What’s your name/introduce yourself? Hi, my name is Rebecca

What is your job role at Waterside? I am an Events Assistant at Waterside

How long have you worked at Waterside? I have worked here for about 6 years now. Started when I was 18, worked for 5 years. Took 3 years out and then as soon as I heard there was a job available I jumped at the opportunity to work at this lovely venue again.

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? I actually really enjoy serving the customers! Especially when it’s an interval for a busy music gig. Quite a thrill trying to serve 400 people in 20 minutes. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves, having a good night.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? I have met a few famous people! Sue Perkins, Miranda Hart and Jason Manford! (who didn't perform at Waterside, but came to pick up his brother Colin Manford after he had just finished a set there.)

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? Scrabble has kept me busy for the most part and also my crafting! I have a small Etsy shop that I have been doing some designs for.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? One of my favourite has to be the performance of Oklahoma! I made time to come in on one of my days off to watch it! I was singing the songs for weeks after!

What super power would you most like to have and why? I would love to be able to fly, feel the wind in my hair and see sights that people wouldn’t normally get chance to see. It would cut my travel costs right down too!

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? We held a wedding fair at Waterside one year and a colleague and I were put forward to model some of the wedding and bridesmaid dresses from a local shop. It was so much fun getting our hair and make-up done and walking down the catwalk in our beautiful dresses.

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown? During lockdown I have learnt that I’m not too bad at scrabble! 

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers?  What creative things have you made during lockdown?

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? 

I’m Darren, I grew up in a small Cheshire town and I’ve spent 21 years living in Manchester, so definitely considered to be an adopted Mancunian. I live with my partner of 18 years, Drew and our 15 year old border collie, Elphie.

What is your job role at Waterside? 

I’m Venue Manager for Waterside. Along with looking after the awesome team we have here, the main aspects of my role include strategic development, artistic output and business growth. A lot of my time is focused on connecting with artists and stakeholders, representing the venue both locally and nationally.

How long have you worked at Waterside? 

Officially around 7 ½ years, but this has been split over the venue’s 16 years. I was one of a small management team who opened Waterside in 2004 and worked at the venue until the end of 2006, making a return in 2015.

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? 

Where to start! I feel so honoured to have a job role that challenges me in all areas. Having spent many years working on festivals, there’s nothing that can beat the feeling of delivering our annual festival, Refract. I’m an advocate for outdoor arts and Refract began as a way to demonstrate my vision for what Waterside could be to our audiences and the team. Each year we change our spaces to create memorable, unique experiences - it’s hard work, but so rewarding. Pride in Trafford has been a great addition to our portfolio too - we shared a beautiful moment to mark IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia) where we were joined by the children from Springfield Primary singing ‘In My World’ – our hearts melted.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite?

Probably way too many to mention! Alan Carr performed MANY years ago as part of our monthly Buzz Comedy Night and we’ve had some remarkable artists over the years that really stand out; José Gonzalez, Ren Harvieu, the Cocoa Butter Club, Apphia Campbell, Kathryn Williams, Max Calaf-Sevé and Turin Brakes. Perhaps the most memorable for me however was in 2018 where the Magic Numbers closed Refract:18, it was an amazing gig and I got to hit the confetti canon launch button to close the show – the band were just so lovely. The team at Waterside go above and beyond in looking after the artists we welcome to the venue - we know that’s so important and our approach really stands out above the crowd.

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown?

Well, I’ve been doing things I never expected I would be. Whilst we’ve faced some huge challenges, it has also given me an opportunity to reflect and adapt in new ways of working. I’ve been running some of the live streamed content from home as part of our Pride Inside micro-festival and we’ve been creating some lovely videos to celebrate our team members' quarantine birthdays. Other than that, I’ve been doing loads of decorating at home and getting a few things off the endless jobs list. I’ve really enjoyed the online content from venues, musicians and comedians. I was also due to be at Glastonbury this year, so have been enjoying the ‘Glastonbury at Home’ experience (without the camping, mud and endless trekking around), but it’s definitely got me excited for Glastonbury 2021.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside?

Can I say two? Firstly we had a triple bill music event as part of Refract:17, where we had Felix Hagan and the Family, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners (a procession band performing 90s club hits) followed by DJ Jamie Bull. There was glitter, glamour and great music, the audience went wild and it was such a memorable event that embodied everything Refract Festival is all about. Second on the list has to be our theatre commission from 2018; First Time by Nathaniel Hall and Dibby Theatre. We supported the work from inception to its world premiere here with us, I have never been so affected by a piece of theatre, it was beautifully written, flawlessly performed and the impact it had was immeasurable. A project that I will never forget and feel honoured to be part of. The show has scooped awards and a sea of 5* reviews, the work continues to tour nationally, more info nathanieljhall.co.uk/first-time

What super power would you most like to have and why?

I’m quite a reflective person, preferring the behind the scenes approach to being in the spotlight, I seem to cinematise special moments, so maybe invisibility/time travel – taking a moment out to reflect and just observe life – that too deep?

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside?

Blimey, there’s been so many! I’m fairly clumsy so the laughs are usually coming from the rest of the team as I ceremoniously trip over (pretty much anything). Perhaps for me, I was covering a Duty Management shift whilst we had the brilliant Lip Service in residence. It was a late at night and I was locking up the theatre, with most of the lights off, as I stepped behind the theatre curtain I squealed as I was convinced there was someone sat there. It turned out to be a life-sized papier-mâché character from the show *it was extremely realistic!

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown.

I’ve definitely learned loads about video editing and live streaming and becoming more comfortable with the whole process. 

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? 

I’d love to hear about special moments or memories from visiting Waterside over the past 16 years – maybe a gig you’ve loved, or a theatre show that has blown you away?

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Janet Noble

What is your job role at Waterside? Front of House

How long have you worked at Waterside? 10 years

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job?  Working on standing gigs, they’re great fun.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? Heather Peace, Bay City Rollers, Shawaddywaddy & Red Hot Chilli Pipers

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? I have been painting my flat, gardening and going for walks. I’ve also enjoyed zoom quiz nights with my family friends.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? Definitely the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Amazing!

What super power would you most like to have and why? Turn back time to me being 20 haha.

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? December at Waterside is amazing, we always have a lovely Christmas show on and my favourite part about that is the atmosphere and seeing all the children’s faces when they watch the show

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown. I’m not bad at DIY.

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? What have you missed about Waterside?

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Hello, I’m Kelly! I work part-time at Waterside and I am also a martial arts assistant. 

What is your job role at Waterside? I’m part of the wonderful Front of House team at Waterside. You can find me working behind the bar in our Sup Bar/Café welcoming our audiences to the venue.

How long have you worked at Waterside? I joined the team in September 2018. 

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? There is a lot of favourite things to mention about working at Waterside. One of those is getting to “transform” the venue. Whether it be for a Christmas show, REFRACT or Pride in Trafford, I love that we can get creative and immerse our audience within that environment. I love it!  (Also, I must mention the Front of House team are just ace to work with!)

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? There has been a few famous faces popping up now and again during my time. I have to mention Tina O’Brien who plays Sarah Platt in Coronation Street, she is a regular at Waterside, bringing her dance school & she is so lovely!

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? I’ve been trying to keep a creative flow going, beginning new projects like crochet and also reading (a lot!) recommendations so far: Normal People by Sally Rooney and Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky!

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? I feel lucky to answer this question – as even though I am working, we are fortunate enough to catch some shows! There have been many memorable ones, but one I have to mention is last years Christmas show ‘Mr Popper’s Penguins’ (I still remember the dance!)

What super power would you most like to have and why? I’m not sure if it’s a super power, but I’m a marvel fan – so I’d love to control time like Doctor Strange… He also wears a cool cape, so bonus! 

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? I don’t think there is a shift when I don’t laugh. But throughout the year we have family discos and working them are just great. We all get involved (often involves face paint) and those shifts are just such high energy and you will often find a lot of staff members showing off their moves on the dance floor! 

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown? I’ve learnt to try to appreciate this time, to focus on even the smallest things to be thankful for. I have also realised that although my life is very busy, working two jobs in separate cities – I miss it. So, when I get to return to work, I may appreciate it a little more than before.

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? I’d like to ask: What would your super-power be if you had one? 

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Annette McGrory

What is your job role at Waterside? Financial Administrator

How long have you worked at Waterside? 16 years

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? I really enjoy working with the wonderful team at Waterside and I also love getting to see the occasional show!

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? Neil Oliver

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? I have been doing lots of gardening in the lovely weather, I have been making the most of the extra time by getting on top of my washing and ironing and other household chores.  I have also been spending lots of time on video calls with my family.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? My favourite performance I have seen was the Simon and Garfunkel Story because they are my favourite. I also really enjoyed First Time because it was very moving.

What superpower would you most like to have and why? I would like to have power over the weather so that it can be hot and sunny forever.

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? My favourite moments at Waterside were on the open days when we have the building open to the public with lots of different events on, I particularly enjoyed being an assistant for Frank the clown on the plaza.

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown? During the lockdown I have learnt lots of different ways to keep busy during the daytimes.

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? What have you been doing to keep busy during the lockdown?

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Fran, Box Office Assistant and Duty Manager

What is your job role at Waterside? See above!

How long have you worked at Waterside? Coming up to 6 years

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? I like eating the leftover sarnies from meetings. Can I say that? If I can't, I like eating the leftover sarnies from meetings.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? Do tribute acts count? Because I've seen a lot of them. Haha. Mark Thomas is great, had a top chat after one of his gigs.

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? Reading. Reading anything and everything. Books, the back of cereal boxes, my housemates (Drag Race style)

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? The one-man show WOLF, I couldn't breathe I was laughing so much, and crying, and snorting.

What super power would you most like to have and why? I don't really want America, maybe invisibility so I can get at the sarnies faster

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? Seeing colleagues fall over, it happens a lot, great entertainment!

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lock-down. I've been studying the four corners of my room but haven't learnt much. There's a list of things for me to try but I'll tackle that next week, next week is a new week ....

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? Who's the best Box Office Assistant?!

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Oliver Sykes

What is your job role at Waterside? I’m the Events and Hires Coordinator

How long have you worked at Waterside? I started as a Duty Manager in early 2017, and in early 2018 I became the Events and Hires Coordinator, so about three and a half years.

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? This is a hard question to answer because my job is so varied. Some days I’m supervising staff and managing events, other days I’m hands-on in Messy Play or programming a comedy event or helping people who want to hire our spaces. But I suppose the thing I like best is the collective sigh of contentment that comes at the end of an event, and getting to thank all the staff for their hard work and a job well done.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? As an aspiring Writer and Children’s Author, I was very excited to meet the legend and poet extraordinaire, Murray Lachlan Young when he came to Waterside Arts with his theatre show for kids ‘The Mystery of Raddlesham Mumps!’ And I also adore the fantastically funny and fast-paced storytelling of my friend Dominic Berry – aka Dommy B – who regularly tours his brilliant one-man children’s theatre shows to Waterside.

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? Outside of my work for Waterside Arts, I co-run an organisation called Stories of Care with Comedian & Actress Sophie Willan, so that work has been keeping me busy. I produced a series of DIY video-readings for kids that have been shared by several organisations across Greater Manchester (including Waterside Arts) and can be viewed here, and we’ve just commissioned three of our young writers to create their own DIY video-readings for kids too – so watch this space!

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? I was really in awe of Mandy Barker’s recent exhibition ‘Our Plastic Ocean’. It addresses the global crisis of marine plastic pollution and contains some of the most powerful and disturbing artworks I’ve seen on that subject. At the same time, we had a second exhibition in Gallery ’74 by Luke Saxton called ‘Bags For Life,’ which documents the impact of plastic waste in our local canals. These exhibitions really complemented one another and together they made me think about the impact we all have on the environment nationally and globally, but also locally too.

What super power would you most like to have and why? Being able to teleport would be pretty cool. It’d certainly beat cycling to work when it’s raining (which, believe me, is very often!)

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? There’s definitely far too many to choose just one but the first thought that sprung to mind was playing staff badminton in the Theatre on lunch ?

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown? I ate Welsh rarebit for the first time, and as someone who’s impartial to a bit of cheese on toast, it absolutely blew my mind! Give it a try!

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers?  What shows and activities are you most looking forward to seeing when the building reopens?  

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Hi, I’m Gareth. I’m from Devon originally but have been in Manchester now for 25 years.

What is your job role at Waterside? I’m the Technical Manager. I help prepare and coordinate the Set, Lighting, Sound, Costume etc. needed for each show and ensure all is ready on time.

How long have you worked at Waterside? Since the venue opened 16 years ago! The offices didn’t have tables or chairs and some of the spaces didn’t have plaster or paint on the walls. It’s been quite a transformation.

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? I enjoy designing lighting for theatre and dance. So, when I get to do that or help someone realise their ideas, it’s really nice.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? Outside of Waterside I met Harry Hill and more importantly Stouffer the Cat! At Waterside, maybe Midge Ure. Really nice person and a fantastic gig with plenty of Ultravox classics.

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? I’m creating a 3D world of the theatre space using a CAD software called Vector Works. We’ll be able to visualise set designs, lighting etc. Great for liaising and discussing ideas with companies before they arrive and making fast and hopefully fun setups.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? My favourite unusual show was No Nonsense Theatre Companies production of Ruth. The audience were in a large tent and the performers wore masks and operated puppets. No speaking. It transported you into the characters world and their story in ways your just not used to.

What super power would you most like to have and why? A finger that travels through time. “#RHLSTP!”

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? I was preparing for our Open Day and needed a dummy to show a costume. I managed to borrow one from a shop close by. They are heavy and difficult to carry! Our Box Office assistant squealed and almost fainted as I walked in the front entrance with a half-naked mannequin under my arm with me wearing its long blonde hair and 70’s styled blouse.

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown? My hair cutting skills aren’t bad and I can now type with a Conure perched on my finger.

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? If you could pick which show opened our new season, what would you choose? 

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Hannah McGrory

What is your job role at Waterside? Events assistant

How long have you worked at Waterside? Since December 2017  

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? I enjoy working on the bar, serving and chatting to the customers and getting to know new people, I also enjoy watching the shows and seeing and learning about the exhibitions.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? I met Jason Donovan in my first year working at Waterside

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? I have been volunteering with the NHS by making phone calls to vulnerable people in isolation to try to brighten their days. I have been reading lots of books and baking a lot, eating a lot too! I have also been taking advantage of the extra time by studying for my upcoming university exams.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? It is between Guy, A New Musical and First Time, I also loved Mr Poppers Penguins this year. I love anything musical related!

What super power would you most like to have and why? I would like to be able to fly because there are so many places I would like to go to in the world and flying would make that easier

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? There are so many great and funny moments to choose from, the first time closing party was a great one, all of the Walkden gardens events are always lots of fun and the family raves and discos are fun too.  

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown? I have learnt how easy it is to take normal things like going out or seeing friends and family for granted. I have also learnt how to make a great lemon meringue (my mums favourite) so that’s good!

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Richard Evans

What is your job role at Waterside? Creative Industries Coordinator

How long have you worked at Waterside? Since 2006

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? Working with artists and puppets. Difficult to say which are the more temperamental ;-)

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? Bagpuss

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? Aside from carrying on with CIT development, I’m working on two projects, an album and a screenplay.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? The Gagarin 50 exhibition in 2011.

What super power would you most like to have and why? Floating a couple of inches off the floor every now and again would be an amusing skill to have.

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? When one of the techs hid a mannequin’s arm up his sleeve and then went off to greet colleagues with it.

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown. That reading instruction manuals isn’t a sign of weakness.

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? What is the connection between the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, and the borough of Trafford?

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Hello, I’m Jemma Baines!

What is your job role at Waterside? I’m the Front of House Manager - I look after our venue, bar and audiences and manage our lovely Box Office and Front of House teams to deliver our exciting programme of events. I’m also one of 16 Mental Health First Aiders in Trafford Council, a fantastic initiative to help staff who are struggling with mental health issues. 

How long have you worked at Waterside? I joined the Box Office team in July 2010 and became Front of House Manager in August 2014, so almost 10 years!

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? I am so lucky to work with such a talented and creative bunch of people who work tirelessly to ensure everything we do is a success. I really enjoy the creative freedom I have in my role and a highlight each year is to help design and create our venue’s Christmas makeover.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? A few over the years! The Magic Numbers, Carol Decker from T’Pau, Jason Donovan, Peter Firmin, Brian Cosgrove, Ian McCulloch, Tom Allen, so many more!

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? I’ve been getting crafty and taught myself how to crochet and macrame, so have been keeping busy with some new projects whilst managing our box office remotely!

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? Wolf created and performed by Lewis Doherty. An incredible piece of theatre - blockbuster film noir, with a cast of over 30 characters and multiple settings, performed by one man with only a chair, a cheek microphone and some bicycle lights for props. His second show, Boar would be a close second. This man is a genius.

What super power would you most like to have and why? It would have to be Telekinesis. Just so I could recreate the kitchen scene from Matilda.

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? There are so many! My favourite moments are when I take just a minute to stand with our wonderful audiences mid-gig to just take note and soak up the amazing atmosphere. There isn’t a feeling quite like it. I can think of a few tannoy announcements (gone wrong), which have given us many laughs. Also..canvas bag. I’ll say no more on that…

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown. Lockdown has certainly been a time for us to reflect and make adjustments in our lives, but I think this time has just reiterated that we really do work well in a crisis.

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What’s your name/introduce yourself?  My name is Joan Knight

What is your job role at Waterside? Admin

How long have you worked at Waterside? Roughly about 14 years

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? Speaking to patrons, and doing their contracts, and reconciliation afterwards along with interactions with work colleagues.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? Unfortunately not no

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? Painting, eating a vast amount and crocheting.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? Open day and RUSH

What super power would you most like to have and why? Cannot say as I would be arrested. (!)

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? Favourite - Seeing the school children faces after our annual Christmas shows and the opening of Waterside.

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown:  Yes, I need to be busy as I don’t like to be bored.

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? What have they all been doing during this lock down to keep themselves busy?

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? My name is Markus. I work in different part-time jobs in the arts and charity sector and am also an electronic music producer.

What is your job role at Waterside? I work as Front of House Assistant.

How long have you worked at Waterside? I have worked here for one year.

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? I enjoy contributing to a good atmosphere at Waterside, chatting to customers and hearing what excites them about the show they’re going to see.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? I talked to Anna Calvi, one of my favourite great singer-songwriters. She was very humble and her fans were also very nice.

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? My housemates and I did a spring clean and some gardening. I started reading more and watching new shows and films. I do lots of yoga, go for daily walks in the park and work on new music.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? Hanna Moisala’s WireDo, the opening performance at Refract:19, was quite special as the performer was using Japanese rope art to explore how the body behaves if manipulated – she was highly skilled, unafraid to step into the unknown and it looked spectacular.

What super power would you most like to have and why? I would love to abolish any social inequities and empower all members of society to fearlessly fulfil all their dreams.

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? I had the opportunity to play at last year’s Refract on the emerging artist stage in the bar area, which was a lot of fun!

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown? I learned that I feel much happier and eager to do things I intend to do the less pressure I put on myself.

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? How do you integrate creativity in your everyday life during lockdown?

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? Hello, I’m Robin Sukatorn!

What is your job role at Waterside? I’m a Duty Manager - I look after our venue and audiences, managing events in our programme of performing and visual arts. I’m lucky to work with our lovely Front of House team, making sure all our visitors and artists have a great experience at Waterside.

How long have you worked at Waterside? I started in the Front of House team in February 2018, and have been a Duty Manager since July 2018.

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? I really love meeting and chatting to our audiences and all the artists who pass through our doors. There’s also always an exciting buzz about putting on a show- getting everything running smoothly and seeing our audience in their seats ready for the lights dimming.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? Kiki Dee was very friendly and down-to-earth. I’m constantly (constantly) humming… and  ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ is a favourite, so it was fun to meet her in person.

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? I’m trying to read my way through an overly-ambitious pile of books, and getting a head start on preparing for training to be an art teacher next year, with some fun painting and craft projects.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? There are too many to choose from! But I’d say Nathaniel Hall’s ‘First Time’ - a very funny, moving and powerful show that we were all really proud to support.

What super power would you most like to have and why? Flying would be great, right now especially - it would make social distancing much easier…

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? It’s a long story, but there was one memorable day when a few too many technical and logistical issues presented themselves all at once, pushing me over the edge to tears of laughter as I jogged around the building with our Front of House Manager pulling everything together. It all worked out in time and, of course, our audiences only saw calm smiles from us!

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown. I’m trying to master the art of baking sourdough bread, although I’m slightly putting the brakes on that as I inhale every loaf as soon as it’s out the oven.

What would you like to ask our lovely Waterside Followers? I’m inspired to see the arts playing such an important role at the moment - entertaining and bringing us together; helping us to express ourselves; documenting and communicating everyone’s stories. How have the arts been important to you during this time?

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What’s your name/introduce yourself? My name is Louise Burgess

What is your job role at Waterside? I am the Venue Operations & Hires Manager, I’m the one that looks after the hires and the classes.

How long have you worked at Waterside?I have worked at Waterside since July 2005, so 14 years 

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job? Apart from the wonderful people I get to work with every day (I miss you guys so much) I really enjoy the opportunity to watch lots of different shows and meet new people.

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? Ooo quite a few over the years, Jason Donovan, Ade Edmondson, David Dimbleby, Peter Firmin, Brian Cosgrove, Kerry Ellis, Eddie the Eagle, but probably my favourite was Sue Perkins she did a stand up set in 2007.

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? I’ve been reading, sitting in the garden on my new deckchair, trying to craft/draw, I’ve watched a lot of movies, eaten far too much food and done lots of weeding in the garden, the weeds are winning. And of course lots of video messaging with friends and family.

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? With the exhibitions it’s got to be everything Cosgrove, it’s all so very fascinating and nearly all of it brings back memories of my childhood. For a show that’s a hard one there has been so many I’ve loved all of Lip service’s performances but probably the Bear comes out top.

What super power would you most like to have and why? To stop time, like Bernard’s and his watch or Piper from Charmed that really captures my imagination, so much extra time to accomplish things and oh the mischief and now I realise I watch too much TV.

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? Favourite moments have come from all the performances we have hosted at Walkden gardens over the years, totally exhausted by the end of it but it really is so much fun to run around in the park for a whole day. Oli flossing is one of the funnier moment.

I also really enjoyed creating and running the cosmic castles workshop during Refract 2019, I really appreciated how involved the children (and parents) were with it.

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown. I’m really good at food shopping, I might apply for supermarket sweep haha 

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INTERVIEW WITH JAY - BOX OFFICE

What’s your name/introduce yourself? Jay Plent

What is your job role at Waterside? I’m Box Office assistant, I’m the friendly face you see when you walk in most days!

How long have you worked at Waterside? Since November 2019

Tell us about your favourite thing to do or thing that you get to do regularly in your job?

I like helping people out, in particular I love letting people know that there’s a show or class on that they instantly connect to and want in on! I’m a chatty person and I love music and art so it’s always nice to talk about our gallery exhibitions too. I also like when I get to setup stuff on the website as I’m a writer and English Graduate, gives me a chance to flex my grammar muscles. 

Have you met any ‘famous’ people whilst working at Waterside and who has been your favourite? I mean I haven’t been here all that long… but I met Chris Difford briefly over Xmas. My Dad is a huge fan of Squeeze so I sort of had starry-eyes by proxy for him!

How have you been keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? Well I’m a musician in a band called Scatterchild, and we’re releasing an EP called “Parallel Lines’ that I’ve been working on for months now. It’ll be out on May 22^nd. I’ve also started a group called ‘Collabavirus’ that encourages musicians in isolation to collaborate on music by sending each other song ideas and projects to work on. We’ve got about 40 members and 6 or so songs in the process of being made. We’re hoping to be able to release a record to raise money for the NHS and sufferers of Covid-19, but it’s been really lovely to see people from all over the UK (some of whom have never met) come together and make music! So musically I’ve been quite productive…I have also played far too much Star Wars Battlefront on the PS4.

 http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/260378734-coronavirus-manchester-musicians-find-new-ways-combat-mental-health-isolation

What has been your favourite performance or exhibition at Waterside? I really loved Mandy Barker’s exhibit that wrapped up before this crisis. The depth of her work is so inspiring and shocking in equal measure. It’ll be interesting to see how the environment copes once the lockdown is lifted.   

What super power would you most like to have and why? Stopping time – like in the kid’s TV show Bernard’s Watch! I would get so much done, although the implication that your body would continue to age whilst time is halted probably means I’d lose a couple years of my life. But imagine how useful that’d be; need to write an essay due for tomorrow? Click. Plenty of time! Need a quiche for a dinner party? Click. Sorted. Late for work? Wait…obviously never a problem…ha ha ha…

What is your funniest/favourite moment whilst working at Waterside? There are some stories told in the box office in quiet periods that have honestly killed me. I think accidentally putting on ‘Hollaback Girl’ full blast in the lobby speakers at 10am was one of my more endearing mishaps.

Have you learned a new skill/have you learned something about yourself during lockdown. I’m pretty dope at making bread now! Or at least I would be if I could find any flour in the shops.