NICA’s 2025 Graduating Class Takes Flight in Adrift

The National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) unveils Adrift, the 2025 graduate showcase curated by Senior Educator Tegan Carmichael and devised by NICA’s third-year students. Presented 9–13 December at the NICA National Circus Centre in Prahran, the production marks a defining milestone for this year’s graduating cohort — a moment suspended between who they have been as students and who they are about to become as professional circus artists.

To be adrift is not to be lost, but to be liberated. The work embraces this symbolism, capturing the exhilarating tension between closing one chapter and stepping into the next. Before these emerging artists take their final bow as students, they look back on the ideas, challenges and creative breakthroughs that shaped their time at NICA — every scribbled concept, every abandoned draft, every rediscovered spark.

Through this reflective lens, Adrift becomes both a farewell and a beginning. It honours the evolution of each performer while celebrating the shared artistry that has carried them through three years of rigorous training, exploration and ensemble collaboration.

Senior Educator and curator Tegan Carmichael describes the 2025 cohort as a dynamic, spirited ensemble with “curiosity, enthusiasm, a little bit of cheek and a lot of sass.” She highlights how the students have consistently challenged and supported one another, expanding their technical and artistic capabilities while forging distinct performance identities.

“Each graduate leaves NICA ready to make their mark on the industry, with their final showcase exploring what it looks like to stand at the helm, with the confidence to navigate the unknown before them,” Carmichael shares.

For soon-to-be graduate Paige Dorrity, Adrift reflects the transformation that comes with discipline, dedication and a deep love for performance.

“My three years at NICA have been full of growth and challenges that have helped me build resilience and confidence in myself as a person and a performer. As I enter the industry, I want to keep creating and performing work that feels unique and authentic to who I am, making sure to have lots of fun, laughter and silly business along the way,” she says.

Her sentiment speaks for many in the cohort: a generation of circus artists ready to carve out new stories, new aesthetics and new pathways within Australia’s evolving circus and physical theatre landscape.

Audiences attending Adrift can expect a thrilling display of high-level artistry across multiple disciplines. This year’s program features:

Aerials
Trio acrobatics
Chinese pole
Roue cyr
Hoop diving
Hair hang
And a range of ensemble-devised physical theatre and circus acts

Each performance is crafted and performed by the graduating artists, offering a rare glimpse into the depth of talent emerging from NICA’s renowned training programs.

As the 2025 graduating class prepares to step beyond the walls of NICA, Adrift stands as both a culmination and a launchpad — a testament to their resilience, imagination, and the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

For audiences, the showcase offers the chance to witness the next generation of Australian circus artists in their final, exhilarating shift from student to professional.