National Institute of Circus Arts

What National Institute of Circus Arts does

The National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) is a not-for-profit tertiary education institution based in Prahran, Melbourne, Australia, established in 1999/2000. It is the only institution in the Southern Hemisphere offering accredited tertiary circus training and one of 16 worldwide, with only four globally offering a Bachelor of Circus Arts. NICA delivers its accredited programs in partnership with Collarts, following a transition from Swinburne University of Technology, and operates from a $10 million purpose-built National Circus Centre.

The institute's core products are the Certificate IV in Circus Arts (priced at $15,760 AUD in 2024) and the Bachelor of Circus Arts (priced at $17,000 AUD per year in 2024), enrolling approximately 40 tertiary students annually. It supplements degree programs with recreational short courses, youth and community programs, and the NICA Represents commercial agency, which places trained artists with external clients. Faculty and alumni have worked with internationally recognised productions including Cirque du Soleil, Circa, and Circus Oz.

NICA's revenue model combines tuition fees, philanthropic grants (Creative Victoria, Ian Potter Foundation, Australia Council, Restart Investment, Myer Foundation), donations, recreational class revenue, and commercial income from artist hire. Governance is provided by a volunteer Board, chaired since 2025 by Ted Baillieu AO, with Juliana Neves serving as Head of Circus Studies. The institution pursues international engagement through programs such as Beyond Our Boundaries (collaboration with China's National Acrobatic Troupe) and the Youth Circus Exchange 2026.

Name

National Institute of Circus Arts

Legal name

National Institute of Circus Arts Ltd

Website

https://nica.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Institute of Circus Arts is Australia's only accredited tertiary circus training institution and one of four worldwide offering a Bachelor of Circus Arts, delivering vocational programs from a purpose-built Melbourne facility to roughly 40 students annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education and Training

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Colleges (Theatre, Dance, Musical Theatre) (EDAHAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN)

Keywords

• Circus arts education
• Tertiary performing arts
• Professional circus training
• Recreational circus classes
• Circus artist booking

Headquarters

HQ city

Prahran

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Fees charged for Certificate IV and Bachelor of Circus Arts programs. Certificate IV full fee was $15,760 AUD in 2024. Bachelor degree yearly fee was $17,000 AUD in 2024. HECS-HELP loans available for eligible students.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Not-for-profit organization relying on donor support for student scholarships, sponsorships, international director engagement, and outreach programs. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
3. NICA Rec Recreational Classes: Circus classes for all ages and fitness levels including holiday programs, term classes, parties, try circus sessions, and private tuition.
4. NICA Represents - Artist Hire: Hire services for circus performers for events including roving entertainment and bespoke acts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NICA delivers tertiary education and training in circus arts, principally the three-year Bachelor of Circus Arts and the one-year Certificate IV in Circus Arts, through an educational partnership with Collarts (Australian College of the Arts). It also operates recreational circus classes (NICA Rec), public student performances (NICA Performs), an artist-hire booking agency (NICA Represents), and community engagement programs (NICA Connects), serving aspiring professional circus artists, the wider community, and event clients from its Prahran, Melbourne campus.

Product overview

NICA (National Institute of Circus Arts) is an internationally renowned Centre of Excellence offering a portfolio of circus arts education and training programs. The core educational offerings are the Bachelor of Circus Arts (3-year degree) and Certificate IV in Circus Arts (1-year certificate), delivered through an educational partnership with Collarts (Australian College of the Arts). NICA Rec provides recreational circus classes for all ages. NICA Performs showcases student shows, while NICA Represents offers booking services for professional circus artists. NICA Connects supports the community through alumni programs, artist residencies, and the Australian Circus Summit. Additional programs include Youth Circus Exchange, Audition Masterclass, and Circus Director's Masterclass. The organization also operates three donation funds: Future Focus Fund, Student Hardship Fund, and Social Circus Outreach Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NICA Ed: Tertiary education programs including Bachelor of Circus Arts and Certificate IV in Circus Arts
• NICA Performs
• NICA Rec
• NICA Represents
• NICA Connects

Products and services

• Bachelor of Circus Arts A three-year full-time tertiary degree recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework and accredited by TEQSA (delivered via Collarts). Provides immersive, practice-based training in contemporary circus arts, equipping students with skills, networks and knowledge for careers in circus and physical theatre. International students accepted via CRICOS registration.
• Certificate IV in Circus Arts A one-year study program providing aspiring circus artists with a comprehensive introductory experience in high-performance circus arts training. Currently available for domestic students only.
• NICA Rec — Recreational Circus Classes

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 NICA alumni from throughout the world have returned to participate in events like the Melbourne Circus Festival
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, strategic and support.

• Collarts (Australian College of the Arts)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNICA delivers the Bachelor of Circus Arts and Certificate IV in Circus Arts programs through an educational partnership with Collarts. Collarts is accredited by TEQSA and provides overarching academic and quality guidance and regulation. Programs are transitioning from Swinburne University to Collarts.
• Swinburne University of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNICA Ltd is a not-for-profit company owned by Swinburne University of Technology. Previously administered programs through Swinburne, which continues to provide student support services. Contributed $1.2 million to the National Circus Centre building.
• Arts8flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNICA is a member of Arts8, Australia's eight performance and screen high-level training organisations. Collaborative projects include the ARTS8 Transformation project bringing together elite arts training organisations.
• Beijing International Acrobatic Arts SchoolstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange initiative between NICA and Beijing International Arts School. NICA trainer Zebastian Hunter directed a student performance as part of the first exchange of its kind, combining Eastern and Western creative ideals in circus arts.
• NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative production partnership bringing together performers from Australia's two national arts training institutions. NICA and NIDA students worked together on 'Eurydike + Orpheus' production in Sydney.
• Absolute PhysiotherapysupportOthersPrincipal Physiotherapist Dr David Munro established the Health Care Team at NICA in 2001. Provides specialized physiotherapy services for circus artists and students.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Circomedia: Bristol (UK) circus school and performance centre offering professional training, degree-level programmes in partnership with universities, and recreational classes. Mirrors NICA's multi-revenue model combining tertiary training (NICA Ed), recreational classes (NICA Rec), and ticketed performances (NICA Performs).
• Carampa Centro de Artes Circenses: Madrid-based circus school offering professional and recreational training in aerial, acrobatic, and theatrical disciplines. Comparable as a specialist circus training institution with both intensive pre-professional and recreational pathways, similar to NICA's Certificate IV and NICA Rec structure.
• Circus Center (San Francisco): San Francisco circus training and performance centre, previously led by NICA's current Head of Circus Studies Juliana Neves. Direct comparator in offering recreational classes, professional training, and youth programmes; NICA's faculty lineage to this institution underscores the close operational comparability.
• Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC): France's national circus school, based in Châlons-en-Champagne, considered one of the world's premier tertiary circus training institutions with the 'Artiste de Cirque' diploma. Direct comparator to NICA as a publicly funded national centre for tertiary circus education.
• École nationale de cirque: Canada's national circus school, founded in 1981 in Montreal, offering DEC and certificate programmes in professional circus arts. It is the most internationally comparable peer to NICA: a national, tertiary-accredited training institution producing graduates for Cirque du Soleil and other global companies, with similar curriculum depth across aerial, acrobatic, and ground disciplines.
• National Centre for Circus Arts: London-based specialist circus higher education institution offering a BA (Hons) in Circus Arts. Operates as one of the small handful of institutions globally conferring bachelor-level circus qualifications, directly comparable to NICA's Bachelor of Circus Arts in scope, target student, and graduate outcomes.
• Codarts (Rotterdam): Rotterdam university of professional arts offering a Bachelor of Circus Arts alongside dance, music, and other performing arts programmes. Direct peer in structure: tertiary accredited institution delivering bachelor-level circus training within a broader arts college, with international student intake similar to NICA's CRICOS-registered pathway.
• ESAC – École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque: Brussels-based higher education institution dedicated to circus arts, offering a bachelor's degree in contemporary circus creation and performance. Closely comparable in mission, programme level, and graduate pathway to international companies — a natural European peer to NICA.
• Académie Fratellini: Paris-based circus arts academy offering professional training, artistic residencies, and community outreach programmes. Comparable in combining formal training, performance creation, and social engagement — structurally similar to NICA Connects and the Social Circus Outreach programme.
• DOCH – Stockholm University of the Arts (Dans och Cirkushögskolan): Stockholm University's circus and dance programme offers university-level circus arts training as part of a broader performing arts institution. Comparable in academic rigour and degree-granting structure to NICA's tertiary pathway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/nicaaustralia
• Facebookfacebook.com/NICAaustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-institute-of-circus-arts-nica-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Institute of Circus Arts