Dismaland staff interview for NBF - Farhath Siddiqui

How were you first approached to be involved with the show?

I applied for the media job as i'm a media student and it ended up being Dismaland which I was more than dandy about.



Did you get to wear the same ears throughout the show or was it random each day?

Random each day, was annoying when you got a shit broken one.



Did any visitors upset you?

Some but it was nothing major, you just get over it.



Did you upset any visitors?

All the time, but not intentionally just sometimes made a few kids upset when i kicked over their sandcastle - oh well.



What was your strangest/funniest experience or memory of the show?

There's so many I can't even just pick one. Jack Black was one of my highlights I encountered with him 3 times on the VIP night and we're basically best friends now.



Do you think your Dismaland training will affect your ability to work in a normal environment?

It wasn't necessarily training to be dismal, but if you mean by the amount i spent working as a steward as dismaland then in some sense yes because i'm a bit of a moody bitch sometimes now!



What was your most asked question?

Can I have a photo? Or when can I get programs from? Are you the girl from google?



If you could take home anything from the show, no matter how large or small, what would it be and why?

My ears and HV's and the merry go round.



Have you felt bad at all with abything you have said/done?

I once made two kids cry at the same time, their mum was paying for a hook a duck so I told them she was using their pocket money to pay for the game and they started crying - I gave them a free fish finger though to shut them up (don't tell banksy).



Are you a training actor?

Ha I wish. No i'm just a media student, I did a bit of drama in school and put on my own charity plays/shows but thats about it.



Did you find the task/role draining at all, or was it more just tap into your natural miserable self and let go?

Sometimes, you'd get people who'd constantly bug you but most of the time i just tapped into my miserable self.



Are you and the other Dismals from Weston Super Mare or was accommodation provided?

I'm from weston



Did you see your photo in any press or TV?

Yeah on loads of thing it was super surreal.



Have you been an 'extra' in any other film or TV?

No



What was your favorite artwork or installation?

The CanGina in the damien hurst tent



Did any of the artworks or installations effect the way you thought about life before Dismaland?

Yeah definitely there was a message to pretty much every piece



Were you shocked at how many adults would mob you for a balloon with I am an imbecile written on it?

No people are idiots wasn't a surprise



Did being miserable all day have any lasting effect on your mood after work?

It did at my other job in retail



What was the hardest scenario to not laugh or get a giggle on?

The really sweet and older people sometimes got me...or a lot of the time I tried not to laugh at my own jokes/banter



What was the hardest scenario to not get genuinely pissed off at?

Drunk idiots who won't pay for the merry go round.



Did you get to keep your Dismal pink jackets and ears?

Nah



What 'celebrities' are you aware of that visited?

Too many to count



What 'celebrities' did you actually witness in attendance?

All the news people, Jack Black, Russel Brand, Katherine Ryan, Run The Jewels, Fat Boy Slim, Alfie Allen....ummm yeah there was just loads its hard to name them all - they were just some of my fans really



What 'celebrity' did you hear, or in your experience, was the biggest arsehole? - please elaborate.

They were all decent to be fair



What 'celebrity' did you hear, or in your experience, was the nicest? - please elaborate.

Jack Black is my babe. And Katherine Ryan was lush, she tipped a load of the gift shop people which was super sweet - obviously i didn't tell her that. I told her to keep going till she went home.



If they took Dismaland on the road, would you go?

Yeah but they'd have to have me as a steward



Do you think you van ever be happy/friendly again?

Yeah



Has the job of going around all day being dismal and rude affected your normal life any?

Yeah I'm impatient now and I hate everyone even more then I used to.



Are you still sane?

No



Did you nick anything and have you / will you be selling it on eBay?

Wish I did.



- Did they get to choice where they were placed in the park?

Sometimes



- Does he know all the other attendants?

Who's he? Yeah I did by the end but I knew majority of them anyway cuz weston a small town



- Did he know who Banksy was before Dismaland?

He??? Its me



- Which is his favourite attraction/piece of art and why?

His??? - The spinning truck thing



- How long did he had to practice for his role?

Went straight into it



- Was he aware of the movie being made?

What?



- Was Banksy there the whole 5 weeks or only on certain days?

I'm banksy



- Is he tired from answering all the silly questions people of the Notbanksyforum ask him?

Yeah i'm tired of you calling me a him too.



What will you take away from this experience?

Not much. - Jokes its been the best 6 weeks ever i've made what I think may be life long friends and the best memories. Will never forget it.



Are you an artist yourself?

Can draw a stickman?



Would you do this again?

In a heartbeat.



Have you ever wanted to visit Calais?

Already have.



What's the best thing you saw during the past few weeks (it doesn't have to be Dismaland related)

Too many things can't think of something on the spot



What's the worst thing you saw during the past few weeks (it doesn't have to be Dismaland related)

This email



Did your family and friends get to see you at work?

Would liked to have had more of my family and friends in but like I said weston is a small town so i saw a shit ton of people i knew it was pretty sound.



Can you still hear the music in your head?

Weirdly not despite working there everyday without a day off.



What are your plans for the future?

Hopefully finish my degree in filmmaking and make it into the film media industry (still got a long way to go though...might not ever happen and then i'll really be dismal for life).



How much of your behavior was directed and how much was improvised?

They gave us some lines that we could say but i pretty much always improvised otherwise it's no fun.



We're you encouraged to improvise?

Yeah I had the best boss in the world



Were there any supervision of your behavior?

Dunno don't care