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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Freya Bennett

A job that changed me: Being a theatre usher cracked open my heart to beauty

Freya Bennett smiles with an inset photo of her with two men
‘Looking back, that place felt like a cradle’ … Freya Bennett worked as an usher in one of Australia’s busiest performing arts theatres. Composite: Getty Images / Lauren David

I was 24, had just moved into a share house I couldn’t afford, and my job as a nanny was proving less than ideal. I’d graduated from my music degree a few years prior and was floating along, feeling a little lost.

A friend had told me to apply to become a front-of-house staff member at Australia’s busiest performing arts centre, Arts Centre Melbourne. It was a rare opportunity, as people rarely quit. To be surrounded by art again sounded like a dream.

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