My name is Chinmaya Madan. I have recently been offered a place for a Masters in Fine Arts at National Institute of Dramatic Arts, Sydney, Australia. NIDA is  an elite theatre school, ranking among the top 10 theatre institutions around the world. The selection process followed a comprehensive procedure of application process and interviews, to shortlist six students around the globe for the course. I find myself fortunate to be a part of this esteemed course.

I grew up surrounded by theatre. My father was a director and my mother, a dancer. I spent my early years in different rehearsal spaces, always with artists, travelling to various cities. It didn’t take me time to realize that I had fallen for theatre too.

Being a performer gives me the freedom to be anyone (or anything). I could be learning all about engineering in one of my performances and be a farmer and learn how to sow and grow in the very next one. Every day I get to be someone else and see the world through multicolored lenses.

Studying direction at NIDA will enable me to, not just hone my skills, but also to make a difference. In a professional role as a director, I can make a difference in an actor’s life through the process of our production. My play can make a difference to the people watching it. My work will possess the ability to break barriers and evoke empathy. I aspire to create performances that will move people, that makes them think, and that helps us in creating a kinder, happier world. This thought of making a difference drives me.

MFA in Directing will be a 15 month full time course and  with a fee of 45360 AUD. My family has an annual income of Rs. 3,60,000 with my mother being the sole earner of our 5 member family, after my father’s demise.
The amount collected will go towards paying my tuition fee, living expenses, travel and quarantine expenses.