Tom Appleton: Freelancer of the Year

Suffolk News

Tom Appleton won the Freelance of the Year Award at the Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards 2023

Transcript

00:00 (upbeat music)

00:03 - Joining me now is Tom Appleton,

00:04 winner of the Baytree VA Freelancer of the Year Award.

00:08 Congratulations.

00:10 How humbling is it to win this award tonight?

00:12 - Extraordinary.

00:13 I mean, frankly, as a freelancer,

00:15 I'm very rarely out of my own spare bedroom.

00:17 So to be here tonight amongst incredibly talented people

00:20 doing amazing things, it's really inspiring to see,

00:23 I guess, the network that is going on here in West Suffolk

00:27 and how privileged I am to accept this award.

00:32 Just amazed.

00:32 - Chorister, presenter, arts consultant,

00:36 I'm a triple threat there.

00:37 I mean, what don't you do, Tom?

00:39 - I'm very fortunate.

00:41 I've had some amazing opportunities.

00:43 I've got, as I say, an amazing network of support,

00:46 both at home and professionally.

00:48 And I just love East Anglia.

00:51 I love West Suffolk.

00:52 I love being here and I wouldn't be anywhere else

00:54 in the world.

00:55 - So you've had a really busy year,

00:57 but what next for you?

00:58 - I'm currently working on a project with 13 schools

01:01 who are all writing their own school anthems

01:04 based on sort of school history

01:06 and their local community history.

01:09 And we're performing those at Snape Maltings

01:11 later on in November.

01:13 I'm really interested going forward about the freelancer

01:17 and what we can offer creative arts organizations

01:21 and trying to make us perhaps more of a cohesive unit

01:24 than individuals spread out in spare bedrooms

01:26 around the world.

01:27 But what can we as freelancers do when we combine

01:29 that might be quite powerful.

01:30 - And we're here at the Apex in Bury St. Edmunds.

01:32 I mean, it's not St. Paul's Cathedral

01:34 where you've performed, but it's still a great venue.

01:37 What have you made of tonight?

01:38 - Just mind blowing.

01:40 We've had some brilliant singing entertainment

01:41 who they should be commended as well.

01:45 It's just lovely to be in any group of people

01:49 who are celebrating, who are resilient,

01:52 who are putting glad rags on and going,

01:55 you know what, we've done really well.

01:56 And everybody here this evening

01:58 is celebrating their achievements of the last year.

02:00 And that's such a great joy to be a part of.

02:02 - Go enjoy the rest of your evening.

02:03 Congratulations to you.

02:04 - Thank you so much.

02:05 (upbeat music)

02:08 you

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