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Q & A with Chloe Martin-Cabanne

Meet our staff!

A series of Q&As that take a peek behind the curtain at the working lives (and working-from-home lives) of Chan Centre staff members.

Here, we learn more about Operations Clerk Chloe Martin-Cabanne.

There is nothing like the buzz of conversation before a concert, falling into a hush as the lights dim and the first chords of music are played.

Chloe Martin-Cabanne

Name:

Chloe Martin-Cabanne

 

Chan Centre staff member since:

I started working as a Front of House Attendant in October 2011. Over the next few years, I worked as a Bartender and then as an Usher Captain. I was hired full-time in August 2016.

 

What is your official job title?

Operations Clerk

 

What does that mean, in a nutshell?

I work closely with Carl Armstrong, our Events & Customer Service Manager, to schedule our Front of House team of over 60 staff members for the events we have coming up. I write the schedule, send it out to our staff, and keep track of scheduling changes. I also process data from bar sales and place product orders. When I’m not sitting at the front desk of our operations office, I’m down at the bar taking inventory, searching for items in the lost and found, or doing the “mail run” down to our offices across the street at Mary Bollert Hall.

 

Why a career in the arts? What is your background?

I started working at the Chan Centre when I was a second-year undergraduate student at UBC. I was a Classical Studies major and focused my studies on the archaeology and history of Ancient Rome. I am fascinated by the architecture of historical buildings, the people who visited them, and the objects they brought with them. I loved studying at the UBC Library and attending classes by day, bartending and listening to beautiful music by night. Music is magical in that it brings people of all ages and cultures together. I have forged bonds with staff and patrons through shared histories and interests over the years. That magic of people coming together was what encouraged me to pursue a career at the Chan Centre. I wanted to take part in organizing the events and concerts that bring the community together through performance.

 

What is the coolest part of your job?

The coolest part of my job is being able to attend concerts! As Operations Clerk, I play a background role in organizing events, making sure that the ushers are scheduled and that the bar is stocked. I love attending an event and seeing its success as a patron.

 

What is your favourite part of the building?

My favourite part of the Chan Centre is the glass lobby, especially when the rhododendrons are in bloom. It is such a quiet space during the day, but it really comes to life during events. The concert hall also deserves a mention, especially when it is packed full of people. There is nothing like the buzz of conversation before a concert, falling into a hush as the lights dim and the first chords of music are played.

 

Other than the Chan Centre, what is your favourite spot at UBC?

We are so lucky to work at UBC because the whole campus is beautiful. One of my favourite places is the foot of Trail 4 below the Museum of Anthropology. It has a sandy beach at mid-tide and a panoramic view towards the Gulf Islands and Howe Sound. I like to walk a lunch-hour loop towards Tower Beach, collecting beach treasures along the way.

The western tip of UBC's Point Grey campus, beneath the Museum of Anthropology

Chan Centre staff are working from home these days. What’s helping you cope? Keeping you inspired?

I’m trying to focus on the things that make me happy right now. I’ve been lounging on the sofa, listening to music and reading good books. I hang out with my cats most of the day (Dobby pictured above), working with one in my lap and the other curled up nearby. I look out the window and chat with my neighbours. I go out on bike rides with my boyfriend, exploring streets and parks we’ve never seen before. I’m coping because I know that it’s only a matter of time before this crisis ends. In the meantime, I will listen to the symphony in my apartment and pretend that I’m sitting in the concert hall, the music bringing us together again.

 

 

Date
Mon May 4, 2020
Category