nominees and winners for their contribution to the arts industry. For a full list of winners: apdg.org.au/awards

Feeling inspired? Head to nida.edu.au for courses information.