Youth Profile - Lexie Gregory
It’s pretty rare to be able to combine two very different passions, but Lexie Gregory has struck gold, combining her interest in community health with her love of performing arts.
The 22-year-old has always had a love for the screen and stage, but when it came to her studies, she chose the pragmatic route.
“I had this moment of sliding doors – do I do the creative thing or be more realistic? I decided to be realistic, so I went to uni and did a psychology and gender studies degree in Melbourne, and I’ve just finished my honours at CDU,” she says.
Most folk in Darwin will know Lexie for her role in the arts, as both actor and filmmaker. Her films have graced the screen at the Darwin International Film Festival over the last few years, making the move from the stage to behind the camera.
“I started off primarily acting and didn’t really break in to doing my own film production until fairly recently. I’ve always loved performance and performing arts, whether that be on stage or on screen. I’ve got a burning desire waiting to be discovered by a famous person – that burning desire to be creative or centre of attention, who knows?” she laughs.
After studying down south for three years, Lexie was drawn back to the Top End.
“I find myself feeling more relaxed and happier up here than I was down south. There’s also been some really good opportunities in terms of work and study that I don’t think I would have been able to access living in a bigger city. If you put your hand up here and let people know you’re interested in something, opportunities will come to your doorstep. People are really helpful in fostering creativity here, and it’s all about who you know, and everyone knows everyone.”
Now she’s back, Lexie is finding a way to meld her passion for community health with her love of film and creative arts.
“I can’t reveal too much but I’m looking at how drama and film can be employed in the community health sector,” she says.
“Someone said ‘hey, do you want to do drama in community health’, and I said ‘Yes!’”
