Ara student wins national scholarship to unite two passions

_{Caleb Bell pictured in JK Performing Arts' 2025 production of Sweet Charity, alongside NASDA graduate Sophie Harris}

For Ara Institute of Canterbury ākonga (student) Caleb Bell, teaching and theatre go hand in hand.

Now, a $10,000 national scholarship is helping the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA) ākonga bring his parallel passions together in exciting new ways.

Bell has been named Ara's latest recipient of the FAME Trust Emerging Practitioner Award, administered by the Acorn Foundation. He’s one of only seven students from New Zealand's top performing arts schools to be selected for the scholarship.

Bell said the funding will go towards TheatreZoo, a new theatre education company he's founding with two NASDA classmates.

“We’re in our very early stages of development,” he said. “But we have a team of passionate creatives who want to make musical theatre accessible to a new generation of young performers.”

“It changed my life at 22 – but I wish it had been earlier! So, it’s a real privilege to put funds toward a movement that gets people on the stage at a young age.”
It’s a natural progression for Bell who started out in theatre education.

Before arriving at NASDA to study his Bachelor of Music Theatre, he spent six years teaching Performing Arts and Technology at schools across Otago and Southland. During that time, he was already writing and directing community musicals, giving children and adults the chance to perform in front of audiences of up to 3,000 people.

Now, with a performer's training behind him and a director's instincts sharpened at NASDA, TheatreZoo is where both worlds meet.

_{Bell (far right) as ‘Pops’ in NASDA’s season of Kiss Me Kate in 2025 alongside (from far left) Elijah Moore, Phoebe Evans and Lydia McCaul.}

His contribution to NASDA has reflected that same drive. He volunteered more than 100 hours designing the school's 2025 show season branding, created set illustrations for the Schools Tour of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and is central to the current cohort’s leadership team.

Senior tutor in acting and voice Cienda McNamara said Bell’s drive was unmatched.

“He continues to develop as a versatile and thoughtful artist and I’m more than confident he’ll make the most of this scholarship and go on to make a valuable and lasting contribution to performing arts,” she said.

Bell said the funding would also support extra dance training with Christchurch company JK Performing Arts and help further his directing career.

“It’s an incredible honour to be entrusted with this support, and I don't take lightly the generosity and belief that stand behind it," he said.

After completing his degree, Bell plans to pursue a Masters in Directing at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, before returning to Aotearoa to share what he's learned with the next generation.

But first, he hopes to take youngsters on a trip to TheatreZoo.

Congratulations to this passionate educator, performer and director with plenty of ideas in store for the next generation.