Online Application
Complete the online application form and upload all required documents:

• Professional CV
• Critical essay
• Portfolio
• Interview project (core task)

Application Materials

(i) Professional CV
Upload a detailed CV outlining your education, training, professional experience, and relevant creative practice.
Your CV should demonstrate your experience and readiness for advanced study in directing.

(ii) Academic Achievement
You must demonstrate either:

• A university degree, or
• At least five years of professional experience in a relevant field
This may be included in your CV and/or supported with documentation (e.g. transcript or testamur).

(iii) Critical Essay
Prepare a 500-700-word critical essay on one of the following:

• Your directing practice, or
• A cultural event or performance you have experienced

Your essay should demonstrate your ability to critically reflect on performance, storytelling, or culture.

Some examples are:
• A critical reflection on your artistic practice as an emerging director.
• An in-depth discussion of a specific production you directed, including key insights and discoveries.
• A critical reflection on a significant cultural experience and its impact on your practice.
• A critical response to a live production you have attended, focusing on its artistic and directorial choices.

(iv) Portfolio
Submit a digital portfolio demonstrating relevant creative work.

You should prepare examples of past work that support your application and demonstrate your creative practice, experience, and suitability for advanced study in directing and the arts and entertainment industry.

Your portfolio may include any material that reflects your creative practice, experience, and areas of interest.

(v) Interview Project (core task)

Prepare a hypothetical directing project based on a published play text of your choice. This project forms a central part of your application and will be presented and discussed during your interview.

In developing your project, you should demonstrate your approach to directing as both a creative and collaborative practice, and your ability to shape a cohesive production for an audience.

You should be prepared to discuss the following:

Text and Context
What ideas is the playwright exploring? How might the work resonate with contemporary Australian audiences?

Characters and Casting
How do you interpret the characters? What type of actors would you cast, and why?

Design Concept
What is the visual world of the production? How does it support and evolve with the narrative?

Lighting
How might lighting be used to shape tone, mood, time, geography and space?

Sound and Music
What audio elements would support your vision, and how do they contribute to storytelling?

Costume, Set and Props
What are the key design and practical considerations in these areas?

Venue and Staging
Where would the production be staged? What spatial, technical, or audience considerations inform your approach?

Communicating Your Concept
Prepare visual or conceptual materials to support your ideas (e.g. sketches, images, models, collages, digital renders, or mood boards).
Your project should demonstrate your creative thinking, interpretive approach, and ability to integrate performance and production elements into a coherent vision.

Original Work Requirement
All submissions must comply with NIDA’s Original Work Requirement. This includes that all work must be your own and must not be generated or substantially developed using Artificial Intelligence.
Refer to the Admissions Criteria for full details.

Submission
Upload your CV, Critical Essay, Project and Portfolio (optional) in the Associated File Attachments section of your online application.

• Select Course Specific Requirements in the File Category
• Upload each file separately

You will also need to upload:

• Photo ID (select Photo ID)
• Most Recent Qualification (select Most Recent Qualification Evidence)

Refer to the FAQs for more information.

File Naming Requirements
Use underscores between all elements. List your surname first, followed by your first name, and follow the format below exactly.
Format: lastname_firstname_MFADIR_2027_documenttype

Refer to the File Naming Guide for full details.

Examples:
CV: lastname_firstname_MFADIR_2027_cv.pdf
Critical Essay: lastname_firstname_MFADIR_2027_essay.pdf
Portfolio: lastname_firstname_MFADIR_2027_portfolio.pdf
Project: lastname_firstname_MFADIR_2027_project.pdf
Proof of Identity: lastname_firstname_MFADIR_2027_photoid.pdf
Most Recent Qualification: lastname_firstname_MFADIR_2027_qualification.pdf

Outcome
All applications are reviewed after the closing date.
You will be notified by email of the outcome. Shortlisted applicants will progress to Round Two: Online Interview.

Online Interview
Only shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an online interview.

Applicants who have submitted the required elements for Round One (CV, Critical Essay, Portfolio and Interview Project) will participate in a 45-minute online interview via Microsoft Teams, conducted by two NIDA staff members.

The interview will include:
• A short introduction to NIDA and the MFA (Directing) program
• Discussion of your application materials and directing project
• Discussion of your creative practice, influences, and approach to directing
• An opportunity to ask questions about the course and selection process

Outcome
All applications are reviewed after the closing date.
You will be notified by email of the outcome. Shortlisted applicants will progress to Round Three: Recall Audition.

Recall Audition
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an in-person Recall Audition on a separate date in November 2026.

The recall stage allows the panel to further explore your practice, ideas, and suitability for the course.

This may include:
• Further discussion of your directing work and creative approach
• Expanded exploration or presentation of your project
• Additional questions from the panel

Note for international applicants: If you are attending an online recall audition, you are required to source your own rehearsal space and engage two actors to support your preparation. 

Following recall, applicants may be asked to provide referees who can speak to their creative or professional practice. These may be contacted before a final decision is made.
Applicants who are not invited to recall should consider their application unsuccessful for the 2027 intake.

Refer to the Interview/Callback Preparation Guide for full details on what to expect and how to prepare.

Outcome
You will be notified of the final outcome by email following completion of the selection process (early December).