We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bartu Suer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Bartu, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

According to my parents, I was a heavily anti-social kid, and avoided interacted with kids, or people in general. Worried about my development, my mom signed me up for drama classes. The first few classes were rough, but at some point, something just clicked for me. I absolutely fell in love with performing and being on stage, and have chased that feeling and dream ever since. After that, whatever age I was at when I discovered the idea of “doing something for a living”, my ideal scenario has always been to perform.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the industry at a young age, becoming what is known as a child actor back in Turkey. That early experience helped me get an understanding of the industry as a whole, and feel completely at ease with any challenge thrown my way. I pride myself in being able to bring a piece of myself whilst embodying the performance, and having a natural presence on stage, or in front of the camera.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Support local art! I cannot stress the importance of uplifting local talent, and supporting them consistently. If you are not in a position to support them financially by buying tickets to their shows, buying their work etc., interact with them online! Tell your friends about their work! The world is not set up for artists to make a living from their art, and anything we can do to help local artists is a step forward.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want to be part of the representation I wish I’d seen in media when I was growing up. As a gay, Turkish immigrant, I really did not see a lot of “me” anywhere in the scene. To be able to be that representation for someone else someday would be a dream come true.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @bartusuerbey
• Other: çatıkatı on all streaming platforms (if you can’t find us, search up “biri seni…” alongside the band name)

Image Credits

Ally Mackenzie, Lidya Zenginel, Lily Logue, Hugo van Essen