Firstly, can you please tell the Boom community a little about yourself?
Hi! I’m Madi, I’ve been in a committed relationship with art and design my entire life and I’m passionate about creating all things art, design, fashion & photography. I’m currently loving content creation and working brands to develop their true identity. Some people know me as the designer who doesn’t need coffee. I’m also the studio/space manager & face of sub tropic studio in Caloundra. I’ve been involved at sub tropic since the studio was announced as an idea to the community. I quickly advanced from intern to being a key creator of the brand and image. I even painted the walls and am the ultimate hype girl.
You are the studio manager & face of Sub Tropic Studio in Caloundra, can you please tell us about Sub Tropic?
Sub Tropic Studio is home to a lightbox gallery, artist studios, co-working and workshop spaces for hire. It is a creative space located in a subterranean bus station, central to Caloundra. This is a place to meet & a space for sub culture to thrive. We curate a program of exhibitions, workshops and activities that aim to challenge, entertain, educate, excite and unite audiences. We encourage local creatives to connect with us, exhibit their works in our unique lightbox exhibition, utilise our space for workshops & co-work on our desks. Through the collaboration of Creative spaces, The Sunshine Coast Council and The Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance sub tropic studio was created and is supported.
What was the inspiration behind starting Sub Tropic Studio?
The inspiration behind Sub tropic studio was to develop a multipurpose space where sub culture could thrive and the creative community could come together, no matter what their discipline. The space creator Brendan Beale from People make places and Creatives Spaces with support of the Sunshine Coast Council creative team were inspired by the raw, underground personality of the location and iconic architectural design. They emphasised its characteristics through colour, curve and of course the 80s. The space was created to be modular and versatile.
Do you have any artists in residence there now? If so, who are they and what do they do?
We currently have a collection of creative residents At Sub Tropic, so let me introduce a few to you;
Studio 1 resident:
Ebony Busk, an artist who produces artworks of realistic figures, faces and organic objects in a distinct style through a range of mediums including; Oil paints, pencil, pottery and digital manipulation. She is currently developing ‘how to’ workshops for advanced, intermediate & beginners which is hosted at sub tropic studio fortnightly. She is currently undertaking a residency in this studio with creatives spaces Sunshine Coast.
Find out more about Ebony on her WEBSITE : and follow her INSTAGRAM
Studio 2 resident:
Timothy Birch is a Sydney born creative who currently resides on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. With a Bachelor of Digital Design Tim jumped straight into agency life cutting his teeth as a graphic designer. Now with ten years in the industry under his belt; Tim has progressed onto many aspects of the creative realm including photography, videography and public art. Notable achievements include the completion of his first ever short film titled ‘What Now?’ as apart of Horizon Festival’s ‘Home Grown’ series. With the self appointed nickname of ‘The Nightwatchman’ Tim enjoys undergoing both commercial and personal projects from Studio 2 within the SubTropic space.
Find out more about Timothy on his WEBSITE : and follow his INSTAGRAM
Studio 3 resident:
Belinda Johnston, is a Social Media Manager specialising in Instagram strategy and coaching. She is the founder of B social Management a full service social media marketing agency helping small businesses reach their potential and sell confidently using various social media platforms.
Keep up to date with her agency and follow her on INSTAGRAM
Lockable Desk 1 resident:
Bec Kenny is an SEO Strategist who works with creative studios to ensure their client’s websites can rank in Google. Technically minded but customer focused, Bec creates strategies designed to help businesses get discovered, create an amazing experience for their customers and ultimately drive sales.
Find out more about Bec on her WEBSITE : and follow her INSTAGRAM
We are so privileged to connect with these local creatives and frequently meet new hot desk co-workers also!