Sophie & John Macaulay

Category of work:

Creating Communities

Describe your work in one sentence:

Sophie: That’s a difficult task! Our work has so many arms to it. Essentially, we regenerate spaces for creatives to use and source opportunities for collaboration.

John: We manage the GRIT building and support the GRIT community. 

Why do you do it?

Sophie: I love meeting unusual people who make wonderful things. I’m constantly amazed at the talents and skills of the people around us.

John: I like bringing old buildings back to life and bringing together unusual suspects; people whose worlds would otherwise never collide. That’s when magical things happen. 

What keeps you going (what’s your GRIT)?

Sophie: I’m highly competitive and constantly curious.

John: I can’t sit still for longer than 1 minute and I like to prove people wrong when they say things can’t be done. 

What advice would you give to somebody wanting to become a ‘creative’?

Sophie: Creativity takes many forms, have confidence in yourself and find your creative tribe.

John: I had always told myself that “I’m not creative”, whereas the truth is everyone can be creative, it’s a mindset thing. While I can’t paint, sing or play an instrument, I can create a community. 

Tell us something unusual about yourself.

Sophie: In a previous life I worked as a Jillaroo, rounding up cattle in the Australian Outback. I was terrible at it. I had far too much empathy for the cows and fell off my motorbike/quad bike/horse constantly.

John: I once took my favourite band (Puressence) and Mani from The Stone Roses on tour in China.