Dr Daniel Widdowson (BTh, MTh, DCA)
Dr Daniel Widdowson is an Australian creative leader, academic and storyteller, holding a Doctorate in Creative Arts. He lectures in Production & Direction, Film & Television Production, World Theatre Studies and Performance Practice, equipping emerging artists with both technical precision and creative voice.
A finalist for Australian of the Year and Australian Playwright of the Year, Daniel is the recipient of the Mainstream Journalism Award for Mental Health Services Australia & New Zealand, Best Director at the Florence Film Awards, and Best Screenplay at the New York Movie Awards. He serves as an Ambassador for the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, has received the Collins Booksellers Arts Award, and is the Artistic Director of Salt House Creative.
Daniel is widely recognised for his work in television, having hosted and segment produced the long-running children’s program Saturday Disney from 2000 to 2007. During this time, he reported internationally on major entertainment events, including the opening of Disney’s California Adventure, the London launch of Ice Age 2, the Millennium Dreamers Global Summit, and the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland. At Network Seven, he also contributed to the writing team for Home and Away, presented Ground Force, and appeared in both the Melbourne and Perth Telethons.
His provocative black comedy Worm Farming, exploring the global refugee crisis, premiered at the National Museum of Australia in 2017 and was endorsed by human rights advocate Julian Burnside AO QC. The success of the work led to his ongoing involvement with the Australian Writers’ Guild, where he serves as a judging panel member. Daniel has written over 30 original stage plays, made freely available to schools and community groups across Australia, reflecting his commitment to accessible arts education.
As an actor, Daniel’s screen credits include roles in NCIS, Last King of the Cross, Colin from Accounts, ABC Studios’ Reef Break, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Strife, and feature films Equivocal Redemption, Get Free, Book of Job and Suing the Devil. His stage work spans classical and contemporary performance, including Henry V, Pride and Prejudice, Legally Blonde, and The Crucible. He is also set to appear in A Colt Is My Passport.
Daniel is the author of Humanity Isn’t Dead: Change the World in 40 Days, a work that reflects his ongoing commitment to social impact through storytelling and practical action.
