Artshoot was founded in 2020 by Nik Babic with the idea of bringing photography, filmmaking and graphic design for the performing arts within a single creative hub.
Artshoot has since evolved to draw upon the experience and expertise of many local and international professionals from the creative arts industries most of whom have strong personal performing arts experience. This makes Artshoot very much in tune with the special requirements expected when working with professional artists and in performance environments.
Artshoot prides itself on intimately understanding the world of the stage.
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Nik Babic / founder /
As a musician Nik holds Bachelor and Master degrees in viola performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He has performed with most Australian orchestras and has been a full time member of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra since 2002 where he still performs over 100 concerts per year.
As a photographer Nik has won a number of professional awards and was a runner-up for the West Australian Illustrative Photographer of the Year two years in a row. His images were published in the arts magazines including Gramophone (UK), Strad (UK) and Limelight (AU), have appeared in solo exhibitions at the Perth Concert Hall, His Majesty’s Theatre and Perth Town Hall and are on permanent display at the Perth Concert Hall Cafe.
As a videographer/filmmaker Nik is a visual content producer and editor for The West Australian Ballet, Co3 Dance, Freeze Frame Opera, Black Swan State Theatre Company, Choral Collective, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and other performing arts organisations.
As an educator Nik held workshops in videography and audio recording for professional musicians at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), dance photography at River Road Studios and the art of photography at the Hale School.
Nik started playing the violin at age nine and viola at fifteen in Belgrade, Serbia. He then continued his studies at the New England Conservatory in Boston where he earned his Bachelors (1996) and Masters (1998) degrees learning from Walter Trampler and Marcus Thompson.
While in Boston, Nik performed with various local ensembles including the Boston Philharmonic, New Hampshire and Maine Symphony Orchestras, Harvard University Modern Music Ensemble and in the chamber music program at MIT. Nik appeared at music festivals such as Scleswieg-Holstein (Germany), Sarasota (Florida), Apple Hill (New Hampshire), Sunflower (Kansas) and Maine Academy of the Arts. He toured with the Philharmonie Der Nationen throughout Germany and was chosen to participate in the Winter in Jerusalem Orchestral Academy associated with the Jerusalem Philharmonic in Israel.
Nik moved to Australia in 1998 where he worked with the Sydney Symphony, Adelaide Symphony and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra before joining WASO.
Outside of music, Nik is also an accredited professional photographer, plays tennis and loves good coffee.
Nik’s Chair is supported by Maryllis and Paul Green-Armytage through the Duet program.
1998 WASO Corporatisation: Christine Reitzenstein, Michael Waye, Wendy Cooper
Corporatisation: Reitzenstein, Waye, Cooper
Western Australian State Living Treasures
Western Australian State Living Treasures 1998
Book: The former Minister for Arts, The Hon. Peter Foss QC MLC, initiated the State Living Treasures Awards to honour those artists whose lifetime work has enhanced the artistic and cultural life of Western Australia.
The former Minister for Arts, The Hon. Peter Foss QC MLC, initiated the State Living Treasures Awards to honour those artists whose lifetime work has enhanced the artistic and cultural life of Western Australia, providing inspiration for other artists and enriching the community.
This book commemorates the occasion of the inaugural State Living Treasures Awards and is a record and tribute to the artists, their lives, work and achievements. This book also pays tribute to two artists whose work inspired the Awards. Joan Campbell and Rover Thomas are therefore featured as distinguished artists of inspiration.
The criteria for the awards specifically consisted of three parts:
the Awards of the State Living Treasures will honour people whose lifetime work has developed their artform in a creative way or altered the perception of that artform
the Awards will honour artists who have influenced numbers of people or who have played a major role in encouraging the development of other artists
the Awards will acknowledge those whose careers have demonstrated long-term involvement and contribution to the arts in Western Australia.
A panel of distinguished members of the arts community was set up to select the artists from a broad range of disciplines and fields. They were:
Alan Dodge – Director, Art Gallery of Western Australia
Duncan Ord – Then Acting Director, Academy of Performing Arts. General Manager of Black Swan Theatre
Chrissie Parrott – Choreographer, teacher
Margaret Seares – Chair, Australia Council
Andrew Taylor – Writer and Professor of English at Edith Cowan University (Panel Chair)
Richard Walley – Aboriginal artist
Once the onerous task of selection was complete, The Minister presented the State Living Treasures Awards to eleven Western Australian artists at a special ceremony at Kings Park on Proclamation Day, 21 October 1998.
