Steven Alderton is the Director of Programs, Exhibitions and Cultural Collections at the Australian Museum, Sydney. He creates exhibitions and programs about science/ culture/ art, and draws on the Museum’s collection of 18 million objects. With expertise in strategy development, organisational transformation, audience, and program development, Steven sets the vision and the visitor experience for the Australian Museum. 

Steven has lead a joint initiative between the Australian Museum, Microsoft and the University of New South Wales, called ‘The Australian Museum Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Living Languages Lab powered by Microsoft’. The initiative demonstrates the organisations’ shared commitment to using Microsoft Machine Learning and Translation technologies in supporting Australian Indigenous communities to preserve and offer new ways to save and teach their languages to a new generation. 

Steven is committed to developing programs onsite, online and regionally. In 2014/15, 622,127 people saw Australian Museum touring exhibitions, including the ‘Tyrannosaurs, Meet the Family’ exhibition which won the Museums Australia MAGNA Best large scale Touring Exhibition Award. ‘Tyrannosaurs’ will tour North America from 2016 onwards. 

Steven has a background in growing audiences and producing innovative public programs with extensive community engagement. His past roles include Director of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Lismore Regional Gallery, Bundaberg Arts Centre and Redland Art Gallery. Steven has developed many key Australian Indigenous projects at the Australian Museum, including Garrigarrang Sea Country and Bayala Nura Yarning Country galleries and strategic acquisitions by Ken Thaiday and Yuendemu artists. 

Over the years Steven has curated many exhibitions, including shows by Tracey Moffatt, Tommy Watson and Judy Napangardi Watson, Patricia Piccinini, Ricky Swallow and Ian Fairweather. In 2008 Steven developed the Splendid cross-artform project, in partnership with Splendour in the Grass music festival, supporting young and emerging artists.