Amy Burkett - Class of 2008
Amy Burkett graduated from QACI with the Foundation cohort in 2008
after achieving her IB Diploma and developing a signature creative identity in Theatre
and Film.
Amy followed her
passion for Theatre and business and spent a year studying a Diploma of Makeup,
and Drama at QUT. During this time she discovered the production side of
Theatre, particularly Stage Management, and pursued this with a successful
application to NIDA to study Theatre Production.
After graduating
from NIDA in 2012 Amy worked non-stop in Theatre production. Working on theatre
tours and mainstage shows with Sydney Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre,
Malthouse Theatre and La Boite Theatre to name a few. She also worked on
theatre projects with a remote community in far North Queensland, as well as time
in London to work at the Royal Court Theatre. After 3 years of freelancing, Amy
took a full time job as Technical Team Leader at The Riverside Theatre complex
in Sydney.
Unfortunately at
the beginning of 2016 Amy was diagnosed with a chronic pain disorder called
Fibromyalgia. She decided to move back to Brisbane to be with family and take a
step back from the high-pressure world of Theatre Production. A true multi-potentialite, Amy has returned
to another of her passions: Makeup. Amy has started her own business (because
that’s not high-pressure at all!), Bluebird Natural Beauty, offering makeup
workshops to provide clients opportunities to develop knowledge, skills, and confidence.
Of her experience at QACI as an IB Learner Amy shared the
following:
Whilst doing some volunteering with
Queensland Arts Council Amy heard about QACI and chose to apply because of its
Film and Theatre courses. She describes her education at QACI as challenging
and exciting and one that opened opportunities to make lifelong friendships
with like-minded people.
Completing the IB Diploma Program taught
Amy that she could put her mind to anything and she could achieve anything.
Having dyslexia had impacted on the study of languages at her previous school,
however with support and world class educators Amy successfully and with
enjoyment studied English and Spanish.
Amy credits the learning from Theory of
Knowledge, a core element of the Diploma, as one of the greatest influences on
her QACI journey. “Theory of Knowledge challenged me because it was unlike any
school subject I had done before. One of the most important things I learned at
QACI was how best I learned. This really prepared me for NIDA and working in
the Theatre industry.”