Inaugural recipient of the Country Arts Foundation Mentorship Award, Samuel Halleday, is passing the torch to his St Martins Lutheran College peer Christopher Mossford Macgregor for 2026.

The year-long mentorship, launched at the end of 2024, supports the professional development of a student with passion for the arts through experiences at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre and other opportunities tailored to their individual practice.

Samuel was selected as the inaugural recipient for growing from a quiet student to a confident performer, his willingness to give anything a go, and often being the first to arrive and last to leave when it comes to the arts.

“I wanted to go into the arts when I finished school, so the mentorship was a dream come true and everything I’ve wanted,” he said.

Over the past year, Samuel’s mentorship has included show tickets, a behind-the-scenes tour at the SRHT with a focus on sound and lighting, and short acting courses through NIDA Online.

He said getting a taste test of the renowned drama school without having to move interstate at 18 years old to attend in-person was a blessing.

“It’s really given me an idea of what they look for and how they do things if I want to get in further down the track, as well as everything they’ve taught me in the sessions as well,” he said.

At SRHT, Samuel was able to not only attend Looking for Alibrandi but witness the play’s dress rehearsal beforehand.

“It showed me how much work they put into it, how the casts gels together and what people are like when they’re not actually on stage — they were comfortable with each other, they got along, had the same sense of humour,” Samuel said.

“When I go and do my shows, whether I’m acting or directing, those relationships and chemistries is what you want the actors to have together.”

Samuel also learnt about sound and lighting, which he said reinforced his aspirations to be on the stage rather than behind the curtain.

“Every time I see someone act on stage I think ‘I want to be up there’,” he said.

“It’s really tough to know where to start — I could’ve very easily just moved somewhere and gotten into something else and given up on the dream.

“I never would’ve known who to talk to or had the resources to find these places and things to do, so for the foundation to point me in the right direction has been lifechanging.”

While Samuel goes onto study film production at university in Adelaide next year, Christopher Mossford Macgregor will expand on his skills as a trumpeter, pianist and emerging actor as the second mentorship recipient, selected by teacher Andy Ahrens.

“St Martins has always wanted to recognise students who have shown a passion and an expertise in the performing arts,” Andy said.

“We approached our local theatre, the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre, initially to see if they would like to put their name on an award.

“It was wonderful that Country Arts SA wanted to go a step further and turn the award into a mentorship that would provide real life experiences and further development for our students. “

To support the mentorship and regional arts at large, donate to the Country Arts Foundation by visiting here.

Image: L- Samuel Halleday (2024 mentorship recipient) and R- Christopher Mossford Macgregor (2025 mentorship recipient).