Kim Carpenter

Kim David Carpenter 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.

Early life Carpenter was born in Newcastle, New South Wales in 1950. He studied production at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1968 and 1969. He also studied at Motley Theatre Design Course in London in 1971.

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.

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. In September 2019 he announced the closure of the company.

His work includes The Book of Everything 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.

In 2019 he adapted and designed The Happy Prince as a ballet for The Australian Ballet. It premiered at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre In February 2019

Carpenter was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2013 for significant service to the performing arts.

Carpenter has devised, directed or designed over 100 productions for theatre, opera, dance, physical theatre, ballet and puppetry.

Awards

Study Awards Australian Artist-in-Residence Atelier Artistique International de Seguret, FranceAustralia Council Travel Grant New York to work with Robert WilsonLoudon Sainthill Scholarship EuropeChurchill 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 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 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 Creator, Designer Australian International Arts Festivals - tour

International Tours Year Production Role Partnerships 1973 Dido & Aeneas / Edward John Eyre Designer UNSW Opera, London & Aberdeen 1990 Swimming in Light... The world of Lloyd Rees Devisor, Director, Designer Caracas Theatre Festival Venezuela 1992 Hansel and Gretel...a tale of our times Director, Designer Aotea Centre New Zealand 1995 Two Weeks with the Queen Designer Sydney Theatre Co, Johannesburg 2001 Jake And Pete...A Roadstory For Cats Director, Designer Manitoba Theatre for Young People 2002 The Happy Prince Director, Writer Manitoba Theatre for Young People 2012 The Book of Everything Designer New Victory Theater New York City

Solo Exhibitions

Group Exhibitions Wright Hephurn Gallery LondonQuadrennial (2) PragueTheatre Designs S. H. Ervin Gallery SydneyBritish & Australian Theatre Design Adelaide Festival, National Tour, UK TourAustralian Centenary of Federation designs for The Future Powerhouse Museum, Sydney permanent collectionAustralian Curated Exhibit A.A. Bakhrushin Central State Theatre Museum, MoscowAustralian Designers Association Productions Sydney Opera House