NICA directors ‘shocked’ as independence plan scuppered

Swinburne University has abruptly abandoned discussions over independence for the National Institute of Circus Arts.

Swinburne University has abruptly abandoned discussions over independence for the National Institute of Circus Arts. to the surprise of many in the circus community.

Plans for the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) to become an independent entity, separate from its founding body Swinburne University of Technology (SUT) have been in development since February 2012.

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts