Martin White
Position - Artistic Director, First Impressions Youth Theatre
Department– Arts and Cultural Development
Directorate – Community Services
Martin spent many years in Sydney with a film and TV production company before moving to Melbourne to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Dramatic Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts.
"I wasn't specifically looking at local government as my next employer, but I already had a good impression based on the support and funding we got from councils in my previous private sector position. It was a pragmatic choice, and four years since, I'm still here with the Council."
Martin works part-time two to three days a week with 12 to 25-year-olds interested in performance and the arts.
"The City of Whittlesea is still a relatively young community. So although my role is to develop learning and arts production opportunities for local youth, I also have to get out there and find them and help develop new networks. That means liaising with teachers, high schools, other Council staff who work with young people, and referral agencies such as social service agencies."
Arts may be the subject matter, but Martin is looking for other outcomes as well.
"The young people I work with have a number of motivations – social networking, confidence building and having something new and exciting to get involved in. There’s a lot of hands-on work, taking people through the steps of creating a performance piece, including the technical and business side."
"When a production happens, it's not just in theatres or the Whittlesea Arts Centre either. We’ve done gigs at the Epping Skate Park, in libraries and at the Council’s community festivals. Seeing performances in public places gives the broader community a greater appreciation of those places, as well as of youth culture."
Working with supportive managers and an interested workforce make Martin's worklife a breeze.
"Whittlesea values what the youth theatre does and sees it as an important part of our community services. I get a lot of support from everyone."
