When Ben Graetz's aunty took him to see a production of Hair The Musical at the Darwin Entertainment Centre as a teenager, he was hooked. It was this moment that inspired the Iwaidja, Malak Malak and Badu Island man into the performing arts. "I'd always really enjoyed art and particularly drama, but that show was the first time I'd seen a professional production," Mr Graetz told AAP.
"It just moved me like I'd never been moved before." Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion. Mr Graetz said he'd had a beautiful upbringing in Darwin, surrounded by family, but he'd always felt isolated as he grappled with his identity.
"Being queer and not understanding what that was growing up ...
there (were) no queer icons, there was no visibility around it," he said. "It was really hard to understand who I was and what I was ..
. I felt very isolated and alone going through that." Mr Graetz left the Territory when he was 17 to pursue a career in the performing arts.
He returned to Darwin 16 years later, saying it was time to face his fears and deal with the things he had run away from all those years ago. Mr Graetz has since been the Indigenous creative director for Sydney World Pride and has worked on a number of major arts events including the National Indigenous Music Awards, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Garrmalang and Sugarbag Festivals. His latest claim to fame is appearing in a mural with his husband Dion, p.
