Patrick Howe is following his dream of a career in the dramatic arts.
Camera IconPatrick Howe is following his dream of a career in the dramatic arts. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

From cabinet maker to dramatic arts: Carlisle resident chases Nida dream

Aaron CorlettSouthern Gazette

PATRICK Howe has gone from being a cabinet maker to chasing his dreams at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA).

The former Carlisle resident moved to Sydney earlier this year to start his Master of Fine Arts, which he hopes will help him fulfil his dreams.

“I started a cabinet making apprenticeship after leaving school in Year 9. It wasn’t until I went to uni to do a Digital Arts Degree that I started to get into theatre performance,” he said.

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“I moved from Canberra to Perth to study theatre design at WAAPA.

“I thought it would just be about making sets but it was also about designing costumes.

“I mostly designed quite contemporary costumes but there was a production of Hamlet that included medieval outfits.”

Howe said he applied for NIDA last year and received a call in December that he had been accepted, which was a great feeling for him.

“There are some great mentors and it’s a great school; it’s a very full-on course,” he said.

“One of the things I’ve enjoyed was in the last show, playing around with an LED projector screen with a video designer.

“The Masters goes for about 18 months with 12 months of coursework and six months working on a thesis.

“I’d love to get some work but obviously there is no official way into work, so I’ll be based between Sydney and Perth.

“I guess I’d love to work on one major show per year and work more with video.”

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