Getting to know... Jasmine Turner

Operations manager for the upcoming Nelson Fringe Festival, Jasmine Turner shares her love of performing, her bat dog, river swims, Star Wars, and talks about why she believes it’s important to be kind and speak about death openly.

As a child, I was really into...

Finding fairies and making potions at the bottom of the garden and putting on shows for anyone who would watch. My mum would say I have always been a performer.

After work, you’ll find me...

Reading a book, I currently am reading a Laurel K Hamilton book and another about grief. Walking my dog Rocco, he is a Chihuahua X and looks like a bat.

I will never shut up about...

Women’s rights, queer rights, trans rights, Land Back, Toitu te tiriti. Once we know better, we do better.

I’m a real nerd about...

Star Wars. I’ve grown up with it. I’m about to venture into the books.

The world would be a better place with more...

Kindness. If we could all just pause and remember that we don’t know what is going on in someone else’s life. So a smile, a compliment or an offer of help can go a long way.

My most irrational fear is...

Don’t laugh, but it’s zombies. Maybe I have watched too many horror films, but zombies are my worst nightmare.

My simple pleasures are…

River swims, wild flower foraging, moon gazing.

The most spontaneous thing I’ve ever done is...

Leaving school and my hometown (Otipoti/Dunedin) when I was 17. I thought I knew everything about the world. FYI... I did not.

I wish more people knew…

Memento mori, a reminder that one day we all die. I live this way and talk about death as casually as I can. It’s a reason I say yes to adventure and fun projects.

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken…

Opening Studio One. Originally I opened it as a burlesque studio but after a year realised that was too ambitious for a small town. So now Studio One is run by a board of amazing people and attracts all kind of events, classes and rehearsals.

When I’m bored I…

Pick up a book (the stack next to my bed is too full) or I look in my craft stash. I have adored doing cross stitch and recently have tried sculpting with air dry clay.

I am most passionate about…

Cheese, the darker side of life, photography, tattoos, freaking bats….. but in all seriousness… Fringe and alternative arts. I run burlesque classes and produce local cabarets, but i also work as operations manager for the Nelson Fringe and at the Theatre Royal as front of house. I simply love everything about arts that are ‘out of the box '. That doesn’t mean I don’t love other artforms, but I enjoy finding the quirky, underground stuff. I am also fiercely passionate about burlesque and making people feel empowered about themselves.