Steve Kidd OAM

Steve Kidd OAM’s personal experience in theatre is vast, but he says the best part of his influential career has been passing his passion down to the younger generations.

Mr Kidd has been the head of Arts at St Philip’s College in Alice Springs since 2000, where he produces and directs plays and musicals. He is a life member of the Totem Theatre – Alice Springs Theatre Group, as well as being a director and regular performer.

“The greatest impact of the work that I do is to inspire young people to back their own creativity and develop theatrical productions,” he says.

“What motivates me is love. I love teaching theatre skills and I love witnessing the development of young creative artists as their confidence grows and they start to back themselves and their ideas.

“The enjoyment for my work comes from the fun and laughter that we share in the theatre making space, the camaraderie, and the joy that our audience experience with our live productions.”

Mr Kidd has tried his hand at all sorts of roles within the theatre industry, including directing productions of Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Misérables at the Darwin Chorale and starring in Bran Nue Dae in the early 1990s. He has also spent time performing in Melbourne and Sydney, touring nationally for 20 years.

In 2020, Mr Kidd also won the Inspiring the Next Generation Award from the Northern Territory Performing Arts Awards, and has previously won Teacher of the Year from the Association of Independent Schools of the Northern Territory.

“I was thrilled when I first heard that I was being considered for an OAM. As a proud Australian I consider this award to be a great honour,” he says.

“I would like to thank my wife and creative partner Kristina. May we spend many more years together theatre-making, supporting young creatives and entertaining our audience.”