YAS Studio is set to become Melbourne’s first dedicated multi-disciplinary youth screen studio, with the launch of YAS Studio in Kensington in February 2026. 

For YAS Studio founder and acting teacher Daniel Fischer, the vision is clear: build a highly credible, industry-connected creative environment that empowers young people to explore, express and grow, while establishing a sustainable, future-focused creative training model for Melbourne.

Daniel Fischer is a Melbourne-based actor and creative industries professional with more than 15 years’ experience across Australian screen and theatre, and a decade of leadership experience in higher education and creative arts engagement.

As an actor, Daniel has appeared in major Australian productions including Love Me (Warner Bros), Summer Love (Gristmill), The Clearing (Wooden Horse), and the forthcoming Dear Life (Gristmill), with work featured on Binge, ABC, Disney+, Stan and Netflix. He has collaborated with leading directors and performed alongside prominent Australian actors including Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, Teresa Palmer, Heather Mitchell and Kerry Armstrong.

Beyond his work as an actor, Daniel has built a significant career in the creative education sector. He most recently served as Head of Engagement at Collarts (Australian College of the Arts), leading state-wide Schools & Community Outreach, Industry Partnerships and Major Events. In this role, he forged high-impact collaborations with major cultural organisations including the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), ACMI, the Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF), Melbourne Fashion Week, and the Australian Photography Awards. 

Daniel’s leadership work connected thousands of young people across Victoria with real-world creative opportunities and strengthened Collarts’ profile within the national arts and cultural landscape.

With a deep blend of industry knowledge, educational expertise and creative practice, Daniel founded YAS Studio to fill a gap he witnessed firsthand: the lack of an ongoing, dedicated space where young people can explore acting, filmmaking, animation and photography — not just at tertiary level, but during the formative years where curiosity shapes identity.

Construction on the new creative space is currently underway, with applications for Term 1 now open. You can find out more here. 

“Creative training gives young people so much more than just creative skills. Confidence, collaboration, problem-solving and creative thinking are things they’ll carry into any career path they choose.”

 

Firstly, congratulations on YAS. How is construction of the space coming along?

Thank you so much. It’s going really well. We have walls, which is very exciting because only a few weeks ago it was a blank cement canvas. I’d love to say it’s been a smooth process, but I don’t think any build ever is. We have an incredible building team at Total Fitouts St Kilda working very efficiently. We also started all the planning very early and the team built in a very solid buffer, as we knew delays would come up, which I’m very thankful for.

How does it feel to see your vision coming to life?

To be honest the entire process has felt quite surreal. I spent six months just working on the business plan, while holding down a full-time job. I was sitting by myself until late at night building something I hoped would truly have legs. I wanted to make sure we had contingencies in place and that I’d thought through every possible challenge. And those six months really felt like forever. Then in July, I finally started putting it into action. The past five months have gone so fast and so much has happened that it doesn’t feel real. We’ve hit so many huge milestones and our doors aren’t even open yet. I’ve had so many “pinch me” moments where I feel like I’m about to wake up from a dream. I go to the studio a couple of times a week and every time it’s different. Sometimes I go by myself and just walk around with this overwhelming sense of pride and excitement. I can’t wait to be there everyday.

You’ve worked as an actor for over a decade now. When did you realise that acting was the career for you?

From very young actually. I was really lucky that I had some teachers that really supported me creatively. I still remember doing a dance at a Year 6 assembly. I think I was the only boy up there. Afterwards, one of my teachers came up to me and said, “You really have to pursue something artistic.You have real talent.” At the time, I didn’t fully understand what that meant, but it made me feel like something was possible. I’m now in my late 30s and still think about that moment. So thank you, Mr Stillwell. I fell in love with drama in high school at an all-boys school in Perth that was very sports-focused, but had a great performing arts program. I think they had just invested in a new performing arts building before I got there. Our drama teacher gave us so many opportunities to perform and compete outside of school hours, which really cemented my love for theatre. We once competed in a state-wide drama festival where students had to write and perform original work. After our performance, one of the judges told me I should go to a performing arts school. So I listened.

Why the shift into education and training?

I think it was life. I got my first job in education about ten years ago. I’d been with my partner for a year and wanted to start building a real life together. The casual work I was doing outside of acting just wasn’t sustainable. I needed something that gave me security but still allowed me flexibility for acting. It was never meant to be the long-term plan. When I applied for that first job, I barely knew what the role involved. But I loved it. Then I found myself being poached between institutions, running whole departments, creating strategy and sitting in executive meetings. I had such meaningful experiences building creative programs for young people and securing partnerships with MIFF, ACMI and Melbourne Fashion Week. It was fulfilling. But last year I had a real what am I doing? moment. My job had begun to consume me to the point where I had nothing left for acting. I dreaded auditions because I had no energy for them. That’s when I knew something had to change, and that’s when YAS Studio was born.

Why did you decide on this specific demographic of 8–18?

Having spent the past decade working at different Higher Education institutions all within the creative sector, I can’t even count the number of times parents, teachers or young people themselves have come up to me to ask where they could go to do regular classes in either filmmaking, animation or photography in Melbourne. And I could never think of anywhere. There are options for adults, but not young people. So, the first thing I did for my business plan, was research. I wanted to make sure there really wasn’t anything out there outside of school holiday programs in Melbourne. There wasn’t. We have so many dance, singing or drama studios for youth, but nowhere they can explore other creative disciplines. I wanted to create a hub that was specifically for young people. Give them a chance to explore their creativity, build confidence, find their voice, and be able to really see if this is a path they want to take. We put so much pressure on young people to make a decision about “what they want to do with the rest of their lives”, but we don’t give all of them an opportunity to really explore what that is before the decision has to be made. I’m hoping I can change that for some of them. But also, creative training gives young people so much more than just creative skills. Confidence, collaboration, problem-solving and creative thinking. These are things they’ll carry into any career path they choose.

Tell us about the facilities themselves and what students can look forward to, on both an aesthetic and technical level.

Well, from an aesthetic point of view, it’s going to be bold and inspiring. Our branding is very bold, and the studio is going to reflect that. We will have four studio spaces for classes to take place in. All varying in sizes and adaptable for each of the disciplines. A breakout space and kitchen for parents to unwind and relax if they want to hang around while the classes are on. Then the usual reception, waiting area. In terms of technical, we are in the process of securing equipment. Cameras, lighting, tablets for digital drawing etc. I’m about to start conversations with a few companies to see if there might be opportunities to collaborate (wink wink, nudge nudge). I think it’s so important to make sure the studio has everything our students really need to dive into each of the disciplines, and that our teachers have the tools so they can achieve the outcomes they’ve set out for the students.

You’ve assembled an incredible teaching team with deep connections to the industry. How did this team come about?

I am still pinching myself that they all said yes! They all actually came about in different ways. Casey is actually a dear friend of mine. We met through work and she is the loveliest person, and such an incredible photographer. She was actually the first person I told about this idea, while we were sitting in the back car park of our work thinking up our next big plans. Oscar was actually a student where I previously worked and I’ve known him for a couple of years now. When I was looking for an Animation teacher, I was asking around the industry and his name kept coming up. So, I had a chat with him and he was so excited. For someone so young, he is so talented and is doing some incredible things already. I mean, he’s in his early 20s and is already working with one of the creators of Spider-Verse and trained under one of the creators of K-Pop Demon Hunters! Adrian was introduced to me through Sarah Nicolazzo, who was the lead in his latest feature, Westgate. I put a sneaky call out on Instagram for a filmmaker who might be interested and he got in touch straight away. I was drawn to Adrian, not only because of his craft, but also because he is genuinely passionate about the film industry and the future of it. Which is a big reason why he wants to teach the next generation. We also have some incredible people reaching out to me all the time to offer their services for a holiday workshop. It’s been really special to see how much everyone in our industry really wants to give back and inspire young people.

Considering your commitments to YAS, will you continue to work as an actor?

Yes, of course. I don’t think I can ever stop. Trust me, I’ve tried a few times. And it just keeps pulling me back in. But, no, I can never stop. I love it too much. For me personally, a big reason to start my own business was to allow more freedom when it comes to acting. If an audition came up for me tomorrow, I now know that I can drop whatever I need to so I can focus on that, and then come back to YAS later. I couldn’t do that before. So, yes YAS is a huge commitment, but for me, YAS is also freedom. And I think that has been one of the most special parts of this journey so far.

Finally, if you could describe in one paragraph why young people should sign up, what would it be?

Just one? Ok, I’ll try… If you’re wanting to build on skills you already have, try something completely new for the first time, or you’re just curious about any of our creative disciplines, then YAS Studio is a place to give it a go. You don’t have to have it all figured out. This is a space to explore acting, filmmaking, animation and photography. To experiment, to make mistakes, to grow in confidence and to discover what truly excites you. You can dive deep into one discipline or explore multiple. At YAS, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being brave enough to try.

You can find out more about YAS Studio here.

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