When Sienna applied for the 2023 Redkite and Coles Dare to Dream Scholarship, she was already in acting and drama classes at her local Young Peoples Theatre in Newcastle, NSW. 

With a love of musical theatre, singing, dancing and drama, Sienna had her sights set on an acting course at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), in Sydney.  

“So, since I got my scholarship from Dare to Dream, I auditioned for NIDA’s Young Actor Studio about early to mid-December last year, and I found out that I successfully auditioned around mid-January,” Sienna said. 

As a Dare to Dream finalist, Sienna’s scholarship paid for her class expenses, giving her the opportunity to chase her acting dreams.  

“I go there every Saturday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and there’s a class of 16 of us in there. We do a lot of acting in the mornings, and then we do our singing and movements in the afternoon, and get to meet industry professionals, and be taught by industry professionals. It’s very interesting. It’s somewhat different to what I expected it to be, but I love it so much.”  

To finally be realising her goals is “kind of crazy”. 

When Sienna was diagnosed with a brain tumour, an anaplastic ependymoma stage-three, at eight years old, the whole family and wider community came together to support her.  

Her sister Ebony was a huge support, driving her around once she got her red P driving license.  

Now, Sienna can repay the favour after getting her own red P license.  

“It’s a lot more freedom, a lot more independence. It’s very scary, but I love it. I didn’t know what I was doing in my life before that.” 

While her parents still drive her the two hours from the Hunter Valley of NSW to Sydney for her NIDA class, she’s hoping she can get a few more drives later in the year.  

Sienna is encouraging a new cohort of young people to apply to this year’s Redkite and Coles Dare to Dream Scholarship.  

To find out more, click here.