Category: Arts and Heritage
Recipient: Steve Goodman
Nominated By: Warehouse Circus
Steve started his volunteering career from the age of 12 years donating his time for the Australian Wildlife club. He has continued to volunteer his time for organisations such as, Warehouse Circus and the Canberra Playback Theatre as well as working fulltime and bringing up a young family.
As president Steve has seen the warehouse circus find itself homeless and penniless and having a small team of circus providers to being an independent not-for-profit organisation that now trains up to 300 children in circus skills.
This year the Warehouse Circus has been recognised as an ACT key arts organisation and nurtures the performance skills, self esteem, health and activity levels of young people throughout the Canberra region.
A few things Steve has done to help achieve this is:
- President of the board of management including complex negotiations and advocacy
- All IT needs of the circus (on call help service, setting up computers, installing programs, setting up the internet etc)
- Representative for the circus at national conferences at his own expense, raising the profile of Warehouse Circus and increasing collaborative opportunities
- Setting up the incorporated association (huge input into writing the constitution, strategic plan, policies and procedures etc)
- Writing funding submissions and other documents
- Attending working bees, performances and other circus events
- Running training courses for trainee trainers
In 2004, after only one year of doing this, the kids in the circus made a special “Superhero Award’ which they presented to Steve at the end of year show – and Steve is still with the circus, helping them to make a difference in the lives of young Canberrans.
Steve has on some occasions put his own business aside, turning down work opportunities in order to spend more time on circus business, equating to substantial financial/opportunity sacrifices.