“The connections I made whilst studying at JMC were the most important connections I’ve ever made in my life.”

As soon as Steven walked through the doors of JMC, they knew “this is exactly where I want to be”. The opportunity to follow the path they felt compelled to take and be who they truly are is perhaps why the recent acting graduate has, quite literally, performed so well.

After graduating, Steven jumped straight into the world of acting, first landing a touring Shakespeare role and continuing to evolve from there. Now a tried and tested director, choreographer, consensual movement coordinator, and producer, Steven’s creative practice is enriched by their unique knowledge of movement as an instrument for communication. So much so that, from the beginning of 2020, they were asked back to help co-create JMC Acting’s new Alumni Program.

Now, Steven continues to work with their own physical theatre company MERAK, launched in 2021 and named after the Serbian word which refers to the ‘feeling of bliss and the sense of oneness with the universe that comes from life’s simplest pleasures’. Following MERAK’s first production MORTEL, Steven was also invited to join the Directors Lab at Darlinghurst Theatre Company in Sydney. Here, they had the opportunity to work on the history-making production Overflow by Travis Alabanza, where the entire creative team and cast were trans/gender diverse. Speaking about the opportunity in Rolling Stone, Steven says “this is the first time an Australian mainstage theatre production has ever done this. I was lucky enough to work very closely with director Dino Dimitriadis as an associate director on this production.”

“When I’m on stage… it’s so hard to describe the feeling”.

Steven will be the first to say that a career in acting isn’t all just about losing yourself on stage, and credits JMC for helping them to prepare for the nitty-gritty of the acting world.

“I learned everything from script analysis, to movement, to voice, to singing. Acting for screen. Acting for motion-capture. Acting for animation… We’re in the twenty-first century and I think they [JMC] absolutely understand that and they’ve tailored the course to really prepare you for the industry”.

Steven’s story is a special one to us, because their time at JMC speaks not only to the skills they have learned during their studies, but also of the personal development they underwent during their time here. Finding your feet as a creative is tough enough from a skills perspective, but learning to step into your creativity and embrace the limits of yourself and your creativity is another test entirely. Watching Steven step into the spotlight, literally and figuratively, is truly what makes up the heart of what JMC aims to give to its students.

Empowerment in its utmost incarnation.