Hendrik Baird

Hendrik Baird studied Drama at the University of Pretoria, where he completed an honors degree. He has worked in the performance arts for the past 30+ years, most notably in developmental arts in the Northwest Province of South Africa. Here he conceived and managed the North West Cultural Calabash Arts Festival for many years.

He has worked as a magician, puppeteer, playwright, and arts administrator, as well as appearing in feature movies and television series while also working behind the cameras.

Hendrik is a certified non-medical hypnotherapist and is part of a team presenting hypnosis masterclasses.

Hendrik has been active in LGBTQ+ issues, being a founding member of the nonprofit Gay Umbrella and working for OUT LGBT Well-Being. He wrote the research report for the UNISA Centre of Applied Psychology project entitled "Same Sex Sexuality in the North-West Province: Community Report on the Outcomes of a Research Project" in 2010.

During his stint as station manager for GaySA Radio, he spearheaded the successful campaign to have US hate-speech pastor Steven Anderson banned from entering South Africa. His work at GaySA Radio led to the station being nominated for a South African Radio Award and winning a Feather Award.

Hendrik graduated with a Master’s degree in Media and Journalism in 2019 and, in 2020, started the company Baird Media (Pty) Ltd with his son Ethan Baird.