Keith Acheson is the director of the Crescent Arts Centre which reopened its doors in April after a multi-million pound renovation. The Enniskillen native tells us of his pride in his work and his childhood dreams.
I was born in Enniskillen
I grew up in the country seven miles outside Enniskillen, a beautiful area called Monea
I now live on the Lisburn Road
I was educated at the University of Ulster
My earliest memory is aged three watching the 1978 World Cup final and not knowing what all the fuss was about
When I was a child I wanted to be a doctor, vet, lawyer, policeman and fireman
I actually became an arts manager
Worst job I’ve ever had was probably as a student working in a restaurant
Best job I’ve ever had has to be this one
The bravest thing I've ever done was probably abseiling down the BT building for charity
The stupidest thing I've ever done was probably abseiling down the BT building for charity
The biggest thing I've yet to do is to be commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic. I can dream
The people who inspired me most are the composers Harrison Birtwistle and Ernst Bacon, theatre director Bertolt Brecht and Brian O’Driscoll
The most important thing in the world is equality
I'm very bad at saying no
I'm very good at multi-tasking
I'm most proud of being involved in the Crescent’s award-winning refurbishment
My best friend would say I need to work less
I like to relax by listening to music, reading, watching films, socialising
My favourite quote is “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.” - Albert Einstein
The last book I read was The Men Who Stare at Goats
My favourite movie is Citizen Kane
The actor that would play me in a movie of my life would be Brad Pitt of course
The song that makes me dance does not exist
The best place I've ever been is Tuscany, the wine, the food, the scenery – wow
The place I have to visit before I die is Shanghai. A friend of mine lives there now and it is simply breathtaking
The last person I talked to on the phone was my father
The last text message I received was from my network provider offering me free minutes
If I was a politician I would make things fairer
If I won the lottery I would follow my best friend’s advice and do less work
If I could invite five people (living or dead) to a dinner party they would be Christopher and Peter Hitchens, George Galloway, Terry Eagleton, Martin Amis and then hide in the kitchen for the rest of the evening
If I could change one thing about South Belfast it would be the amount of traffic
My favourite thing about South Belfast is the Crescent Arts Centre of course, all of the other venues in the area, the diverse range of people and all of the coffee on offer
