Mike Pony is a Manchester-based curator, producer, and personal development coach, with expertise in creating immersive events that merge live music, digital arts, performance, installation, queer culture, and clubbing. He is the director of Submerge, an international festival that amplifies the voices of queer, trans*, non-binary, and gender-fluid artists, communities, and audiences. He is also the founder of Horseplay, a disco club known for its positive vibe and a fine dusting of glitter and sleaze. He co-produces The Big Drag Pageant, a touring community drag competition, and Eat Sleep Drag Repeat, which presents forward-thinking alternative, political, and challenging drag alongside headlined artists from RuPaul's Drag Race.

Mike holds a Master of Philosophy in one-to-one performance from the University of Bristol and has previously worked as an associate producer for In Between Time, Christmas Spiegeltent, and the Bristol Harbour Festival. He resides at the Pervasive Media Studio (Watershed), which has supported his work as an independent producer since 2015.