City Hub 18 January 2018 by Alt Media

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Short + Sweet 2018

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city hub 18 JANUARY 2018

Finding safe harbour BY MICK DALEY Sydney Harbour’s reputation as one of the finest in the world owes everything to its superb geographical advantages. But a working harbour requires infrastructure, and from post-Invasion to post-reality, commercial shipping and recreational boaters depend upon the wharves and safe waterways that enable every aspect of maritime endeavor. Ex-mayor of Leichardt and inner-West activist Maire Sheehan says that unhinged development is endangering the nuts and bolts infrastructure of Sydney’s working harbour, part of an agenda by successive state governments to gentrify the harbour into a purely tourism and residential amenity. She says that this began with the staging of the Olympics in 2000, when pontoons and marinas were scattered around the harbour to facilitate wealthy visitors. “Those pontoons were built for luxury super yachts whose owners were unlikely to be locals. The story at the time was that they’d be temporary but of course it’s not temporary, it’s permanent.” Sheehan says that such creeping developments are marginalizing the essential services provided by established industries and pose a real risk to the continued viability of the working harbour. Waterway Constructions in Rozelle Bay have been a part of that industry in Sydney for 25 years. They build and maintain wharf infrastructure around the harbour, as well as in other Australian ports. Employing 180 people around the country, they’re a vital part of the maritime community. Mal Hiley, a founding director of the company, agrees that working wharves are vital to the functional capacity of the harbour. “It’s an essential service and you need a location which is sufficiently close to the centre of the city for emergency response in the event that a ferry hits a wharf or whatever else. So there needs to be space for working harbour activities.”

Mal Hiley, a founding director of Waterway Constructions in Rozelle Bay. Photo: Supplied

Hiley says that government departments have generally been sympathetic to this requirement, but that it’s an ongoing task to ensure that vigilance. “Development around the harbour is clearly reducing opportunities in the space for people like us, but we’ve been in consultation with the relevant government departments for many years and there would appear to be a good level of understanding of the requirements for waterfront contractors and working harbour activities. But there’s always a risk that people don’t fully appreciate the space that’s required, so there is a pressure and a concern. You can’t be complacent. It’s a question of being constantly vigilant and

expressing our position.” Sheehan says that the Urban Growth Development Corporation (UGDC), the group charged with ‘managing and securing the orderly economic development of five Growth Centres (including the Bays Precinct) across metropolitan Sydney’, has compounded risk. The Bays Precinct comprises 5.5 kilometres of harbour frontage, including 95 hectares of mostly government-owned land and 94 hectares of waterways in Sydney Harbour. UGDC’s online literature assures the public they’re carrying out their charter with all the highest environmental, public transport and business motives in mind.

Last year they instituted an online survey to canvas public opinion on the requirements for a responsible harbour development. They claimed the results would inform their impending ‘master plan’, but these have not yet been released and the website appears to be touting a well-formed and pre-approved vision for the future; “The Bays Precinct will transform over the next 20 to 30 years into a bustling hub of enterprise, activity and beautiful spaces.” Sheehan says UGDC’s vision for the Bays Precinct emphasises tourism and housing over the working harbour. She’s been quoted as saying that the community have been finding UGDC’s data “inaccurate” and they’ve been left to make assumptions, such as whether or not there is a need for more schools and other facilities. “What they talk about is turning the harbour into a tourist destination, a tech hub as the main focus and in various sites residential developments,” she told the City Hub. “They’re moving the fish markets to the head of the bay and their plan is for three or so residential towers there. “It’s a shift from being a real working harbor, in terms of providing services, to becoming a recreational harbour.” Sheehan says that community action is needed to support the work of industries such as Waterways, which are an integral part of the community infrastructure as well as the working harbour. “Waterways has been part of the community for years. They have a respected apprenticeship programme and a history of collaborating with high schools in the area. They’re part of the community. They’re not an industry that blows in and blows out. “Our working harbour has gradually been eroded. The last remaining parts of it are in Rozelle Bay, but they are the remnants of the old working harbour and Waterways are the longest standing.”

From paddock to plate

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BY GEORGIA CLARK One of the inner west’s longest running community gardens is this year heralding 20-years at the forefront of the community garden movement. The Whites Creek Community Garden forged its place as one of the inner west’s most successful community gardens after a hard-fought battle to reclaim the area as public space began in the 1980’s. The volunteer-run founders of the garden, Friends of White Creek, are bringing the inner west community together in the name of sustainability with weekly volunteer and various workshops including one at the Footprints Ecofestival this month. From composting workshops to permaculture in the Food Forest, the community hub helps people learn about urban agriculture and sustainable food production. The founding plotholder of the Whites Creek Community Garden, Gillian Leahy, says that consumer interest in the food production process has spurred on the grassroots garden movement. “More people are becoming aware of the need for sustainable practices when growing fruit and vegetables, both so we grow food uncontaminated by pesticides and the like, and so we renew the soil and don’t destroy the soil’s capacity to keep on producing,” she said. The Whites Creek Community Garden is just one of 600 community gardens popping up around Australia as consumer demand for sustainable and organic produce rises. Consumer interest in the provenance of consumer products is evident in the rising popularity of farmers’ markets in Australia, with 40 markets recognised by the Australian Farmers Association alone. According to Ms Leahy, community gardens

The Whites Creek Community Garden food forest in Annandale. Photo: Alec Smart

are a place for people to reconnect to both their communities and agricultural techniques. “Apart from providing organic food for household, the garden provides a place to learn about growing food and where children can see how vegetables actually grow. It also provides a place for community interaction and support.” The community garden is open to visitors during the day and holds working bees every 3rd Sunday of the month to teach volunteers about permaculture and growing fruit and nuts. According to Russ Grayson, representative at the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network, community gardens enable urban residents to grow the very food they’re eating whilst bonding with other members of the community. “It is a new way for citizens to interact with public land, and progressive local governments are helping them do this by adopting enabling policy for community gardening,” he said. Maire Sheehan, former Mayor of the

Leichhardt Council and local resident, says that community gardens offer an opportunity for the community to reclaim public space and increase awareness about the food production process. “The gardens, the wetlands and the food forest allow people to actively engage in the green spaces around them and not just have them as passive spaces where you sit or walk though.” According to Ms Sheehan, the density of urban spaces around the inner west has contributed greatly to the proliferation of the community garden movement. “Over the years, people in the community have been actively involved in the community lands at White Creek, and it is important parkland. Annandale has one of the lowest amounts of open space per head of population in the Leichhardt council area. This is partly as a result of the foreshore land won for open space by Annandale and Glebe communities in the 1980s - late 1990s being transferred to the city of Sydney, and in the increased population due to urban development.” In the founding days of community gardens, rallying for public spaces to be converted into garden space wasn’t an easy feat. After a spate of petitions to council, Leichhardt Council adopted the plans for a community garden and food forest. “When I first moved to Annandale near White’s creek in the early 1980s, residents had for some years been planting trees on the streets and plants on the grass verges. There were quite a few longer-term residents who objected to the trees as they ‘made a terrible mess’ when leaves and flowers dropped. That attitude has certainly changed as people have become more aware of the health benefits of tree canopies and green spaces.” city hub 18 JANUARY 2018

Bondi’s unreal estate BY PAUL PAECH It happens all the time: you’re chatting with some promising new acquaintance when they toss out the got-ya question, and you know you’re being pegged out. You’re trapped: whatever you answer it means way more than you want it to mean. Erskineville, Bronte, Ultimo they all mean something; Bondi Beach means something else, something, well, fresher, hipper, healthier even. ‘Where do you live?’ is just as awkward a question as the super-naff ‘how do you make a living?’, because both of them are less about living or life, and more about your social profile. Over less than a couple decades, Sydney has become a weird - and frankly a wearying - realestate merry-go-round that melts away our time (because we’re working to pay the mortgages), chips away at our communities, and diminishes our sense of home. Why else would otherwise normal people aspire to live in crisply uncomfortably-unfurnished rooms that look like they’re ready for sale, instead of simply enjoying the messy reality which is blessedly ordinary everyday life. Fairfax’s recent successful spin-off of its immensely profitable Domain operation shows how much Sydney’s real estate has been heated up by aggressive marketing campaigns. Stoking it along too are Australia’s mega-profitable banks, which have been providing cash to mum-&-dad investors to buy into ugly repair-prone blocks thrown up by construction nabobs like Harry Triguboff. Not to mention federal and state governments (negative gearing, anyone?), which are actively rewarding those people who continue to gobble up the extra housing supply that we were told would ease the market. What once were homes (where people could live in greater security because they owned the walls) have been magically turned into sure-fire investment

Bondi Beach is one of Sydney’s most desirable residences, but does high-rent living bring happiness?. Photo: Alec Smart

opportunities, eternally guaranteed to bring doubledigit annual returns. (Or not.) Despite popular belief, it’s not called real estate because property is more real than anything else, of course. The Real in real estate comes from regal as in royal, referencing the huge swathes of land owned by monarchs. In republican France, property is called immobilier (literally immobile, immoveable), which differentiates the room from what you put in it: furniture (mobilier or meubles) which you carry with you (it’s mobile). Interestingly, the Latin word, domus (domicile, domestic, etc.) shows that the Romans rolled together both the building itself and the notion of home into a single word. What a reassuring idea; although to bottom-line driven Sydneysiders this seems weirdly naïve.

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The property market throws up winners and losers. It seriously emphasises the widening gulf between the haves, the have-lesses (that’s most of us these days) and the have-nots. Many have-nots now have no homes (making them homeless, too), which is not such a good thing for personal stability and social well-being. Here’s a suggestion: instead of asking ‘where do you live?’, how about asking ‘where do you feel most alive?’ That would start a far more interesting conversation. In a more perfect world, you’d hope that wherever you are lucky enough to call your home would also be the best place for you to live. While we’re talking development, Allen Linz & Eduard Litver’s $18.25 million purchase of the Hall Street corner shoe store building and the

neighbouring property further along Campbell Parade for $19.12 million means that the legendary Bondi Surf Seafoods is under threat. This is pocket money for the intrepid developer duo: the nissan-hut shaped lighthouses atop their Pacific have routinely sold for well above $10m each, let alone the profits from rest of that megadevelopment and the old Bondi Motel on the corner of Roscoe Mall. It would be a vicious crime if Bondi visitors were led to imagine that The Traditional Chip Shop franchise operation just a few doors away (misleadingly promoted as truly authentic) represents anything like the real-life Aussie fish & chips. If you’ve caught the real thing in full-swing on a hot summer’s afternoon, you’ll have witnessed a performance way more entertaining and authentic than anything on TV. And that’s without mentioning the truly calorific battered Mars Bar. This is too good to lose to the invisible (but clumsy) hand of market forces. Given that the land will certainly be developed, Waverley Council has the power to condition approval of any development with the requirement to keep the Bondi Fish Shop business as a tenant on the ground floor. The famous art-deco Paragon Café in the Blue Mountains gained heritage protection since 2005, and there’s nothing to prevent someone from applying for a heritage listing for Bondi’s Surf Seafoods. Council could also insist that any plans for the consolidated site include reinstatement of the legendary 1951 Bates Milk Bar as the key corner fit-out. The location-challenged Powerhouse Museum might be interested in putting back the mirrors and seating booths from the milk bar, which have been part of its splendid collection since 2001. They could furnish an oh-so-chic and oh-so-retro cocktail bar for today’s Bondi Babes and their Blokes.

A Moment in the Reeds

Sensitivity Training

SUN 18 FEB 7:00PM & THU 22 FEB 8:30PM Leevi is a Finnish literature student returning home from Paris and Tareq is a Syrian asylum seeker and architect. Together in A Moment in the Reeds, they have a summer romance in what promises to be one of the most sexually charged films of the festival.

THU 22 FEB 7:00PM & SAT 24 FEB 6:30PM The ruthless Dr Wolfe (Anna Lise Phillips) is forced to endure sensitivity training with the impossibly bubbly and optimistic Caroline. A blossoming friendship leads to a “will they, won’t they?”, in this hilarious comedy about friendship and bacteria.

McKellen: Playing the Part

Black Divaz

SAT 24 FEB 3:30PM A master of his acting craft, and a champion for gay rights, Lord of the Rings and X-Men star, Sir Ian McKellen insightfully shares his life’s journey with us in this fascinating biographical documentary, McKellen: Playing the Part.

WED 28 FEB 6:30PM Black Divaz goes behind the glitz, glamour and hot glue guns of the inaugural Miss First Nation pageant. Over five steamy days contestants will battle it out in fierce challenges that will see each contestant stretch more than just their wardrobe choices.

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Evasion day BY ALEC SMART The annual Australia Day celebration on 26 January each year is again facing challenges to change the date in consideration of our indigenous inhabitants. However, a backlash from unlikely sources has reopened the debate on sovereignty and respect. Imagine an Orwellian society with CCTV cameras in homes, where Australians are afraid to mention celebrating the national holiday, and the mother of a child who draws a picture of it quickly shreds the damning evidence in fear of judgement. That’s the basic plot of the Save Australia day campaign advert launched on 11 January 2018 by former Labor Party leader, Mark Latham. Aboriginal community leader and Alice Springs councillor, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, championed by conservative media, appears in the advert, warning, “Australia Day is under serious threat. Changing Australia Day doesn’t change the lives of Aboriginals in remote communities…” Blaming ‘guilt-ridden, non-Aboriginal people’ for leading the call to change the date, Price posted on her Facebook page, “I don’t think of it as Survival Day, it’s Australia Day to me but in my view it’s another idea of how to use the day instead of scrapping it and ignoring the date for political division…” Mark Latham defended his advert in a pessimistic video on his Facebook page, warning, “If the left-wing activists are able to move Australia Day away from the 26th of January, they can change anything about our country...

If Australia Day falls, then the left will be out of control, so this is vitally important.” Much of the recent talk of changing Australia Day began in tandem with the national plebiscite on same-sex marriage, which called for respect and inclusion for all citizens. In the discussion leading up to the Yes vote, fearmongers equivalent to Latham warned it would undermine the very fabric of society and could lead to humans marrying their pets and legalised paedophilia. Thanks to the provocative advertisement, the topic of changing the date has motivated far-right activists like True Blue Crew in Melbourne, keen to ‘defend’ what they see as the erosion of Australian cultural norms by foreigners and communists. Green Party leader Richard Di Natale announced on 15 January that his party would prioritise changing Australia Day. “We have a day on January 26 that marks the commemoration of the arrival of the First Fleet and it’s a day that represents an act of dispossession, an act of theft,” he said. “It’s a day that represents the beginning of an ongoing genocide, the slaughter of so many Aboriginal people.” Greens MP Lidia Thorpe, the first Indigenous woman to be elected to the Victorian Parliament, suggested flags should be flown at half-mast on Australia Day in remembrance of atrocities committed against Indigenous people. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott rejected The Greens’ stance and on his

Zombies celebrate Australia Day in Enmore Park. Photo: Alec Smart

Twitter account tweeted, “There are 364 other days a year for the Greens to be politically correct. Why can’t they just accept that Jan 26 is the best available day to celebrate all that’s good about life in Australia.” On 15 January, Pat Cash, national tennis champion, declared on 3AW Radio, “I’m not celebrating the day the British landed here and started butchering the Aboriginal people. If we want to have another day where the Aboriginal people, the real Australians… have got a day to celebrate, whether it’s the 28th January or 30th, or 1st March, then lets do that…” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also took to social media, releasing a video on his Facebook page stating opponents of Australia Day were, “seeking to take a day that unites Australia and Australians and turn it into one that would divide us..” Opponents insist 26 January honours the date Europeans laid claim to this continent and set in motion a chain of ethnic cleansing of the indigenous

inhabitants. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders were only eventually recognised as Australian citizens on 27 May 1967 in a constitutional referendum. And yet 26 January 1788 was not the date Australia was ‘discovered’ by Europeans. It was the date Captain Arthur Phillip, commander of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships that sailed into Botany Bay eight days earlier, relocated to Sydney Cove because it was a better anchorage with a permanent source of fresh water. The first Europeans to discover Australia is too grisly a tale to commemorate. On 4 June 1629, the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia was shipwrecked on Morning Reef off the West Australian coast. Merchant Jeronimus Cornelisz then began a reign of terror, savagely murdering 110 crew members and passengers – including women and children - he perceived as opponents and to deny them dwindling food supplies. After he was eventually overpowered

and his cohorts hanged, two of the lesser mutineers were marooned on mainland Australia, and it is believed they may have intermixed with Amangu Aboriginal people, because some of their descendants have a Dutch blood group. Aboriginal campaign group FIRE, Fighting In Resistance Equally, have organised a rally and march on 26 January at 10am from Redfern to Broadway. Organiser Ken Canning from the Bidjara Peoples told City Hub, “Myself and many other of our group are opposed to celebrating Australia Day. Rather than change the date, I am of the opinion there should be no date at all. Whatever time is picked it is still a celebration of the continued attempted genocide of First Nation Peoples. “What is tragic in this whole debate, many media outlets are listening to the likes of Jacinta Price and Warren Mundine. These two have very little credibility amongst Aboriginal Peoples, yet they continue to draw attention for all of the wrong reasons. One main fact for certain is the greater majority of Aboriginal, Torres Strait and South Sea Islanders are totally opposed to the whole notion of Australia Day as a celebratory time. This is the date that was the commencement of the invasion of our lands and the atrocities that followed. “The true history of the invasion of this country is yet to be told and until then, society needs to sit and think clearly on how they may feel about the ongoing human rights abuses First Nations Peoples suffer on a daily basis.” Invasion Day rally and march to the city meets at The Block, Redfern (corner of Caroline and Louis streets) at 10am on Friday 26 January.

Public Notice Notice of Council Meetings 2018 The Council and Central Sydney Planning Committee meeting schedules have been set for 2018 and members of the public are invited to attend any of these meetings. The meeting schedule is available at cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au Interested parties may address meetings of committees about matters on the agenda for that meeting. Council meetings are held in the Council Chamber, Sydney Town Hall, 483 George Street, Sydney.

Meeting agendas and reports are available on the website before the meeting. Copies are also available before the meetings at: • One Stop Shop (CBD) Level 2, Town Hall House, 456 Kent Street, Sydney Monday to Friday: 8am–6pm • Redfern Neighbourhood Service Centre 158 Redfern Street, Redfern Monday to Friday: 10am–4.30pm • Green Square Neighbourhood Service Centre 100 Joynton Avenue, Zetland Monday to Friday: 10am–6pm

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• Kings Cross Neighbourhood Service Centre 50–52 Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross Monday to Friday: 10am–4.30pm Saturday: 9am–midday • Glebe Neighbourhood Service Centre 186 Glebe Point Road (cnr Wigram Road), Glebe Monday to Friday: 10am–4.30pm

On the second Wednesday of each month our centres in Glebe, Green Square, Kings Cross and Redfern do not open until midday. Our One Stop Shop at Town Hall House is open during this time. Agenda papers are also available at each meeting. Minutes of Council and Central Sydney Planning Committee meetings are available on the website. Monica Barone, Chief Executive Officer For more information call 02 9265 9333 or email council@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

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Please contact the Council Secretariat on 02 9265 9519 to confirm meeting start times.

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Demolition man BY JOHN MOYLE Change brought about by urban development and renewal is inevitable and can lead to the revitalisation and repurposing of areas for the better. But when it is on the scale of what is currently happening across NSW, it is often detrimental to the locality, its heritage and the lives of the people living there. The present splurge, led by rising property values and low interest rates, is being encouraged by Government departments with developers on speed dial and inexperienced local councillors who do not listen to their constituents. Across the state, this unprecedented boom is seeing communities uprooted, public housing erased and the individual forgotten. The proposal to decimate Darlinghurst Road in Kings Cross is of such a scale that it will impact not only the geographical area of the proposal, but will also force unwanted change on the people living in its footprint. Jenny, a government administrative worker, has lived in Cherwood, directly behind the development, for 15 years, and sums up the feelings of a lot of residents when she said, “I feel anxious about the future, and don’t want to put up with the noise and dust from something I don’t want.” Around the corner in Roslyn Street, Shamus Moore and his sister Eulalie operate the Piccolo Bar, an establishment many refer to as an example of the ‘Old Cross’. The Piccolo is also a local community centre, employs five staff and is the only place around 20 elderly locals come each week to get healthy hot meals. Trucks, noise and dust created by the development will directly affect the business and possibly force it and neighbouring shops to close, as Roslyn Street becomes a no-go zone. “We are prepared to fight on, but our business

city hub 18 JANUARY 2018

will be severely impacted, if not terminally,” Shamus said. For the past five years, performer Vashti Hughes has been living and drawing inspiration from the area for numerous theatre and cabaret shows. “What is clear in my research for the shows is that people want and need a sense of history and community,” Vashti said. Now that we know something of the local community, it is only fair that we also know something of the developer, Iris Capital’s chief executive officer, Sam Arnaout. Sam, real first name, Wassim, comes from a distinguished Lebanese family with Albanian origins reaching back to the early days of the Ottoman Empire. Thirty eight year-old Sam’s rise onto the Sydney property scene began in 1995, when he and his brother Ramy formed Iris Capital, quickly establishing themselves as major players by buying up a hefty portfolio of Sydney hotels. By 2006 the group had bagged 13 pubs, but soon realised that bigger bucks lay in developing property rather than selling beer and fermented spirits to building workers. Commenting on the current development bonanza in 2014, Ray White Hotels’ managing director, Andrew Jolliffe, told The Australian newspaper, ”In a low interest rate cycle, the opportunity to invest in high yielding A-grade property assets complete with the potential to improve already impressive cash flow themes is seldom available.” .Iris Capital’s website shows them currently operating 13 pubs, including the Colombian and Gaslight in Darlinghurst, the Grand in Bondi Junction and the Bourbon and Empire in Kings Cross. In 2013 Iris Capital sold the Crest Hotel in

Potts Point and the Crown Hotel Parramatta to Chinese developer Greenland for a combined price of $170 million. The website also lists 12 developments either under construction or consideration, including the proposals for Kings Cross’ Darlinghurst Road and Newcastle’s East End. Up in Newcastle, the Newcastle Herald won’t hear a bad word about Sam, as they triumphantly report his purchases and developments with gushes usually reserved for impressionable children. The 1.6 hectare East End site was sold to Sam by UrbanGrowth NSW and property group GPT for around $40 million, and will attract a $750 million investment in four stages to develop the Hunter Street Mall area for 155 new apartments and shops. A penthouse in the development sold last year for $6 million. “There’s going to be a wall of development so lots of rich people living there will be able to afford to buy from the shops underneath,” local resident, Michael Gormly said. It’s not all about commercial development for Sam as he has been busy acquiring an impressive property portfolio for himself. In 2015 Sam set the Sydney real estate market buzzing with his purchase of a whole-floor apartment in the Toaster building for $22 million, a record for an apartment in Sydney at the time. Back in Newy, “I’m a real believer in Newcastle,” Sam was shoring up his love of the region with the 2016 purchase of the 48 hectare Sweetwater estate at Pokolbin, and a year later snapping up the historic Dalwood-Wyndham wine estate. However, a July 2015 report in The Australian ended Sam’s smooth ascendancy when it reported that he and brother Ramy were in dispute with

Millionaire Sam Arnout is behind the Darlinghurst Rd. development that will see the Bourbon & Beefsteak Bar bulldozed to make way for luxury apartments. Photo: John Moyle

the ATO over the amount of tax owing on a sale of a $300 pub asset sale. Keeping it in the family, both Sam and Ramy’s wives were also caught up, allegedly underdeclaring income from Iris Group trusts in 2008 by some $9 million each. The City Hub is not aware of the current status of these claims. Now that Sam and his board know something about the people of Kings Cross who will be impacted by this development, they must also know that this is one proposed development that won’t come easy.

Learning to Love the Bin Chicken BY JOHN MOYLE It is rare when city dwellers don’t get excited about being in close proximity to our native wildlife going about their struggle for survival in our urban wilderness, unless the species is the Australian white ibis. Few creatures of any description have garnered more rancor and derision than the ibis. The white ibis’ urban sobriquets of ‘bin chicken’, ‘tip turkey’ and ‘dumpster diver’ are just some of the more polite indications of the low ranking on the ‘cute’ stakes much of the public hold this most misunderstood bird. That the white ibis is even in cities says more about us than about them, and we are the ones at fault here. In its natural state the white ibis lives far from any urban area, living and breeding in the vast wetlands of inland NSW, with the Macquarie Marshes being its natural stronghold, where in 1998 11,000 nests were recorded. Then something happened. Before 1970, the white ibis was seldom seen in the Sydney area, in fact, they were so exotic that Taronga Zoo kept seven pairs on display, until they became aggressive and were freed to become an urban myth. It’s doubtful that Sydney’s ibis population started with these zoo refugees and more likely that the numbers we see now are a result of the degradation of their natural habitat due to overuse and mismanagement of the wetland’s water supply. Dr Sean Coogan loves the white ibis, to the extent that he left his home in Canada to spend a year at Sydney University to research the bird for this doctoral thesis. “There is growing awareness that these are Australian birds, and that their urban colonisation is thought to be largely due to issues around water resource management and drought,” Dr Coogan said.

The ‘bin chicken’ or ‘tip turkey’ is Australia’s second-most loved bird, although many despise it. Photo: Vanessa Barratt

If this theory holds, it means that the white ibis is a bellwether bird for our mismanagement of natural resources, forcing it to become a refugee in its own country. It’s just unfortunate for the white ibis that its habits of foraging in bins, noisy nesting, and mating and white-washing the pavement has brought it into such disrepute. The white ibis is here and here to stay in ever increasing numbers. “The population is very likely to increase as the ibis population of the Sydney region doubled from a peak of 4,200 in 2006 to 8,900 in 2008,” Dr Coogan said. The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, in conjunction with the Office of Environment and

Heritage, conduct surveys and monitor the white ibis across NSW. “There are small numbers of ibis at a lot of locations across the Sydney region, with the largest colonies at Lake Annan and Lake Gillawarna,” A Botanic Gardens spokesperson said. Proximity to food - either rubbish or natural supplies – and tall palms for nesting and roosting mean that ibis now range across the city. Birds identified as being from Centennial Park have been seen scavenging at tips as far afield as Belrose, Eastern Creek, Lucas Heights and Gosford. Each year the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Department of Environment and Heritage urges the public to get involved in ‘The Big White Bird

Survey’ that monitors the white ibis population and their dispersal across NSW. “Some research has shown that ibis will move around Sydney after rainfall to parks with lots of worms such as the Domain, and then when it dries, move to parks like Belmore Park near Central Station that have lots of human food,” Dr Coogan said. White ibis can be identified by either leg tags of various colours that denote the location of where they were tagged, or by wing tags, where yellow indicates Sydney city, green for Centennial Park, blue for Olympic Park and black for Lake Annan and Spring Farm. Sydney’s love-hate relationship with the white ibis recently played out on Facebook when around 20,000 people registered for an ‘International Glare at Ibises Day’, where the community could gather in parks and glare at them in a non-violent manner. Recently, Sydneysider David Johns stunned the world with his well-crafted, Attenborough style mockumentary in 4K, titled, ‘Planet Earth: Bin Chicken’ that lifted the lid on bin chicken hotspots around Sydney. Local Redfern music producer Ralph Lauren is the administrator of the ‘Ibis Out of Redfern Now’ Facebook page that currently has 4,680 likes, while Alexander Majchrowski has an alternative pro-ibis Facebook site titled ‘Ibis in Sydney’, with 3,266 likes. “I know each one of them (ibis) has a great inner beauty,” Alexander said. But no great ignominy has befallen the white ibis than its loss to the common magpie in the Guardian’s inaugural ‘Bird of the Year’ poll. With results so close as to make a twitcher twitch, the Threskiornis molucca polled an heroic 19,083 votes to the magpie’s title defining 19,926 votes. Yes, it was rigged. I know that for sure.

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MEET the locals

International Grammar School, proudly inclusive BY JADE MORELLINI International Grammar School (IGS), is nestled among refurbished warehouses between the University of Sydney, Notre Dame, UTS and Wentworth Park in Ultimo. They have been providing a world-class education for girls, boys, and young women and men since 1984. Secular and independent, the school offers a unique bilingual program with 1,200 students from Preschool to Year 12, with choices of Chinese, French, German, Italian or Japanese as a second language, and Spanish added to the options in Year 7. With the school’s motto of Unity in Diversity, the proudly inclusive school runs an Indigenous Scholars Program. Many students are multilingual, joining from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The 2018 IGS Head Girl is Indigenous scholar Mi-kaisha Masella, joined by multilingual rock and roll enthusiast Lukian Adams as 2018 Head Boy. With after-hour care and more than 70 clubs to choose from, students of all ages enjoy a vast range of activities inside and outside the classroom, as part of the School’s vision to grow world-ready, tenacious and confident individuals. Junior School clubs include music, drama, sports, 3D Printing, 2D Game Creation, coding,

Bee Bots, 2D Video Game Creation, Yoga 4 Kids, Year 5 and 6 Girls’ Club, Yu Gi Oh and Pokemon Club. There are a multitude of opportunities for high schoolers to get involved and learn new things. They offer drama, music, Zero Robotics, Rubik’s Cubing, Year 7 and 8 Science Club, Ukulele Club, War Gaming Club, Film Watching Club, Year 9 Boxing Club, Senior Sewing Club, Year 11 Scuba Diving Club, Girls’ Maths Club, and more. A focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) has led to engagement with local businesses, including the IGS Digital Innovation High for senior students, exploring coding and virtual reality. Other local engagement includes Engineering students from the University of Sydney mentoring Robotics Club students, for example. With a focus on innovation from the IGS Strategic Plan 2016 to 2020, Into the World, IGS is continually reimagining and renewing teaching and learning spaces. For example, a purpose-built Design Centre opened in October 2017, blending original warehouse and factory walls with the latest in makerspace workshop equipment and computer labs. Among the unique programs offered at IGS is SAGE Week, when high school students

International Grammar School. Photo: Supplied

celebrate Student choice, Authentic learning, Global relevance and Exhibitions of learning. During SAGE Week, Year 7 experience Shakespeare Boot Camp, Year 8 venture out on The Rocks Quest, Year 9 create their own dramatic operas in Opera on Kelly, and Year 10 explore Tasmania, creating original poetry, prose and artworks in response. IGS Year 12 students enjoy excellent HSC results. In 2017, one student achieved 100 per

INTERNATIONAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Office tO Let

cent in Mathematics Extension 1, two IGS students were named in prestigious NSW All-Round Achievers list; and 117 honourable mentions for distinguished achievement. An impressive 15 students had their major works nominated for 2017 HSC showcases, with four selected. IGS welcomes visitors. Book a tour at www.igssyd.nsw.edu.au or phone 9219 6700 for more information.

A slice of Europe in the heart of Surry Hills

Limitless learning At International Grammar School (IGS), we harness children’s natural curiosity and energy. We draw upon a broad mix of theories and philosophies in education to ensure our students enjoy new and exciting opportunities, from developmental play to world class learning. In an exciting bilingual, coeducational and secular environment, students have the opportunity to drive their learning, ask questions, ponder ideas and actively engage in new experiences from Preschool to Year 12. As we welcome the new academic year, we invite you to discover more about IGS. Book an Early Learning Tour or, for older students, attend a Meet the Principal event. Find out more and book a tour: igssyd.nsw.edu.au | 9219 6700 admissions@igssyd.nsw.edu.au

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FEATURE By Emily Shen “It’s a great opportunity for up-and-comers in terms of the creative arts scene to showcase their works and what they’re currently working on,” says Annisa Belonogoff, who is starring in her one-woman play, Reality Check by Elizabeth during the festival. “Short+Sweet bridges that gap for artists new to the scene who don’t have the budget or backing to create their own show from scratch. It allows people to essentially start their vision or dream without worrying about a massive financial responsibility.” The festival will see 160 plays performed across eight weeks, with all plays selected via a rigorous merit-based process. Reality Check by Elizabeth is the truth about online dating in comedic form with Annisa playing hapless romantic, Elizabeth Dawson. “I like to make fun of how we are in society today and make it a little lighter and not so heavy. I also want to show the humour, the comedy and the love for a person when they’re being themselves – in whatever shape that looks like. That’s truth and reality,” says Annisa. “But also be prepared to laugh!” The Last Cuppa, written by Allan West and directed by Simon Doctor, is a thoughtprovoking and touching tale of an elderly couple whose lives begin to unravel following a celebratory cup of tea. “It’s a really surprising play, which is the key to Short+Sweet.You want to stay away from predictability,” says Rowena McNichol, who plays Vicky, the adult child of the couple. “It becomes quite a moving story of family and relationships and the breakdown of those. Everyone can relate to family tension and friction.” The Perfect Life is a quick-paced, absurdist comedy with touches of poignancy throughout. The play tracks the life of a man named Jethro, from birth to death and is a broader reflection of social expectations of how people should be going about their lives.

Short+Sweet 2018 Short+Sweet, the world’s biggest little theatre festival, returns to Sydney in 2018 for its 17th year running. Featuring a huge array of theatre, dance, cabaret and comedy performances – all in ten-minute bite-sized chunks – the originally Sydney-based festival has spawned numerous versions around the globe.

Rowena McNicol as Vicky and Simon Doctor as Stan in The Last Cuppa. Photo: Supplied by Short+Sweet

“It explores the issue of individuals trying to build perfect lives for themselves but there’s just no such thing as a perfect life,” says Nisrine Amine, the director of The Perfect Life in her first time directing adult theatre.

“It’s the perfect time for this play to be shown because of the increasing hustle and bustle of daily life and all that’s going on in the world.” The ten minute format of Short+Sweet’s works has also allowed the cast of The Perfect Life to

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capitalise on the absurdist idea of cramming a lifetime into ten minutes. “At the end of the day, nothing lasts forever,” says Nisrine. Short+Sweet has three core aims to develop artistry for its performers, showcase the final works and create excellence to stimulate its audiences. Creating supportive workplaces for artists to learn and collaborate together on an ongoing basis, the festival has also been unparalleled in creating a platform for creative risk-taking “Many writers get overwhelmed and discouraged because of the time. Ten minutes becomes attainable for someone just starting in the industry,” says Nisrine. “It’s open to anybody to help them experiment.” Short+Sweet has also been lauded for both giving its performers the opportunity to publicise their work and for expanding the tastes of its audiences. “Unlike other countries with a strong theatre culture, going to the theatre isn’t as widespread of an activity in Sydney. Short+Sweet is a lot more accessible as a festival,” says Rowena. “It’s ten minutes, it’s bite sized and there’s lots of variety to appeal more to the average person.” With so many different types of performance on show over the eight weeks and with two programmes each week, audiences are bound to discover something to their tastes regardless of whether they come from a theatre background or not. “A lot of people find theatre quite confronting but the most brilliant thing about Short+Sweet is that they pride themselves on that variety every week,” says Annisa. “It allows people to open up their minds to things they haven’t seen before or re-emphasise things that they do like.” Jan 28-Mar 31. Short+Sweet Theatre (at Tom Mann Theatre), 136 Chalmers St, Surry Hills.Various Prices. Tickets & Info: www.shortandsweet.org

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Grease, The Arena Experience

An Evening with David Sedaris It’s been a long time since Davis Sedaris was a Macy’s elf down on his luck and something of a self-deprecating outsider. But over the past two decades he has transformed his written and spoken reflections into a wry empire, and visits Australia once again at the Opera House. Sedaris has made his fame and fortune with huge wit and humour, charming audiences with tales of nurturing spiders in Normandy and trying to quit smoking in Japan. His work has been published in The New Yorker, including a story about carnivorous Kookaburras and the

Alicia Rose Quinn, Caroline Oayda, Aaron Robuck, Adin Milostnik and Daniella Mirels

Three In The Bed Sandy Solo

Grease,The Arena Experience is touring Australia for only three days to electrify audiences and reignite their love for the classic storyline. With a cast of stars, such as X-Factor winner Isaiah as Jonny Casino, Footy Show favourite Beau Ryan, Meghan O’Shea as Sandy and Damon Wade as Danny, Grease, The Arena Experience has been recreated on a massive scale. Meghan O’Shea said, “Grease, The Arena Experience is one big party from start to finish. We are touring through arenas and we have the luxury of being able to have between 500–700 young people in the ensemble of the show. Our company went and auditioned for the best young talented people in each city and it’s quite visually spectacular having that many people on stage telling a story.” Staying faithful to the original storyline, audiences can expect to hear their favourite songs from the film and are encouraged to get involved by singing and dancing along. “It’s the story that everybody knows and loves and it’s what people are familiar with from the movie version, but we’ve also brought some aspects of the show into a more contemporary setting so I think there’s a little bit of something in there for everyone. My favourite part of the show is looking out and seeing the shared joy on people’s faces and you can see people dancing and singing along.” O’Shea is excited to be playing Sandy in the musical, “I think a lot of people really identify with the character, I know I do, mostly because I think that everyone has faced the challenges of navigating the transition through high school and young love. I think people watch it and really identify with the journey of the characters and in terms of playing Sandy, that’s something that I really connected with.” (JM) Jan 19-20. Qudos Bank Arena, Edwin Flack Ave & Olympic Blvd, Sydney Olympic Park. $67-$147+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.ticketek.com.au

After a sell-out season and rave reviews at the King Street Theatre in September Birdie

city hub 18 JANUARY 2018

Australian musical Three In The Bed. Three In The Bed is a fresh, vibrant and absolutely outrageous show which is exactly what Australian theatre needs right now. Written by Jonathon Holmes and musically directed by Natalya Aynsley, Three In The Bed has a small but stellar cast including Aaron Robuck (Bare), Daniella Mirels (The Original Grease), Alicia Rose Quinn (Risque Revue), Adin Milostnik (Vast Hill) and Caroline Oayda (The Original Grease). As Laura Murphy joins the cast of Sydney Theatre Company’s Muriel’s Wedding, Caroline Oayda (The Original Grease) will be filling

The Wind In The Willows

A much-loved children’s story performed by an eminent theatre group in a picturesque, authentic setting, that is, The Australian Shakespeare Company’s production of The Wind In The Willows in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Kenneth Grahame’s enduring 1908 classic tale about a motley collection of woodland creatures and their misadventures lends itself beautifully to free interpretation and improvisation. With such rich subject matter, the incredibly talented troupe from ASC have created a pantomime so animated and colourful it will enthral youngsters, yet with enough devious wit to keep adults entertained. Each actor has wonderful rapport with children. They have strong, clear voices, broad gestures and

a&e

Productions have partnered with writer Jonathan Holmes for the return season of his outrageous

Australian song’s part in his fractured childhood. Sedaris is a veteran of biographical remonstrance, and making these selfobservations seem easy. It’s not. Now his cleverness is not really in tune, at least not here. The show will be overproduced and bland. Too bad. I’d like to have met his spider pal. (OA) Jan 18-19. Opera House, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $47.20-$69+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

12 STAGE 13 SCENE 14 Sounds 15 SCREEN

Photo: Ken Leanfore

excellent sense of timing, as well as ease and willingness to engage with audience and occasionally wander off script.

They use the environs to great advantage, with some characters making their entrance via a rowboat on the pond or suddenly

Arts Editor: Jamie Apps For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @CityHubSyd

the leopard-print bra in the role of Emma. Birdie Productions are a Pro-Am theatre company that made its debut into the theatrical scene in 2015 with the toe tapping, Hot Shoe Shuffle starring Daryl Somers. Since their debut, they have produced Keating!, 13: A New Musical, Seussical which starred Sam Moran (The Wiggles) and most recently FAME starring Kat Hoyos (Here Come the Habibs) and Lyndall Wennekes (The Voice). This show is bound to be something special for Sydney theatre lovers. (JA) Until Jan 26. New Theatre, Newtown. $25-$35.Tickets & Info: www.newtheatre.org.au

appearing from behind a tree. The performance takes place over two locations which requires the audience to pack up their picnic and physically move to another spot nearby. The move itself acts as an intermission, giving people a chance to stretch their legs and chat; the new location is effectively a scene change with Toad Hall at centre stage. Here, the action ramps up with crashes and spills and drama. Moving props, hilarious songs, a frenetic battle and a ‘Pied Piper moment’ help prevent any lulls. This a perfect summer outing: picnic, chardy, harbourside garden, great entertainment and something to keep the kids amused. (RB) Until Jan 28. Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney (Harbourside of Main Pond). $20-$80+b.f. Tickets & Info: www. shakespeareaustralia.com.au

Contributors: Barbara Karpinski, Craig Coventry, Emily Shen, Greg Webster, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, James Harkness, Joseph Rana, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Rita Bratovich, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Jade Morellini, Alex Eugene, Manuel Gonzalez, Tommy Boutros, Riley Hooper, Mohsen Dezaki, Daniel Jaramillo.

not a lot of opportunities to have a platform like this so I’m very thankful,” says Gela. “I’m really fortunate I get to express myself through the arts. There’s not a lot of places where you can express yourself and your views. The arts in general are needed in the world.” My Urrwai is presented by Belvoir and Performing Lines in association with ILBIJERRI & Sydney Festival. (ES) Jan 19-Feb 4. Belvoir, 18 & 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $25-$49+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au

Jimi Bani is a man with a mission to tell the story of his family, his community and culture in My Name is Jimi, which had its world premiere with the Queensland Theatre last year. Jimi comes from Mabuiag Island, in the Torres Strait, with a small population of a few hundred people who have a rich history that archaeological excavations show dates back over 7,000 years to the arrival of the first people on the island. This is not Jimi’s first appearance on the stage. He is best known for his portrayal of Eddie Mabo in the ABC TV’s production of the same name, and for his

THE NAKED CITY

TV FOR SLOTHS

With Coffin Ed There have been some slow moving TV shows in the history of Australian TV, some as exciting as watching grass grow, but we were only recently exposed to the actual genre known as ‘slow TV’ or ‘slow television’. SBS screened three hours of the Ghan, making its way from Adelaide to Darwin, devoid of commentary but packed with some spectacular photography. The Daily Telegraph sort to rubbish the program, soliciting all manner of “it was boring” judgements from its various readers, but elsewhere the well put together, commercial free, marathon drew an enthusiastic response. Personally I found it quite engrossing and once you enthusiastically put yourself in the passenger’s seat you were there for the entire journey. The boredom factor? Well try six half hour episodes of Home & Away versus three hours on The Ghan – give me the latter anytime.

Slow TV purists however might argue that the SBS screening featured just too many different camera angles and historical captions. The classic concept of slow TV would have seen just one camera affixed to the front of the train for the entire three hour broadcast. Minimalism at its extreme, as pioneered by Andy Warhol in his famous five hour and twenty minutes movie showing poet John Giorno asleep. Bring it on SBS! Not surprisingly it’s the Scandinavian countries, where much time is spent indoors, that have embraced the modern version of slow TV. In 2009 the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation screened a seven hour epic of a train ride along the historic Bergen Line, attracting an audience of well over a million viewers. Needless to say housebound Norwegians quickly welcomed the experience and similar programs soon followed. In 2013 viewers were invited to watch a sweater being knitted

from beginning to end in a twelve hour knitting extravaganza. So what then for the future of this genre in a country like Australia where the short attention span has been hammered into our psyche. Are we ready for a 168 hour show of reindeer migration as screened last year - well where else but Norwegian TV. Maybe not but the slightly shorter possibilities abound. Here are just a few suggestions: SIX HOURS OF LIGHT RAIL CONSTRUCTION IN THE SYDNEY CBD: The images are almost motionless but every now and then there is a brief burst of activity, although you will need to be really patient to catch any action. Blink and you also might miss it! IBIS GOING THROUGH GARBAGE BINS IN HYDE PARK: The extended version could run from dusk ‘til dawn as an army of pesky ibis dig deep into the depths of the city’s trash.

TONY ABBOTT READS BATTLELINES: Tony Abbott takes eight hours to read aloud all 368 pages from his own book Battlelines, mercifully with no sound whatsoever. THE CITY TO SURF, PLAYED IN REVERSE AND IN SLOW MOTION: Riveting TV as the entire race is shown in reverse and in ultra-slow motion. You’ll need to hang in for at least 12 hours to see who crosses the starting line first! SEAL AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: Seals are now regular visitors to the steps of the Sydney Opera House and this six hour show features a mother and pup basking in the afternoon sunshine before a delighted throng of tourists. MEMORIES OF THE MONORAIL: An eight hour continuous journey on the old Sydney monorail, cobbled together from historical footage and a touch of CGI showing the big yellow rubber duckee in Darling Harbour.

performances in Belvoir’s productions of Peter Pan and Title And Deed, and the 2010-11 national and international tour of The Sapphires. Through music, dance and storytelling, members of Jimi’s family who join him on stage tell the story of their people. Jimi says,““This show is designed so that we as a family come on stage and just tell this message.This is who we are.This is where we come from.This is where we are now today.And this is where we want to go.” Co-creator and director Jason Klarwein says he cannot recall a play like My Name is Jimi. “Sure there are works it can be related to, but what audiences will see, experience,

Photo: David Kelly

In her first solo show, Ghenoa Gela invites audiences to explore the complex political, social, colonial and cultural expectations that she navigates on a daily basis. Autobiographical in nature, My Urrwai is a collection of unique and deeply personal stories told through movement and words. Guided by the direction of Rachael Maza, Gela puts on in indomitable performance that is both provocative and moving. “The opportunity to create and perform like I do for My Urrwai is quite phenomenal. There’s

My Name Is Jimi

feel and celebrate on stage is only a sliver of what is happening culturally within this family. It is truly a unique theatrical experience.” (ID) Until Jan 21. Belvoir Theatre, 18 & 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $37-$72+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au

Culture Up Late

The Australian Museum will be brought to life at night with Culture Up Late, a summer - long season of virtual reality shows, hands - on workshops, live music, special tours, performances and protest. Culture Up Late will see a dozen artists, scientists and performers transform the museum into an interactive space for the curious of heart and mind. Some of the highlights throughout the duration include: • We Stand Strong: curated by the museum’s First Nations staff in celebration of Indigenous protest and resilience, with deadly - designed jewellery workshops, a live DJ playing “ decolonisation beats” and Change the Date VR rap video. • Anti-Valentine’s Day: an unconventional and uncommercial take on affairs of the heart, with live performances of love songs gone right and wrong, “speed hating” sessions,Voodoo doll workshops, couples’ game shows and the live dissection of a pig’s heart. • Turning the Tide: join scientists, activists and artists in exploring threats to the world’s oceans and marine life, and discover how to be part of the solution, through short films, live music and an immersive VR experience of coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef. • Another View: presented as part of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, explore the museum with a queer eye through LGBTQI cabaret performances, live art and an irreverent “Mating in the Wild” tour of the animal exhibitions. Australian Museum Director and CEO Kim McKay said Culture Up Late offers visitors a different look inside the nation’s oldest museum. “The immersive and interactive adults’ program will show the museum in a new light by exploring culture, performance, art, science and storytelling after dark.” (JA) Jan 24-Mar 14. Australian Museum, 1 William St, Sydney. $16-$20.Tickets & Info: www.australianmuseum.net.au

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Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE Sydney

By Jamie Apps

Gondwana Choirs’ Festival Of Summer Voices: Featuring more than 300 of Australia’s finest young singers from all over the country this series of concerts will include both classical and contemporary works from around the world, particularly highlighting Australian composers. Until Sat, Jan 20, University Of New South Wales Actress: Actress aka Darren J. Cunningham returns to Sydney for a very special live performance at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory with special guests Cop Envy, Magda Bytherowicz and Body Promise tonight. Thu, Jan 18, Oxford Art Factory Actress

Drunk Mums

Drunk Mums: Have been compared to The Ramones and The Saints if they had bulked up on protein powder and had a possessed baby. The four piece, have built a reputation for their rowdy shows over the years, having played at many of the country’s finest festivals so check them out live in Sydney tomorrow night. Fri, Jan 19, Landsdowne Hotel

Miss Blanks

Miss Blanks: The First Lady of Trench Records, Miss Blanks, has launched into 2018 like a heat-seeking missile which strikes Sydney this weekend. Her spectacular live show has only gone from strength-to-strength in the last six months too. After establishing herself as the breakout star of Bigsound 2017, she’s since gone on to perform at Listen Out, Meredith, The Plot, Let Them Eat Cake, and Beyond The Valley, and is now poised to rock the Laneway 2018 line-up and Sydney. Sat, Jan 20, Tokyo Sing Song Summer Dance 2018: Local tastemakers Astral People are thrilled to announce the return of Summer Dance - a series of outdoor parties in the luscious surroundings of Sydney’s National Art School this summer. The blissful Sunday program will feature an exceptional lineup of hand-picked artists from international pioneers to local champions. Performing this weekend will be Dan Shake, Project Pablo, Adi Toohey and Fortune Taylor. Sun, Jan 21, National Art School Alanis Morissette: For the first time in almost 20 years, Alanis will enthral Australian audiences with her deeply raw,

Mashd N Kutcher

Mashd N Kutcher: Fresh off a huge world tour, Mashd N Kutcher have kicked off the year with the release of their brand new single Need Me (feat. Sammi Constantine). Mashd N Kutcher have progressed from local DJs to one of the most prominent electronic acts to grace the music scene in recent years and will be bringing their infectious live show to Sydney this weekend. Sat, Jan 20, Marquee

city hub 18 JANUARY 2018

By Jamie Apps This weekend Sydney celebrates all things French with the annual So Frenchy So Chic festival. Sydneysiders can experience the joys of French food, wine and music in the beautiful leafy surrounds of Bicentennial Park in Glebe. On the music front one of the most exciting acts on the bill is three piece L.E.J, pronounced Elijay, who have carved out a cult following worldwide with their covers and originals which incorporate classically trained vocal harmonies, percussion and cello. Lucie Lebrun, Elisa Paris and Juliette Saumagne have been friends since childhood and have all studied various forms of classical music alongside each other for almost 15 years. Growing up in the suburbs of Paris though Elisa says that they have always had a wide range of musical influences from every genre, hence their decision to

not pursue classical music exclusively. “It was really just instinctive to pursue this kind of music instead of classical music because we wanted to be on stage and dance with people, you can’t really do that and tell people to scream with you in classical music.” explained Elisa. Classical music can be a very niche genre but it is also known for its ravenous fan base so obviously when L.E.J took a chance by blending classical with other genres they were understandably “scared” of the potential reaction. “We know these are two very different worlds and we took a big risk blending them,” said Elisa, “People either love the classical style or they hate it. It’s a part of our DNA though so we could never take that side of us away even though we didn’t know if it would work or not.” Since breaking through in large part thanks to their yearly

summer mashups from 2014 to 2016 L.E.J have now begun focussing on creating their own original music, which Elisa said is “a lot scarier.” “When you rearrange songs from other people you know that at the heart of it people enjoy the original work so hopefully they’ll like your interpretations. When you write your own music though it’s all about your own life, your own thoughts and lyrics so if people don’t like it that’s it.” During their time here in Australia this week as part of So Frenchy So Chic though L.E.J have been pleasantly surprised by the overwhelmingly positive reaction of audiences to their original tracks. “It was absolutely incredible to see people dancing along and knowing the lyrics to our songs.” Jan 20. Bicentennial Park, Glebe. $89-$99+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sofrenchysochic.com.au

Eminem - Revival Alanis Morissette. Photo: Williams & Hirakawa

emotional lyrics potent trademark vocals and captivating stage presence, performing songs spanning her entire career in an intimate acoustic trio setting. Wed, Jan 24, ICC Sydney Theatre 14

L.E.J

Aside from the final two tracks on Revival one gets the sense that Eminem went into the studio to record this record without a clear direction and point he wanted to convey. This lack of direction manifests itself both in the lyrical content and the underlying beats. Throughout the record the beats are simple and safe, whilst the attempts to incorporate classic rock samples into the occasional track is handled clumsily and lazily which severely hamstrings the effectiveness.

At 19 tracks long this record drags on far too long, although the final two tracks are a nice payoff for those that can endure throughout the entire record. Castle in particular is compelling due to it’s concept, the track is written as three short letters to Eminem’s daughter Hailie. The collaborations with Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Beyonce and Skylar Grey are the highlights of Revival which speaks volumes for Eminem’s lack of impact with this record. Unfortunately this is yet another

overly long, lacklustre offering from Eminem and easily worth skipping. (JA) W1/2

Swinging Safari

Destined to be a classic alongside pillars such as The Castle? No. Not even close. How can a movie made by Stephan Elliot (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of The Desert, 1994) with an elite Australian cast (Guy Pearce, Radha Mitchell, Jeremy Sims, Kylie Minogue, Julian McMahon, Asher Keddie and Jack Thompson) be this incredibly bad? Delusion, misguided choices, lazy writing… too much turps in the fondue? Who knows? This is a five minute sketch comedy packed with obvious jokes, heavy handed visual humour and laboured, gratuitous references, repeated with

little variation for 96 minutes. It lacks everything that makes The Castle and similar Aussie classics great: believable, likeable characters; engaging plot (or even a discernible plot!); depth, warmth…intelligence. This churlish snub to the political correctness of the present day sacrifices its artistic integrity for the sake of easy gags and free licence to be indifferent to taste. For people of a certain vintage there are enough Polly Waffle easter eggs for some amusing reminiscing. For everyone else, only go if you feel like you could watch the trailer 25 times in a row and still laugh. (RB) W1/2

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A romantic science fiction fairy tale set inside a secret government research facility during the height of the Cold War. This may initially sound like a strange combination but thanks to the phenomenal, almost entirely silent, performance by Sally Hawkins and great direction by Guillermo del Torro it actually works. Hawkins play Elisa Esposito, a night shift cleaner at the government facility, who happens to be assigned to a particular section housing ‘the asset’, a creature of unknown species or origin. Inexplicably Elisa is drawn to the creature and through the assistance of

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music, eggs and sign language they develop a bond. Michael Shannon plays Strickland, a government agent assigned to the task of discovering how ‘the asset’ can help the US win the space race. As the prototypical fairy tale monster Strickland is menacing, cerebral and violent as he embodies almost all of the racist, misogynistic and prejudicial elements of the 1960s. Whilst The Shape Of Water tells a compelling tale it is unfortunately all rather predictable and telegraphed which hampers the lasting impact it will have on viewers. (JA) WWW

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city hub 18 JANUARY 2018

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