NIDA Ranked in Top Ten Costume Design Schools Globally

NIDA has been commended as one of the Top Ten Costume Design Schools in the world by The Hollywood Reporter. With over 70 Institutions offering costume design instruction, NIDA joins this annual list for the first time as one of the world's best schools to learn the art, craft and technology of creating memorable costumes for film, TV, theatre and video games.

The only Australian school to make the Top Ten list, NIDA appears alongside respected US educators including Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, CalArts, David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television, University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), University of Southern California (USC) and London's Wimbledon College of the Arts.

In creating its annual list, The Hollywood Reporter consulted with academic professionals and costume designers on the factors that make a design school special including alumni success, curriculum, class size, extracurricular programs, reputation, and opportunities for networking.

3D Costume Showcase at NIDA, 2023 by Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design for Performance Year 1 students. Left to right, costumes by Isaac Valentine, Amelie  Brown, Daisy Hughes.

NIDA's Bachelor of Fine Arts Costume and Design courses were selected for its esteemed alumni, along with small classes which offer hands-on experience across various disciplines and that NIDA encourages critical thinking and risk-taking while empowering students to create new ideas and solutions. This programs enables these soon-to-be narrative storytellers, to thrive in an ever-changing industry.

Liz Hughes said: 'This acknowledgement is an incredible testament to the hard work, creativity and passion of the NIDA costume team who take students on a vast journey across so many different styles, genres and eras while encouraging the current and future possibilities of costume making to tell our stories.

'NIDA Costume and Design alumni are impressive. Their creative imagination and narrative superpowers enable them to imagine new possibilities to create the rich fabric of visual storytelling across stages, screens and new media forms.

'I would like to congratulate the visionary NIDA staff and consultants led by Corinne Heskett for Costume and Bob Cousins for Design who continue to evolve and push the boundaries of costume making providing students with world-class teaching. Special gratitude to the incredible Annette Ribbons who sadly passed last year. Annette’s boundless contribution to NIDA for more than 30 years enabled a whole generation of creatives to thrive in the arts and culture industries.'

Read the article here.