Our first guinea-pig to step into the mAYTsbook is our esteemed (and rather odd) Artistic Director Aimee Falzon:

Who are you?

Aimee Falzon, artistic director of AYT and artist.

What is your story?

I came from a little known rural area in NSW singing to cattle, making up stories for the braken-fern… they are quite polite audiences to have when you’re young, I was very blessed. I moved to Sydney to study performance and arts and learn all about REAL LIFE – a tremendous shock. I’ve been working in arts and community for about ten years now as many things: performer, director, facilitator, designer, musician, producer, artist…. it all fits together somehow, and at the heart of it all is a passion for story and a deep curiosity about people. This is what I love.

Your connection with AYT?

I first encountered AYT quite a few years back when I was assistant directing and designing the production of Crossfire – it was great – I remember having to ‘distress’ some costumes for the actors, their characters had been caught in a fire, so I sat out the back of the theatre in Ashfield burning shirts with a little lighter getting some very bizzarre looks from passers-by. I worked on a few productions after that and well… now I’m the AD.

Where is your happy Inner-West place?

Oh my gosh! Shanghai Nights on Liverpool Rd in Ashfield! So good. And my home, I live in the Inner-West, in Flemington, and it’s a great sanctuary to me.

What more can you say?

It’s been a pleasure being the mAYTs guinea-pig. I’m looking forward to seeing more!

AYT is a little curious about you… and that strange fellow standing next to you, and the lady that walks past Ashfield Mall at 3pm every afternoon with brown bag….

So, we have begun a mAYTs-book to find out about the people who call AYT home, the people who stop by, wonder why… and for the people who are just as curious as us.

Now stand still for a second, we just have a few questions….

AYT is celebrating 10 years of working with young people in the Inner West. We’ve waded through 10 years worth of footage to bring you a taste of where we’ve been all this time…