News edition for 22 June 2026. Added to Nungya on 22 October 2026 as part of our retrospective news archive. Reporting reflects information available by the edition date.

Fifty years is long enough for students to become teachers, performers to become leaders and one generation’s experiment to become another’s starting point. For NAISDA, the anniversary is also a moment to plan who carries the work forward.

The First Nations dance training organisation announced a planned executive leadership transition on 17 June 2026. Chief Executive Officer Kim Walker AM and Chief Operating Officer Debra Schleger were scheduled to conclude their executive appointments in November. The announcement says both would then continue in advisory and support roles for another twelve months.

Continuity is part of the plan. NAISDA describes the change as the result of a longer succession process. Work to identify a new chief executive had begun, with an appointment expected later in 2026. This is a report of those plans, rather than an announcement that a successor has already arrived.

Leadership news can seem distant from the rehearsal room. Yet it raises practical questions for any training institution: how knowledge moves between people, how relationships are maintained and how incoming leaders understand what students need.

The anniversary gives audiences a reason to learn about the institution behind familiar stages and companies. Following a training organisation’s own news can reveal the people and decisions that support performance long before opening night.

Read the original report: Building on 50 Years: NAISDA Announces Executive Leadership Transition.