Dean's story

Dean Carey began as an actor in Melbourne with his first professional TV appearances beginning in 1977 when he was 17 years old. He studied with private teachers as well as at the Malvern Theatre Company whilst beginning his theatre and tv career. At 19 he moved to Sydney to attend NIDA.

Dean took a year off from his studies in order to work with Gale Edwards in Adelaide with her theatre company, Energy Connection. It was here he first began teaching and found he instinctively and passionately fired up in terms of what he felt actors needed and what dynamics combined to create an effective and vibrant educational environment. It was during this year of working with Gale and the company, writing, co-directing and co-conceiving 7 shows, that he found the touchstone and purpose which he was to devote his life to.

Dean then returned to conclude his final year of study, graduating in 1983. He continued teaching across Sydney at many places including the NIMROD Theatre Company, Phillip Street Theatre, the NSW Conservatorium and the Ross Coleman Dance Studios.

In 1985 he began teaching at NIDA. At 26 he embarked on a study and teaching tour across the United States where he taught guest classes at many institutions including YALE University, Cal Arts, the LA High School of Performing Arts and the University of Los Angeles, San Diego. He returned with a passionate idea to set up a centre for the continuing development and education of Australia’s professional actors. 

He imagined Sydney being able to support a new kind of facility. Wonderful teachers and directors taught inside drama schools and directed at the major theatre companies, but there wasn’t a platform for them to teach publicly. Drama schools such as NIDA didn’t have their Open Programs then, Universities didn’t offer community courses in acting and casting directors weren’t offering their premises for night time classes. ACA was to become the first facility of its kind offering the range of classes, catering for the range of clientele, and founded specifically for that purpose.

When Dean and Stan Kouros met as actors in Melbourne, Australia, in 1979, whilst performing at the Comedy Theatre, they discovered a mutual respect and commitment to the arts. With their combined energies, they set out to find the perfect venue to launch and nurture ACA. The 1880, heritage-listed abandoned church in the inner city suburb of Surry Hills, Sydney presented itself and the rest, as they say, is history.

There is no industry like the performing arts industry. There is a fundamental excitement and thrill when people come together to learn, create, explore and achieve. This is exactly why ACA was established and why it remains the only Centre of its kind in Australia.

DEAN'S CV>>