From The Sideline

Introduce yourself!
I’m Aida, and I’m 28 this year. I work as an arts programmer, which sounds like an IT job, but it isn’t what you think it is. What we do is we programme and curate shows and performances. Though I already work with art on the daily, I still enjoy artsy things outside of work and usually go for gigs, read, and what not outside of work.

Tell us about some of the more memorable programmes you’ve worked on in your time as an arts programmer.
The most memorable one for me would have to be Baybeats 2022. That was my first Baybeats ever, and because we were still transitioning between COVID and regular life, we basically had to livestream the entire festival. It was crazy because running a livestream isn’t as easy as you’d imagine it to be—there are a lot of things that are happening in between, behind the scenes!

Whenever each set ended, we would have a small break where we’d interview the artists, rush them here and there, and make sure they’re where they need to be at for their next segment. It was pretty crazy, but it was a fun time for sure!

We take it you’re a big music lover then?
Yes! It’s partly an existing interest of mine, and also partly because I have to attend gigs regularly for work. That and I’m also always on Spotify listening to random stuff.

I’m actually not a music programmer per se. My main portfolio at work is cultural programmes, but it’s just that music is something that I’ve always loved, so often, when it comes to curating music programmes, I’ll be like “Oh yes, I know this artist, I can recommend this person” and what not.

We hear you were also recently promoted from Assistant Programmer to a full-fledged Programmer—congrats! Is there anything you’re looking forward to accomplishing in this new role of yours?
Thank you! It generally feels the same to me, but the stakes are a little bit higher now. I’m thankful that I now have more liberty in the programmes that I curate or the shows that I work on, both creatively and in terms of producing said events, where I can advise artists or shape a certain show or programme in the best way I deem fit.

How about your resolutions for the new year?
Something that I want to do more of this year is to actually have a creative life outside of work. What I mean by this is that before I started working as an arts programmer, I used to work on a lot of creative projects of my own. I used to crochet, read a lot more, journal, make zines, and stuff like that. So this is something I hope to get back into this year, instead of just concentrating on work.

It’s hard because when you like what you do, you tend to want to give your all and more to it. But I also acknowledge that when you do things for work, it kind of sucks some of that creativity out of you, because it is still your job at the end of the day, and you want to make sure that you’re doing it “right”, which takes the fun out of it.

But on the other hand, when you work on projects on the side solely for yourself and for the fun of it, you’ll start to rediscover what it is that you enjoy about the craft in the first place, which is why I hope to embark on more creative side projects this year for sure!

What’s been on repeat for you lately?
I honestly haven’t been listening to a lot of new stuff, but what I have been listening to a lot is Nemahsis. She’s a female Palestinian artiste. She’s based in Canada, and she released an album last year, which I’ve been listening to a lot. She’s a great singer!