Sid Naidu is a photojournalist and documentarian who documents stories across the intersection of culture and change.

Earning a Bachelor in Arts & Contemporary Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2010 and completing a graduate certificate in International Development at Centennial College in 2019, Sid built his independent freelance practice around the creative industries and community development.

Born overseas and moving between different worlds of culture, Sid Naidu's documentary work is influenced by the journey of a first-generation Canadian immigrant raised in the cultural hotbed of Scarborough, Toronto.

Drawing inspiration from street arts, cultural movements and global development, he worked and lived across Asia, Australia and the Americas to create bodies of photographic works and collaborate on development projects.

“Art isn’t supposed to change the world, but it can” - JR

Through the lens of a creator and changemaker, Sid has worked with organizations such as Artscape, Action Against Hunger Canada, the City of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, Centennial College, Complex Networks, Toronto Community Housing, Toronto Public Library, TEDx, and UNICEF.

His journey led him to co-found Scarborough Made, a collective that documents stories of humanity through photography and filmmaking. Over the past two years, he has grown the project as the managing director and raised over 200K in funding to provide creative mentorship opportunities to youth and develop public art installations in underserved communities.

In 2020, Sid founded SNCD Studio as a creative venture to develop social impact projects that can support artists, start-up brands and socially-minded organizations in their purpose-driven work.

For 2024, Sid has been awarded grant funding from the Toronto Arts Council to develop arts programming through the Scarborough Made and Change Made project, which will engage youth in documentary storytelling and the visual arts in Toronto.

Sid’s work as a photographer and journalist has been published in Complex Canada, The Globe & Mail, Photo Ed Magazine & The Narwhal.