Meet Masterful Martin - Midsumma's Volunteer Coordinator
With a camera roll full of cute doggo pics and a suave British accent, we have no doubt that there will be herds of volunteers signing up to work with Martin. A people person at heart, Martin loves working his magic behind the scenes to see our queer arts and cultural industry fly.
Q: Describe yourself in three words: Friendly. Chilled. Short.
Q: What drew you to working in the arts industry?
I used to dream of being in musicals when I was a kid and at school was given the ‘Brad Pitt Award for the Student most Likely to be an Actor’ when I was 15 (the certificate was made with Word Art in Comic Sans - still absolutely a treasured possession). But quite quickly I realised I was petrified of being on stage and was much better equipped to being behind the scenes making the magic happen with a team of likeminded people.
Q: What area of your work are you most passionate about?
I am so excited about community involvement. Personal stories are powerful and I’m looking forward to listening to yours.
Q: Where is your favourite place in the world?
I’m originally from the UK and Brighton holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I was living when I came out and the queer community there were so welcoming. It’s also the first place I ever went to a Pride celebration, and I will never forget that experience.
Q: What is the future of queer arts and culture?
The limit does not exist.
Q: Best festival experience?
It’s a tie between seeing Bjork at Glastonbury and the first time I ever saw Betty Grumble perform ‘Love and Anger’ – both shows blew my mind with their unapologetic creativity and power.
Q: What is your favourite song and why?
Such a hard question to narrow down but today I think it’s ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ by Etta James, although anything in the back catalogue of Ariana Grande is up there for me!
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Trust your gut!
