A quick apology for any website errors that have occurred over the past few weeks.

We have ironed these out as quickly as we could to be ready for applications to open shortly!

The Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce that we have increased the award prize money from the previous $12,000 to $14,000. This is in alignment with the increase to cost of living and overseas travel over the past few years.

A friendly reminder to all potential applicants intending to apply for the 2026 Fredrikson Scholarship:
Applications will open October 1st 2025, and close December 1st 2025.
Now is the time to investigate potential overseas companies, courses, and individuals you would like to be seconded to and study with as it can take time to get your plans confirmed.

The Fredrikson Scholarship Committee received information from The Minister of Planning in 2024 advising us that it had been decided to name a street in the new suburb of Whitlam in the ACT after Kristian Fredrikson.

“On behalf of the ACT Place Names Advisory Committee, I am very pleased to confirm the approval of the road name Fredrikson Rise in Whitlam. The committee is grateful for the support provided by The Kristian Fredrikson Estate and The Kristian Fredrikson Scholarship for Design in The Performing Arts to enable the commemoration of Kristian Adrian Fredrikson’s name in the ACT. The approved names are consistent with the theme for Whitlam which is ‘Arts and Culture”

The approved road name is: Fredrikson Rise
Division of Whitlam: Arts & Culture
Name (Fredrick John Sams) (1940-2005)

The significance outlined for the street naming is as follows:
Kristian Fredrikson acclaimed performing arts designer for theatre, ballet, contemporary dance, opera, film and television. Born in New Zealand Kristian Fredrikson studied graphic design in Wellington and created his first designs for The New Zealand Ballet and New Zealand Opera Company.
He moved to Australia in the 1960s and assisted with the design for The Australian Ballets production of Aurora’s Wedding (1964) with Dame Peggy van Praagh.
He was resident designer for The Melbourne Theatre Company from 1964-1974.
He designed for Australia’s leading dance and theatre companies including The Australian Ballet, The Opera Company of Australia (Opera Australia) The Western Australian Ballet and Western Australian Opera Company and South Australian Opera Company.
Fredrikson collaborated with leading choreographers and Directors.
He was the recipient of many prestigious awards including The Australian Dance Award For Services To Dance (1999) and a Helpmann Award in 2003 for The Australian Ballets Swan Lake.

With the passing of Frank Van Straten AM the theatre profession has lost one of its most important recorders of our history. His practical support to so many designers through his purchase of their designs for his personal collection was invaluable. The many books he published introduced readers to so many past and present stars of the theatre. The establishment of The Frank Van Straten Fellowship to commission story development from The Australian Performing Arts Collection will ensure his life’s work will continue. His encouragement and friendship to myself and The Kristian Fredrikson Scholarship for Design In The Performing Arts was typical of his generous nature. As a founding member of The Scholarship Committee, we thank Frank for his commitment to the recognition of theatrical design.
Our condolences to Adrian and family members.
Anna French
The Kristian Fredrikson Scholarship Design in The Performing Arts

The 2024 scholarship recipient is Charles Davis from Sydney.
Charles submitted a brilliant application and plans to travel to Europe attending The Theatretreffen Festival in Berlin. He will participate in workshops and creative laboratories hosted by the Theatretreffen International Forum, and has an observation attachment with a leading European designer. The attachment will deepen his understanding of large scale theatrical design allowing him to experience the most valuable parts of the design process as the production comes to fruition in the theatre.

Charles graduated from NIDA in 2014. He is the recipient of the 2021 Sydney Theatre Award for best stage design for Happy Days, and in 2018 he received The Mike Walsh fellowship.
This year is a busy one for Charles, he is set designer for Rusalka for West Australian Opera Company, and set designer for Sydney Company’s No Pay, No Way!

Charles is the set designer for The Australian Ballet s production of Circle Electric choreographed by Stephanie Lake. Paula Levis, one of the 2022 Fredrikson scholarship recipients is designing the costumes. Circle Electric is part of a double bill that includes Etudes, Sydney season 3-18 of May 2024 at The Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. The Melbourne season is 2-9 October at The Regent Theatre.

We would like to remind supporters of our scholarship that it is possible donate to the scholarship via our website www.fredriksonscholarship.org.

Since the death of Kristian Fredrikson in 2005 we have been fortunate to receive all of Kristian’s royalties, which total $104,726. His designs are still reproduced by many companies including The Australian Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet Company and Houston Ballet Company.

The Selection Committee for the 2024 Kristian Fredrikson Scholarship For Design in The Performing Arts are:

DESIGNERS
Alicia Clements
Rachel Burke
Stephen Curtis
Peter England
Anna French
Dale Ferguson
Esther Hayes
Julie Lynch
Richard Roberts

DIRECTORS
Dean Bryant
Anne-Louise Sarks

CHOREOGRAPHERS
Alice Topp

MAKERS
Shane Dunn
Musette Molyneaux

ESTATE
Fiona Reilly

Applications for the next round will be closing soon on December 1st 2023.

Once the scholarship committee have received your application we will email you a notification of receipt. If you do not receive a receipt email please contact us.

Applications have officially opened for the 2024 Kristian Fredrikson Scholarship for Design in The Performing Arts.

Applicants have until the 1st of December 2023 to apply.

The Australian Ballet has collaborated with Melbourne Fashion Week to stage a display of costumes dating far back as 1962 when the company was founded, including costumes by Kristian from  the Frederick Ashton production of Cinderella, the George Ogilvie production of Coppelia, and the Graeme Murphy production of The Nutcracker.

You can find these in Fashion Capsule 5, Collins Place, 45 Collins Street, Melbourne from 1-29 October.

Going To Bendigo, Victoria in The Next Six Weeks?

Two of Kristian Fredrikson’s beautiful costumes designed for Dame Joan Sutherland are exhibited in the foyer of The Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo, during The Melbourne Opera’s six week season of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring Des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle).
The costumes are from The Australian Performing Arts Collection who have many designs and costumes by Kristian Fredrikson in their collection. On display are two costumes from The Australian Opera (now, Opera Australia) productions, Lucrezia Borgia 1977, and The Merry Widow 1978.