Adam, the arts and Southbank go hand-in-hand

Jannine Pattison

After experiencing almost two years of restrictions and lockdowns, COVID has taught us the importance of humanity and the need we have for connection with others. By spending time talking with a stranger, you would be surprised just how quickly you can find a friend.

I first met Adam Sparnon at Southbank3006’s community meet and greet in March. It was my privilege to see him again at the Community Builders Workshop in April and this time I seized the opportunity to spend some quality time getting to know him.

Adam has been a resident of Southbank for five years and shares his life with partner Harold and beloved fur baby Charles Dijon aka “The Duke of Southbank”.

His love of jazz will often find him, Harold and The Duke at Blondies enjoying a cheeky glass of sauvignon blanc and a pizza together.

Adam said he “loves living in the arts and entertainment precinct and enjoys attending shows at the recital centre as well as the VCA” where he saw Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld. While he admitted to not understanding a word that was sung, he thoroughly enjoyed his first ever opera.

Adam is no stranger to the arts. With a degree in production management through the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), he is now a successful growth media specialist and runs his own business, Apertu, which combines the power of photo, video, instructional design, development, coaching, and public speaking, to “help people help themselves to live their best life.”

When it comes to taking his own advice, Adam is not afraid to put himself out there, having completed a comedy course at Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School in South Melbourne.

Mentored by comedians Jeff Green and Brad Oaks, he found himself up on stage in front of a crowd of more than 100 people.

While most would be terrified, Adam saw it as a pivotal moment in his personal growth and development, a moment of true self trust and belief, a moment where he could engage what he taught others; “Do not let yourself quit.”

This led to some incredible opportunities such as being included in the Hard Knock Knocks “Best of” line-up as part of the 2021 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

I found Adam’s story incredibly inspiring. His background in comedy has given him confidence, stage presence, and the understanding of how to use comedy to engage an audience in varied circumstances, with a view to bring his media and public speaking to a wider audience.

It is heartwarming to see how taking an hour out of your day and connecting with a neighbour can yield such joy and inspiration. There are so many wonderful humans in Southbank, each with their own unique talents.

So, put away the phone, take the time to make eye contact, say “hello”, be part of someone’s story for the day – you just never know who you might meet •