The Helpmann Academy is an organisation that provides support emerging artists in the performing and visual arts, located in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, South Australia. It is named in honour of Sir Robert Helpmann, a famous Australian dancer.

History

The Helpmann Academy was formed in 1994 as a partnership of the major

tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...

arts training institutions in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

Partners and functions

The Helpmann Academy is a partnership among: *

Flinders University Flinders University, established as The Flinders University of South Australia is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across a number of locations in South Australia and ...

, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences *

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

, Elder Conservatorium of Music *

University of South Australia The University of South Australia is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1991, it is the successor of the former South Australian Institute of Technology. Its main campuses along North Terrace are ...

, UniSA Creative The Adelaide Central School of Art ceased its partnership with the Academy in 2016, following changes to funding. The Helpmann Academy provides support for provides support for emerging visual and performing artists through a program of exhibitions, mentoring programs, funding, and other means.

Governance and funding

Helpmann Academy's board of governors consists of vice chancellors from South Australia's three universities or their delegates, and leading representatives from the arts, creative, cultural and business sectors. Helpmann Academy is funded by the partner universities, the

Government of South Australia The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government or the SA Government, is the executive branch of the state government, state of South Australia. It is modelled on the Westminster system, meaning that the h ...

, philanthropic partners, donors, grants, and a small number of corporate partners.

International connections

The Helpmann Academy has strong links with arts institutions across the globe including Italy, France, China, India, and New Zealand. Exchanges and residencies take place in the visual arts, drama, dance, and music. Visits by performers and artists from around the world are also encouraged.

Events

The annual graduate exhibition of visual artists features work from graduates of UniSA and Flinders. In 2024, the 30th anniversary of the academy, the exhibition featured

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porce ...

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

video art Video art is an art form which relies on using video technology as a visual and audio medium. Video art emerged during the late 1960s as new consumer video technology such as video tape recorders became available outside corporate broadcasting. V ...

, painting, photography,

printmaking Printmaking is the process of creating work of art, artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand proces ...

, sculpture, fashion,

costume design Costume design is the process of selecting or creating clothing for a performers. A costume may be designed from scratch or may be designed by combining existing garments. "Costume" may also refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a ...

, and textiles by 22 young artists.

Types of support

Support offered to young artists includes or has included: * Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition provides students with the opportunity to showcase their work and launch their visual arts careers. In 2024, there were 17 awards available, valued at more A$82,000. * Helpmann Academy Creative Innovator Program, starting with a pilot in 2021, provides opportunities for up to 13 participants across nine different projects. Funding of is provided over eight months, along with mentoring by an established arts practitioner and access to masterclasses by business professionals, and various other options. At the end of the period, major seed funding for selected recipients is provided. * JamFactory x Helpmann Academy Scholarships, in 2025 offering two scholarships worth A$2,500 for the JamFactory's Foundation Year Associate Program in Ceramics, Glass, Furniture or Jewellery/Metal. * Various collaborations with the Hill Smith Gallery, supporting visual artists since around 2003 * Helpmann Academy Langley Award for Jazz, worth * Helpmann Academy Award for Voice, worth , open to final year students or graduates from eligible programs from the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide * 2024: A one-off artist commission in collaboration with the

City of Adelaide The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council, is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia. It is legally defi ...

, for a visual artist to create site-specific artwork on temporary hoarding within scaffolding on the Adelaide Town Hall façade, to be installed in late October 2024 and expected to be removed in February 2025. The project includes mentorship with a well-known artist, and $4,500 to cover artist fee along with design, creation, and installation of the 2D or 3D work. * 2024: A Night of Jazz - the opportunity for up to three groups or individuals of Helpmann Academy alumni to perform their jazz music at a concert featuring

Jazzmeia Horn Jazzmeia Horn (born 1991) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. She won the Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition in 2015. Horn's repertoire includes jazz standards and covers of songs from other genres, including by ar ...

; in collaboration with the City of Adelaide, payments of $300 per individual or $1000 for a group are included

References

External links

* {{authority control Helpmann Academy, The Australian tertiary institutions Australian vocational education and training providers Drama schools in Australia Dance education in Australia University of Adelaide 1994 establishments in Australia