NICA comes from humble beginnings in an un-renovated warehouse in Melbourne’s Docklands, wherein, a pilot national training project commenced in 1999. All eight participants of the project graduated in 2001 with a Diploma of Circus Arts from Swinburne University and found employment with Australian companies the following year.

The organisation has grown significantly since, having attained accreditation for the delivery of Certificate IV in Circus Arts, and training artists to meet the demands of the growing local and global circus arts industry.

NICA is a national not-for-profit arts training institute and registered cultural organisation, primarily funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Communications and the Arts. Proudly flying under the flag of Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology, NICA is the only training institute of its kind in Australia. We are one of eight elite arts training organisations that comprise the Arts8, and members of the Federation of European Circus Schools (FEDEC).

As well as providing professional tertiary education, NICA offers a wide range of recreational courses for children to adults, operates a premier circus talent agency, NICA Represents, and supports the circus industry through professional development opportunities and masterclasses.

NICA has played a vital role in the evolution of the circus industry and, in turn, in the recognition of Australian circus on the global stage. Many of the key artists in Gravity & Other Myths honed their skills through their studies at NICA. This elite education institution is one of a kind in Australia and essential to continued growth and innovation in the arts sector, ensuring Australia cements its place as an internationally recognised leader in contemporary circus. – Jascha Boyce, Co-Director, Gravity & Other Myths.

An institute like this (NICA) raises the standard of circus in Australia and helps it move from a low art to a high artform. – Bede Nash, Bachelor of Circus Arts graduate (2016).