Australian visual artist and theatre director
Kim David Carpenter AM is an Australian visual artist, theatre director, designer and devisor. For thirty years he was artistic director of his company, Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image.[ 1]
Early life
Carpenter was born in Newcastle, New South Wales in 1950.[ 2] He moved to Sydney as a teenager to train as a painter.[ 3] He studied production at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1968 and 1969.[ 2] He also studied at Motley Theatre Design Course in London in 1971.[ 4]
Biography
During the 1970s, Carpenter designed for the Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney's Nimrod Theatre Company . He was, for a short period, co-Artistic Director of Nimrod along with John Bell and Neil Armfield in the early 1980s.[ 5]
In 1988, Carpenter established Theatre of Image as Sydney's first visual theatre company. Theatre of Image has developed into a leading Australian theatre company for children and families, with its productions having a distinctive visual style.[ 6] [ 7] In September 2019 he announced the closure of the company.[ 8]
His work includes The Book of Everything [ 9] which he created with Neil Armfield for Theatre of Image and Belvoir . The production toured Australia and played a season in New York at the New Victory Theater .[ 10]
In 2019 he adapted and designed The Happy Prince [ 11] as a ballet for The Australian Ballet .[ 12] It premiered at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre In February 2019[ 13]
Carpenter was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2013 for significant service to the performing arts.[ 14] [ 15]
Carpenter has devised, directed or designed over 100 productions for theatre, opera, dance, physical theatre, ballet and puppetry.[ 16]
Awards
Member The Order of Australia (AM)
Lifetime Achievement Award Australian Production Designers Guild
2 Helpmann Awards
3 Australian Writers' Guild Awards
4 Sydney Theatre Awards 2011, 2012
2 Green Room Awards
Centenary Medal Australia
Arts Hub Award
Study Awards
Australian Artist-in-Residence Atelier Artistique International de Seguret, France
Australia Council Travel Grant New York to work with Robert Wilson
Loudon Sainthill Scholarship Europe
Churchill Fellowship (puppetry) to visit Japan, France, Holland & UK
Independent Works
Year
Production
Role
Partnerships
1970
Death of a Salesman
Designer
The Old Tote Theatre Co, UNSW Drama Foundation
1970
The Breasts of Tiresias
Designer
University of Sydney , Footbridge Theatre
1970
This Story of Yours
Designer
The Old Tote Theatre Co , UNSW
1973
Lysistrata
Designer
The Old Tote Theatre Co, UNSW Drama Foundation
1973
The American Dream
Designer
Q Theatre Co
1974
Oh, What a Lovely War!
Designer
Rusden State College
1974
Time
Director
Rusden State College
1978
Bon-Bons and Roses for Dolly
Designer
Playbox
1983
Beyond Mozambique
Designer
Festival of Sydney
1983
Rapunzel in Suburbia
Adaptor, Director, Designer
Marionette Theatre
1985
The Little Mermaid (Boyd)
Director, Designer
The Australian Opera
1986
An Imaginary Life
Adaptor, Director, Designer
Belvoir
1986
Fantastic Toys
Designer
Australian Dance Theatre
1987
Away
Designer
State Theatre Co of SA
1988
A Moon Between Two Houses
Designer
Kite Theatre Co, QLD Tour
1988
Sun-Hunters
Director, Designer
Dancenorth, Festival of Sydney, Australian Bicentennial Authority
1988
The Pathfinder
Director
World Expo on Stage
1991
Earthly Paradise
Director, Designer
Malthouse
1995
Last Days Of A Famous Mime
Devisor, Director, Designer
SYDNEY STORIES Sydney Theatre Co, Sydney Festival
1996
Lift off Live
Designer
Australian Children's Television Foundation, Sydney Festival, national tour
2020
The Happy Prince Ballet
Adaptor, Designer
Queensland Symphony Orchestra, The Australian Ballet
2024
Incredibilia
Adaptor, Director, Designer
Riverside Theatres, State Library of NSW
For The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)
Year
Production
Role
Partnerships
1968
Dark of the Moon
Designer
Jane Street Theatre
1968
Right You Are (If You Think So)
Stage Manager
University of NSW , Old Tote Theatre (1963-1969)
1968
The Matchmaker
Designer
The ABC Concert Department, Elizabethan Theatre Trust, UNSW
1969
Lock Up Your Daughters
Designer
1969
Rooted
Designer
The Old Tote Theatre Co, UNSW Drama Foundation
1969
Spurt of Blood
Director
Jane Street Theatre
1969
The Rise and Fall of Boronia Avenue
Designer
The Old Tote Theatre Co, UNSW, UNSW Drama Foundation
1979
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Designer
Jane Street Co, Sydney Theatre Co, Sydney Opera House Trust
1988
Veneer
Director
The Adelaide Festival of Arts
1988
Veneer 2
Director
For The Melbourne Theatre Company
Year
Production
Role
Partnerships
1972
Danton's Death
Designer
Elizabethan Theatre Trust, The University of Melbourne
1972
Father Dear, Come Over Here
Designer
Elizabethan Theatre Trust, The University of Melbourne
1972
The Chocolate Frog
Designer
Elizabethan Theatre Trust, The University of Melbourne
1972
The Old Familiar Juice
Designer
Elizabethan Theatre Trust, The University of Melbourne
1973
Jugglers Three
Designer
Canberra Melbourne & Sydney
1978
Just Between Ourselves
Designer
Melbourne
1978
Richard III
Designer
The University of Melbourne
1978
The Beaux' Stratagem
Designer
The University of Melbourne
1978
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Designer
The University of Melbourne
1982
Crimes of the Heart
Designer
The University of Melbourne
1983
Gulls
Designer
The University of Melbourne
1983
Slice
Devisor, Director, Designer
The University of Melbourne
1995
Blabbermouth
Designer
Arena Theatre Co
1993 & 1995
Two Weeks with the Queen
Designer
Sydney Theatre Co & tour
For Nimrod Theatre
Year
Production
Role
Partnerships
1974
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Designer
1975
You Want It Don't You Billy?
Designer
1976
All Over
Designer
1977
Much Ado About Nothing
Designer
1977
Twelfth Night
Designer
1979
On Our Selection
Designer
Festival of Sydney
1979
The Life of Galileo
Designer
1980
The House of the Deaf Man
Designer
1980
The Oresteia
Designer
1980
Volpone
Designer
1981
Three Sisters
Designer
1984
Salonika
Designer
1985
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Director, Designer
1976 & 1977
Travesties
Designer
1981 & 1983
Slice
Devisor, Director, Designer
Melbourne Theatre Co
For Theatre of Image
Year
Production
Role
Partnerships
1988
The Sky Wizard
Devisor, Director, Designer
World Expo on Stage
1989
Colours of Desire
Devisor, Director, Designer
Art Gallery of NSW
1989
Hello
Devisor, Director, Designer
Sydney Theatre Co
1990
Swimming in Light... The world of Lloyd Rees
Devisor, Director, Designer
Melbourne Theatre Co, National Gallery of Australia, Caracas International Theatre Festival, Seymour Centre Sydney
1990
Wanted Pictures
Devisor, Director, Designer
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Biennale
1992
The Last Stop
Devisor, Director, Designer
Art Gallery of NSW
1994
Carnival of the Animals
Devisor, Director, Designer
Sydney Theatre Co
1994
White Heat
Devisor, Director, Designer
The Art Gallery of NSW
1995
Pierrot and Columbine
Adaptor, Director, Designer
Sydney Theatre Co
1997
Vivaldi's Ring Of Mystery
Devisor, Director, Designer
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra at Sydney Opera House
1999
Exotic Pleasures
Devisor, Director, Designer
Sydney
2000
Grandma's Shoes
Director, Designer
Opera Australia
2001
The Gypsy Boy
Devisor, Director, Designer
Sydney
2002
Mad Bad and Spooky
Director, Designer
Sydney Festival
2004
Tales from the Arabian Nights
Designer
Sydney and tour
2005
Stella and the Moon Man
Director, Designer
Australian Youth Orchestra, , Sydney Theatre Co
2007
Lulie the Iceberg
Director, Designer
Kageboushi Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Co
2008
Pixel and Friends ... the colour show
Devisor, Director, Designer
Powerhouse Museum
2011
Snow On Mars
Creator, Designer
Sydney Festival
2019
Brett & Wendy... A Love Story Bound by Art[ 17]
Creator, Director, Designer,Writer
Riverside Theatres, Sydney Festival
1991 & 1999
Hansel and Gretel...a tale of our times
Director, Designer
Belvoir & Sydney Theatre Co
1992, 1993, 2003, 2008
The Happy Prince
Director, Designer
Sydney Theatre Company , Manitoba Theatre for Young People , Seymour Centre , Sydney Festival , Awesome Festival , Arts Centre Melbourne , National Tours
1997, 1998, 2001
Jake And Pete…A Roadstory For Cats
Sydney and tour
2002 & 2003
Robinson Crusoe
Adaptor, Director, Designer
Sydney Theatre Co, Windmill Performing Arts & tour
2005 & 2006
Go Pinocchio!
Director, Designer
Sydney & Regional Tour
2010 & 2015
Little Beauty[ 18] [ 19]
Devisor, Director, Designer
National Portrait Gallery
2011 & 2013
The Book of Everything
Designer
The New Victory , Melbourne Theatre Company , Belvoir
2014 & 2015
Monkey...Journey To The West [ 20]
Creator, Designer
Australian International Arts Festivals - tour
International Tours
Solo Exhibitions
2024
A Midsummer Night's Dream Maunsell Wickes Gallery Sydney
2022
WILDE: Life and Fantasy Maunsell Wickes Gallery Sydney
2020
The Happy Prince ARO Gallery Sydney
2015
Art For The Theatre The Depot Gallery Danks St Sydney
2007
Page to Stage Lulie The Iceberg Japan Foundation Gallery
2004
Pixel & Friends Powerhouse Museum
Two exhibitions Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
Group Exhibitions
Wright Hephurn Gallery London
Quadrennial (2) Prague
Theatre Designs S. H. Ervin Gallery Sydney
British & Australian Theatre Design Adelaide Festival, National Tour, UK Tour
Australian Centenary of Federation designs for The Future Powerhouse Museum, Sydney permanent collection
Australian Curated Exhibit A.A. Bakhrushin Central State Theatre Museum, Moscow
Australian Designers Association Productions Sydney Opera House
References
^ "Kim Carpenter: life after Theatre of Image" . Limelight . Retrieved 20 December 2021 .
^ a b Zeplin, Pamela (1995). Parsons, Philip (ed.). Companion to Theatre in Australia . Sydney: Currency Press. p. 128. ISBN 0868193577 .
^ "Creative visionary Kim Carpenter returns to NIDA" . ABC News . 19 June 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2017 .
^ Mullin, Michael (1 January 1996). Design by Motley . Associated University Presse. ISBN 9780874135695 .
^ Meyrick, Julian (2002). See How It Runs: Nimrod and the New Wave . Sydney: Currency Press. p. 189. ISBN 0-86819-651-7 .
^ Kembrey, Melanie (10 April 2015). "Theatre of Image's Kim Carpenter displays body of work in new exhibition" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 9 May 2017 .
^ Verghis, Sharon (20 June 2005). "Theatre is more than mere child's play" . www.smh.com.au . Retrieved 9 May 2017 .
^ Low, Lenny Ann (9 September 2019). "Final curtain call for legendary theatre company" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 5 January 2020 .
^ "Belvoir Hit The Book of Everything for Adelaide | Stage Whispers" . www.stagewhispers.com.au . Retrieved 20 December 2021 .
^ "The Book of Everything Scores Rave Reviews in New York | Stage Whispers" . www.stagewhispers.com.au . Retrieved 7 November 2016 .
^ "The Happy Prince ballet may be jinxed, but the show goes on" . Australian Financial Review . 7 October 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2021 .
^ "★★★☆☆ The Happy Prince (The Australian Ballet)" . Limelight . Retrieved 20 December 2021 .
^ Ballet, The Australian. "The Happy Prince | The Australian Ballet" . australianballet.com.au . Retrieved 18 July 2021 .
^ "Kim David Carpenter" . honours.pmc.gov.au . Retrieved 5 January 2020 .
^ "Pyrmont theatre company owner appointed member of Order of Australia" . DailyTelegraph . Retrieved 7 November 2016 .
^ "AusStage" . www.ausstage.edu.au . Retrieved 20 December 2021 .
^ "Brett and Wendy … A Love Story Bound by Art | Stage Whispers" . www.stagewhispers.com.au . Retrieved 21 December 2021 .
^ "Little Beauty" . National Portrait Gallery calendar . Retrieved 12 September 2022 .
^ Circle, Canberra Critics (3 July 2018). "Canberra Critics Circle: LITTLE BEAUTY" . Canberra Critics Circle . Retrieved 12 September 2022 .
^ "Monkey … Journey to the West" . Australian Arts Review . 25 September 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2021 .
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