As Australia’s cultural landscape continues to evolve on a global scale, one institution remains at the centre of shaping the nation’s most influential creative minds: the National Institute of Dramatic Art. Last night, NIDA’s annual Raise the Curtain gala brought together alumni, patrons and emerging talent for a celebration of storytelling, artistry and the next generation of Australian talent.
As part of the evening, RUSSH hosted some of NIDA’s most creatively courageous alumni and rising talents – a guest list reflective of the breadth of creative minds currently shaping Australia’s screen and stage industries. Among them were All Her Fault and The 100 actor Thomas Cocquerel, War Machine star Jack Patten, rising performer Zahara Jithoo, acclaimed set and costume designer Alice Babidge, alongside Nicholas Burton, Madeline Flood, Theo Clarke, Danny Howard and Joseph Althouse.
The group captured both the legacy and future of NIDA. Cocquerel has steadily built an international screen career across Hollywood film and television, while Patten continues to emerge as one of Australia’s most exciting young actors following his acclaimed performances in War Machine and Robin Hood. Babidge, meanwhile, has become one of the country’s most respected visual creative minds, recognised for her bold design work across theatre and opera, including major productions for Opera Australia. Together with a new wave of emerging talent including Jithoo, Burton, Flood, Clarke, Howard and Althouse, the evening highlighted the next generation of Australian creative minds already making their mark across screen, stage and design.
Held inside the iconic Parade Theatre in Kensington, the evening welcomed Sarah Snook as its headline guest, fresh from her Tony Award-winning Broadway season in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Returning to the institution where her career first began, Snook embodied the extraordinary reach of NIDA’s influence – from Australian theatre stages to the global spotlight – while offering guests a rare glimpse into one of the country’s most celebrated creative careers.
Since opening its doors in 1958, NIDA has shaped generations of influential creative minds, including Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann, Hugo Weaving, Catherine Martin and Miranda Otto, while continuing to champion a new wave of artists reshaping the industry in real time.
Hosted by NIDA alumna Marney McQueen and directed by award-winning alumnus Alexander Berlage, Raise the Curtain 2026 unfolded as a theatrical celebration complete with live performances from current students, intimate conversations with alumni and fundraising initiatives supporting scholarships and future productions.
More than a gala, the evening reinforced NIDA’s role as one of Australia’s great creative powerhouses – nurturing the creative minds shaping the future of screen, stage and storytelling, from globally recognised names like Sarah Snook to the emerging talent already preparing to take centre stage.
