Meet Kate Berry

Thanks to our friends at The Refinery, we had the chance to chat with one of their 2020 mentors, the brilliant Kate Berry. Kate is a Creative Director, Content Machine, Photographer, Collaborator, Event Organiser and all round excellent human. If you have a creative idea you want to turn into a sustainable business, and learn from mentors like Kate in the process, apply for their 2020 incubator now, applications close 2nd March.

Who are you and what do you create?
Hello, I’m Kate Berry and I currently create mini music festivals in regional Victoria. Through a shared love of music, a game of pool and telling a good yarn over a cold beer, these events hope to encourage connection between small town locals and the blow-ins from the larger cities,.

What kind of inspirations go into the projects that you work on?
I am constantly hitting the road, and most often find inspiration in the quiet long moments on those long highways. It’s something I hope others experience on their trips to OK Motels events.

The current music scene in Melbourne also plays a huge part in inspiring the mood of the events. We’re lucky to have such amazing acts playing round town, and I’m often found dreaming of certain bands playing in far flung places.

Now we are planning the fourth event, we’ve made really strong and beautiful relationships with the people of Charlton, and as each event grows, so does their input into how the event looks and feels. The last event had the most local involvement, and it was by far the most successful and ‘feel-good’ event so far.

What has been your favourite or most important project(s) to date?
I feel OK Motels, will be my most favourite and important, but it is still in its very early stages. The divide between regional Australia and the cities has become so distinct now, we really don’t get each other, and we tend to make assumptions about each other’s lives and beliefs. It would be incredible to be part of a movement who could bridge that gap.

Launching Lunch Lady magazine, in partnership with Louise Bannister and Lara Burke, also was an incredible experience. Creating a brand people love and can connect with has been so humbling. I left Lunch Lady a few years ago now, to spend more time with my family, but it still fills be with joy seeing it on the shelves and connecting with families all over the world.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to realise their creative project?
Listen and talk to as many people who inspire you as possible, but in the end, always listen to yourself. There’ll always be people who have ideas of what your project ‘should’ or ‘could’ be, but no one knows it better than you. Please don’t think I’m not saying don’t seek advice, as talking to others is a huge inspiration. But, speaking from very recent experience, sometimes it can be easy to be steered off track or thrown a red herring.