Welcome
Welcome to the Creative Arts Nest – where ideas take flight and creativity connects us.
Rooted in the rich tradition of the creative and performing arts, the Nest brings together the St Agnes’ Education community to inspire, engage, and celebrate. It’s a bold new way our schools collaborate — offering students extraordinary artistic opportunities that go beyond what any one school could provide.
Through vibrant performances, exhibitions, and partnerships with local artists, the Nest sparks connection, expression, and imagination across our schools and the wider community.
Our Purpose
Like a bird’s nest, creativity can seem imperfect from the outside — but inside, it’s a space built for growth.
Every Creative Arts Nest project aims to create an environment where children feel they truly belong, where creativity is nurtured with honesty, and where our schools, parish, and wider community are encouraged to connect through the arts.
The Nest Team
Steph Maddren
Stephanie Maddren is the Director of regionally based production company, Got Ya Back Productions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Dance) from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and has since kept a very constant career in that and more.
She spent 5 busy years in Sydney and Melbourne as a commercial dancer, choreographer, model and teacher. Her work as a dancer took her to stages all around Australia from The Sydney Opera House to the Quarry Amphitheatre in Perth. She has danced in Film and TV including Baz Lurhmans’s Great Gatsby and So You Think You Can Dance (season 1).
As a choreographer, she has choreographed numerous dance numbers including 28 episodes of The Fo Fo Figgily Show in Abu Dhabi, featured performance for Paspaley Pearls at Qualia, Hamilton Island, and Zoggs International’s swimwear parades in Sydney.
As a model she has walked the runway for Project Runway Australia, Sydney and Melbourne Fashion Weeks and has headed up advertising campaigns for brands such as NIB Health Insurance, Blanco Kitchens and Brasilfit Sportswear. She has also done tourism shoots for VOMO Island, Fiji and Castaway Island, Fiji.
For the past 5 years Steph has also been a mentoring coach at the Sydney School of Protocol where she teaches the importance of positive body language, posture and presence to businesses and students.
Stephanie and her husband, Tim Maddren, formed Got Ya Back Productions on the NSW Mid North Coast in 2017. Since then, they have created and produced three original touring theatre productions, a feature length film, a drive in cinema, music/corporate videos and 14 separate theatrical productions for aspiring young performers across Taree & Port Macquarie.
Stephanie loves living and working on the Mid North Coast with Tim and their two sons, Banjo and Charlie. She’s proud to have Got Ya Back Productions at the forefront of the regional arts industry, and for this, she’s excited for the industry’s future in the regions.
Tim Maddren
Tim’s experience in the Australian performing arts industry is broad.
He is a WAAPA grad and as a performer, Tim’s credits include major roles in numerous Australian music theatre touring productions. The Rocky Horror Show, The Addams Family Musical, Topol’s Fiddler on the Roof & Altar Boyz.
He is a former member of the children’s group Hi-5. He filmed 135 episodes, released 3 albums with Sony Music Australia and toured internationally. Whilst in Hi-5 he was nominated, along with the rest of the group, for two TV Week Logie Awards, two ARIA Awards and an Asian Television Award.
As a writer, Tim was invited in 2015 to join the Australian Writers Guild Pathways Program. Since this he has had three original theatrical productions produced/toured and one feature length screenplay now in the early stages of development.
In 2017, he and his wife Stephanie formed Got Ya Back Productions. As producers they have produced over 20 separate theatrical productions and toured some throughout NSW and into QLD. In late 2020 Got Ya Back produced their first feature length film.
Tim is also the Artistic Director of the School of Hard Knocks Choir in the Hastings Area.
Michelle McKenzie
Having worked alongside St Agnes’ Parish for over 20 years, Michelle brings extensive project management, marketing and design experience to the NEST. She has a passion for helping businesses with purpose communicate their why with the world and the NEST certainly ticks this box!
Partners
The Creative Arts NEST is proudly part of the community of St Agnes’ Education and its schools.
