Swinburne and NICA welcome Commonwealth support for circus arts

The Vice-Chancellor of Swinburne University of Technology, Professor Linda Kristjanson, and the CEO and Director of the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA), Ms Pamela Creed, today welcomed the Commonwealth Government’s commitment of an additional $3.092 million over four years to support NICA in its unique national role in providing elite circus arts training.
 
Since February 2012, Swinburne and NICA have been working together on the next step in NICA’s development, the achievement of full independence for NICA by 30 June 2013.
 
Currently, Swinburne supports NICA through the provision of in-kind services to the value of $700,000 per year. The funding announced by Federal Government will support NICA in replacing services currently provided by Swinburne, either through developing in-house expertise or through working with other service providers.
 
“Through the Federal Office for the Arts, the Commonwealth Government has provided valuable support and assistance in planning NICA’s transition to independence. The funding announced by the Commonwealth Government in its national cultural policy Creative Australia will be a welcome contribution to making independence for NICA a reality,” Professor Kristjanson said.
 
“As Australia’s national circus training provider, we welcome this injection of new funding from the Commonwealth Government to support NICA in delivering on its mission,” NICA’s CEO and Director, Ms Pamela Creed said. “NICA’s independence requires a sustainable operating model and we will continue to work with the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments to achieve this goal.”

NICA is a national arts training institute. Established as a wholly owned subsidiary company of Swinburne in 1999, it has grown to offer Certificate III and IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma programs and a Bachelor in Circus Arts.
 
NICA’s mission is to deliver innovative training programs to talented students. As the only training institution of its kind in Australia, NICA fosters passion, creativity and a high level of skill in its graduates who are recognised as inspiring circus artists.