Kim Carpenter AM is a celebrated multi-award winning artist and international set and costume designer, director, innovator, playwright (over 100 productions) working in the fields of visual theatre, dance, drama, children's theatre, opera, puppetry, physical theatre and musical theatre.

View brief CV listing here

View full listing of Kim’s theatrical works here

View Kim’s oral history here

Kim Carpenter was Founder and Artistic Director of Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image which ran for 30 years from 1989 to 2019. The company produced over 30 original and adapted works all designed by Kim. Kim also directed most of the productions and others were directed by illustrious directors including Neil Arnfield, John Bell, Patrick Nolan and Gale Edwards.

Most of the shows toured the country with some shows also going overseas including one to The Great White Way - Broadway.

View The 30th Anniversary Book here

Life and work of renowned Australian artists

Created, directed and designed these productions about the work and lives of renowned Australian artists:

Swimming in Light…
The World of Lloyd Rees

Performed in 1990 at the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, Australian National Gallery, Seymour Centre Sydney, Caracas International Theatre Festival (1992)

White Heat
at The Arthur Boyd Retrospective

Performed in 1993 at The Art Gallery of NSW featuring the renowned Australian actor Barry Otto. Arthur Boyd was Patron of Theatre of Image until his death.

Brett and Wendy…
A Love Story Bound By Art

Performed in the 2019 Sydney Festival at Riverside Theatres Parramatta . The story of celebrated Australian artist Brett Whiteley’s tempestuous life together with wife Wendy (creator of Wendy’s Secret Garden)

THE ART GALLERY OF NSW

During Edmund Capon’s directorship of The Art Gallery of NSW Theatre of Image had great pleasure in creating short-living art works that would disrupt, engage and delight gallery patrons within the context of an otherwise static and hushed environment

The Last Stop

Wanted Pictures

Colours of Desire
Biennale of Sydney

Kim with Edmund Capon
Late Director of The Art Gallery of NSW

MOST SIGNIFICANT PRODUCTIONS

The Happy Prince – Created in 1992 and in repertoire for 16 years. Sydney Festival, national and international tours.

Adapted to The Happy Prince Ballet by Kim Carpenter and renowned Australian choreographer Graeme Murphy for The Australian Ballet Brisbane 2020.

Grandma’s Shoes

Performed by Opera Australia in 2000 at The Seymour Centre Sydney. Based on the book by Libby Hathorn with a score by renowned Australian composer Graeme Koehne.

The Book of Everything – Performed at Belvoir Sydney 2010. Sydney Festival, The New Victory Theatre, Broadway New York City, national tour

Monkey…Journey To The West 2014-2015 Brisbane and Melbourne Festivals and tour. An Australian celebration of the Chinese classic with song, dance, puppetry, video, Parkour and drama.