Who is Timothy Christopher Ryan?
Timothy is a UV explosion of joy and interaction. I’m a creative who loves performance art and will find any opportunity possible to bring that to audiences in a way that encourages them to let loose and play. I love the exploring the gentleness of nature and diving deep into the hecticness of cities, and I love any chance to create worlds that allow others to physically explore fantasy environments.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
I’d create bigger and bolder works that take over spaces and that invite adults to creatively play to let their curiosity guide their exploration. I’d spend hours crafting intricate elements for these worlds and make every piece an interactive piece that allows the audiences creative minds loose themselves in this fantastical environment.
Who inspires you and why?
The music of Playlunch whose work perfectly captures the joy of growing up in Australia. The team behind Culture Jam for their festivals and events that are epic immersive playgrounds. Anyone whose opened an underground art warehouse that’s been a space for fostering unconventional artists.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Fight for a universal basic income so that those passionate about art can make great works, those passionate about learning can accumulate a wealth of knowledge, and those passionate about nature can care for the environment.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
The Grampians, or Wilsons Prom, or pretty much any natural space in Australia. We have such amazing environments and I adore exploring the epic waterfalls, beaches, rainforests, deserts and rivers. I feel peaceful under a sky full of stars and by the roar of a waterfall that has carved its way through the earth over thousands of years.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I’d take them walking. Melbourne is the perfect city to go for a walk through and even I find new treasures as I explore streets and allies that I’ve never seen before. Walking through the city allows you to slowly take in the feeling of a city, it’s people and how the culture exists at every level.
What are you currently reading?
Growing up with ADHD and dyslexic I find reading a daunting activity, which is funny for someone who is currently the founder and Creative Director of Victoria’s first LGBTQIA+ literature festival. Instead, I like to embrace, and encourage in others, the embrace of all kinds of stories in any form their shared; music, film, comedy, theatre, etc. In this regard I guess I’m currently reading/embracing the works of Garry Starr, Lou Wall and Moira Finucane.
What are you currently listening to?
My playlists pretty much always include a mix of Hilltop Hoods, Cosmo Sheldrake, Electric Fields, Coda Conduct, Play Lunch, The Elephant Sessions, and, after dancing to them at Woodford, Slowmango!
Happiness is?
A balance to creating and exploring. Creating costumes, shows, festivals, sculptures, and anything I can throw my whole self into. Exploring new natural environments and cities where everything from the ground to the sky has a fascinating history behind it.
What does the future hold for you?
The near future has me working towards presenting Victoria’s first LGBTQIA+ literature festival, Q-Lit – a celebration of queer storytellers through a huge range of mediums. For the distant future, I’m very much addicted to the arts, so I don’t see myself ever moving away from that. Bigger, bolder and more colourful artworks are coming in the future!
Timothy Christopher Ryan can be seen in Creative Juices – which will be presented by Scratch Arts at the South Side Festival, Frankston Arts Centre, on Saturday 10 May 2025. For more information, visit: www.southsidefestival.com.au for details.
Image: Timothy Christopher Ryan (supplied)