Vale Annette Ribbons
To attend Annette Ribbons memorial at NIDA Sunday 10 September 2023, please register here.
The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is sad to announce the passing of Annette Ribbons, who has been an integral part of the NIDA community for over 30 years.
Annette came to Australia in the early 1990s from the UK and brought her incredible skills in costume making, and the art of draping to our theatres and education institutions. Her beautiful ‘hand’ and meticulous attention to detail in bringing costume designs to life meant that she was always in demand. She worked in every level of the industry in Australia, from her start as a maker and supervisor at Marion Street Theatre, and then on to major films such as Dark City (1996) and Gods of Egypt (2016), to stage musicals including Love Never Dies (2003), and Strictly Ballroom (2014). She has cut and supervised for companies including Opera Australia, Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Theatre Company and The Really Useful Theatre Company.
Annette was passionate about social justice and was an active supporter of WEFTshop (Women Education Freedom Textiles) who facilitate and collaborate with artisans to build livelihoods, develop the skills to preserve their traditional techniques and train others in the art of producing beautiful textiles. She was also passionate about sustainability, and the ways in which sustainable costume making practices could improve and develop in the future.
She was instrumental in the development of NIDA’s BFA Costume, and the TAFE Diploma in Costume for Performance. Annette headed the NIDA costume department from 2016 – 2021 where her passion and dedication to the art of costume making left an indelible mark.
Annette's legacy will live on in the skills she shared with costume graduates, in the many costumes she made, and in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know her. We remember her with great fondness and gratitude for the invaluable contributions she made to the arts and education in Australia. She will be greatly missed.
