Meet your NEW Program Manager - Patrick Hayes
*Update: in December 2019, Patrick Hayes moved from Acting Program Manager of Midsumma Festival to our Program Manager. We wholeheartedly welcome Patrick on-board our core Midsumma team.
Cool as a cucumber and just as nice as pie, the Midsumma team is very excited to welcome Patrick Hayes into the mix #blessed.
A former Associate Producer of Melbourne Fringe and Project Coordinator at APAM - Australian Performing Arts Market presented by Brisbane Powerhouse - Patrick will be taking care of all things Midsumma Festival programming and making your 2020 festival experience just perfect.
You will no doubt be seeing this suave programmer, donning a dapper tie and signature smile around Melbourne over the next few months as Patrick places the cheery on top for all of our Midsumma Presents events.
This month, we introduce Patrick Hayes – Midsumma's NEW Program Manager.
Q: Describe yourself in three words: Dapper, Geek, Calm
Q: What were you doing before Midsumma?
I was working on Melbourne Fringe, producing the Artistic Development program and managing their major projects. I have been working in festivals for a few years now, before Melbourne Fringe I was based in Brisbane.
Q: What drew you to working in the arts industry?
I love creating spaces for storytelling and experiences. It is my ultimate joy to see a group of people who are separate in the ‘real’ world come together and experience something. There are always a range of ways to interact with work, but there is something special about everyone engaging together.
Q: What area of your work are you most passionate about?
As a Producer, I love to organise things. I have several templates of spreadsheets ready to go for different situations.
Q: What’s your favourite way to spend a weekend?
Sleeping in, riding to a cafe for breakfast/brunch, listening to a podcast while people watching and finishing by playing dungeons and dragons with some good friends. The literal dream.
Q: What’s your life motto?
The world is too cruel for us to not be kind.
Q: What is your must-see production/show/event of the year?
I may be a little biased as it is the program I am helping to deliver, but the Queer Unsettled program is set to be an amazing selection of works, if you can make it to at least one, amazing. More than one, perfection.
Q: What keeps you awake at night?
Apart from random to-do lists my brain seems to make whenever I try to relax, the Sun staying up so late! As a Brisbane boy, it still throws my body clock out of whack.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“You have to look back to know where you came from, but if you never look forward you may walk into a tree” - My Mother.
