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NASDA student awarded emerging practitioner scholarship

18 December, 2024

Deanna Young recognised by Acorn Foundation Trustees of FAME Trust

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NASDA second year Bachelor of Music Theatre student Deanna Young loves the thrill of the stage but, after experiencing the physical and mental challenge of injury, she also aspires to help performers heal. 

Originally from Cambridge, Young has been selected as a 2024 Emerging Practitioner Award recipient at NASDA in recognition of her hard work and strong career goals. 

Young was dance captain for NASDA’s latest show Anything Goes, and said the award will allow her to sign up to extra-curricular dance classes and competition work. 

“It will help pay my fees for extra dance hours outside of NASDA. But really, it’s hard to be a student and earn money especially when preparing and performing show seasons. This will really help me get by and focus on my goals,” Young said. 

The cash grant of $10,000 through the Fund for Acting and Musical Endeavours (FAME) managed by the Acorn Foundation is awarded to seven promising students from top-rated performing arts schools around the country. Ākonga are eligible if they’ve completed at least one year of tertiary education are planning on further full-time study. 

It's the third time NASDA has been invited to put candidates forward. 

NASDA Head of Programme Simon Goudie described the grant as “monumental” for students and said NASDA was fortunate to be part of the Acorn Foundation’s network.  

“A $10,000 award for a student in the performing arts is almost unheard of in this country and it can be life-changing for our students who come from different parts, different walks of life and different circumstances,” he said. 

Goudie said NASDA provided three exceptional candidates for the foundation to select from this year but Deanna’s clarity about her future plans may have given her an edge. 

“Deanna is a natural leader and hardworking student who has huge potential and clear goals which is what the scholarship looks for.  We know that students barely scrape by a lot of the time and Deanna is out there doing everything she can to improve herself and give herself the best leg up she can while having to juggle the lack of student finance.  I could see the relief fall off her shoulders before she allowed herself to be joyous when she was told about the award!”  

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Young said her love of the “whole shazam” of singing, acting and dancing had been further fuelled by her time at NASDA and Broadway had become her dream. 

“I’d love to go to New York one day, but cruise ship work and London are also in my sights. Later down the track I'd like to study to be a physiotherapist and have a clinic to treat dance and performance-based clients. 

She said her own experience with injury and the toll that rehab took on her mentally and physically had inspired her to create a one-stop shop with physios, mental health specialists, nutritionists and chiropractors all under one roof. 

For me it was the mental health challenge of the injury that was the toughest to overcome. It comes into play a lot when you are relying on your body and ability to perform to survive,” she said. 

For now, she’s just signed off on her studies for 2024 which have included a lead in a school tour of Suessical Jr, playing Mrs Bennett in Pride and Prejudice and the extra challenge of being involved in the choreography for Anything Goes. 

She can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring.  

“I’d like to audition for a Court Theatre show as my advanced capstone project next year.  But above all I'm looking forward to another year at NASDA. We have a great class dynamic and work so well together.” 

“It’s not just the buzz of performing but it's also how we collaborate with all the elements of set design, lights, technicians, the band and the audience.  It culminates in the most amazing feeling.”