It’s hard to answer this quickly. My main gigs are looking after the marketing and social media for Brisbane Arts Theatre and I’m a front of house manager at Brisbane Powerhouse. I also DJ at a few venues around town as aljaro or part of a collective known as Brave Pioneers. You might also catch me producing documentaries, short films or film clips as well.
Why do you do it?
I’ve always loved the relationship between audio and video. I started of working in the world of film and TV and loved the exciting nature of it. Never having two days the same is pretty exhilarating! But that industry is largely contract based (actually so is most of the arts) and as fun and exciting as it was I needed a bit more stability in my life as I got older. I got a job at Brisbane Arts Theatre and have been in the theatrical/live performance biz since. I’ll admit I had my head in the sand about the Brisbane theatre scene but it is a very extensive community. You could go see a theatre show any night of the week in Brisbane and that supports a lot of people.
What do you love about the city you live in?
Brisbane is a pretty laid-back city. The weather is generally hospitable. The people are mostly friendly. It’s got a buzz about it without being too frenetic. Plus I think Brisbane’s scene is on the rise, particularly in the arts (be they performance or visual). I know Brisbane already has a strong music heritage (from The Go-Betweens to Regurgitator to DZ Deathrays) but it’s nice to see other areas picking up.
Where did you go for your last holiday?
My last holiday was spent driving around New Zealand for three weeks. An incredibly beautiful place. I’ve always admired their chilled out vibe.
What's your favourite item of clothing? Why?
Probably sneakers. I’ll admit to having a bit of a fetish for kicks. You can wear kicks for any occasion, and if there’s an occasion where you can’t wear kicks – I don’t want to be there. There’s so many different types out there too. Red leather, blue denim, green suede. Often they can be like comfy art pieces that you wear on your feet.
What was your favourite TV show when you were a kid?
That’s a pretty tough question for me – like asking who is your favourite parent. TV in the '90s was pretty wild for a kid – 'Captain Planet', 'Biker Mice From Mars', 'Power Rangers', 'Secret World Of Alex Mack', 'Danger Mouse'… too many to name. 'Cheez TV' in the morning and 'ABC Kids' in the afternoon were important parts of the day!
If you could travel back in time for a day, where would you go?
As a kid I was obsessed with dinosaurs so the Jurassic Period would be up there. But my partner always tells me I’m a '70s child so maybe Woodstock for a day would be epic. Watch Jimi Hendrix close the festival and effectively end an era.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook for us?
I know everybody is doing it already, but it’s hard to go past American comfort food. Some pulled pork, grilled corn, spicy chicken wings, BBQ ribs, coleslaw, potato salad… brb eating.
What's the best lesson you've ever learned?
If you pizza when you’re supposed to French fry, you’re gonna have a bad time.
Tell us one thing about yourself that nobody else knows...
I’m going to be a scenestr of the day!
Are you happy with your work/life balance?
I live by the mantra of finding a job where you “live to work not work to live”. If you work hard and find the right job then you’ll never work a day in your life and you’ve got it made.
How do you define success?
Just like everyone else – jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash.
What's your spirit animal?
I’d like to think it’s a stag, but I’m probably closer to an orangutan.
