City Hub 22 June 2017

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city hub 22 JUNE 2017

The death and life of the city of villages

BY LAWRENCE GIBBONS In 2004 Clover Moore was first elected Lord Mayor and declared Sydney to be a “City of Villages.” Thirteen years later Sydney’s villages are under the threat of neglect.

In the lead up to her historic election, Clover Moore told the Sydney Morning Herald “the community would be consulted on how to develop the unique character of each village, and those that have lost their identity would be salvaged.” She also promised to establish an economic development unit to promote a return of small business.

For more than a decade the City has followed through on her commitment to promote, support and champion the unique identity of each village precinct.

Over the last five years the City has partnered with local business groups, investing $3.5 million into the program. 60% of those funds have gone towards marketing, 30% funded administrative support (so that volunteer based organisations comprised mostly of small businesses owners could deliver worthwhile outcomes) and 10% went into other “capacity building” exercises.

Under radical new grant guidelines that were tabled at this month’s City of Sydney committee meeting, all marketing, event and administrative support (90% of the former grant allocations awarded to local business groups) would be eliminated. The new policy is currently under review and if adopted only business to business “capacity building” programs would be funded with revenues allocated to local business groups slashed by more than 60%.

So why does it matter if Sydney’s business precincts are unable to market themselves in order to attract visitors and customers? Westfields and Mirvac run coordinated campaigns to ensure that locals spend money in shopping centres and not on the main street. Tenants are required to contribute to marketing costs which makes it very hard for independent, family-owned bricks and mortar businesses to compete. As more and more consumers are lured to shopping centres, main streets businesses are forced to closeup shop and

the City’s unique business precincts become all the more homogenised.

As Sydney’s neighbourhoods gentrify and local small businesses are no longer able to survive on traditional main streets Sydney runs the very real risk of losing its mojo.

Down south in Melbourne, “the world’s most liveable city” does not shy away from marketing its local precincts. The City provides each business group with grants and does not require its local business groups to hold business networking type functions.

By comparison the City of Sydney is larger than Melbourne with more people and more businesses located in our city limits. And yet the City of Sydney proposes to spend less than half as much than our southern cousins championing each of the City’s village precincts.

In addition to a new proposal to cut funds to the existing village support program, the City is no longer contributing to several popular community events that have been mounted by local business groups to market their areas.

When Clover Moore first took office, the City prided itself on funding local community events.

A dozen years later, in April of this year the City Hub reported that the City refused to provide funds to the Potts Point Partnership to produce the popular Kings Cross Festival which attracted 25,000 people to its village precinct in 2014.

This month the Glebe Chamber of Commerce also announced it will not hold the Glebe Street Fair in November. After 30 years the local business group will not produce the popular event because the City refuses to provide adequate funding for the fair which draws more than 100,000 people to Glebe’s main street annually.

Invariably Council bureaucrats will argue that they will be able to deliver more efficient outcomes without the messy involvement of the local community. And yet Council run events are far more expensive to produce without the volunteer participation of the local community and the cash and in-kind contributions made by local businesses.

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Lord Mayor of City of Sydney Clover Moore, at the Pyrmont Festival in 2016. Credit: Supplied

When government bodies manage events and mount marketing campaigns the result is inevitably a one size fits all corporate campaign.

The City’s Christmas decorations are a case in point: From hipster Newtown in the west to genteel Paddington in the east, identical shopping centre style banners and homogenised baubles are rolled out on every City main street across Sydney.

Ironically, the current Council was elected with the endorsement of local businesses, which were required to vote in last year’s Council elections. Since businesses pay more

than 80% of the rates in the City of Sydney, their continued success is in Town Hall’s own financial and political interest.

Under current state law, the CEO of the City of Sydney is required to ensure that all businesses in the City of Sydney are enrolled to vote in the next local elections in three years-time. It will be interesting to see how local businesses respond if Council slashes funds for local business precincts at this month’s meeting.

Under the Business Improvement District system (which is used in Newtown, Marrickville, Newcastle, New York and London as well as globally) local businesses pay a levy for marketing just as tenants in shopping centres do. The argument in favour of a levy is that politicians can never divert funds from local marketing campaigns to pay for other programs. The argument against the model was that the City generously provided for its village precincts: until now.

Cities are dynamic, diverse, thriving hubs of apparent chaos designed to look after their inhabitants. Nobody knew this better than Jane Jacobs, the American journalist and activist, who rallied locals in the 1960s to defend Greenwich Village in New York against the threat of developers and roadways in the name of progress. Jacob’s most famous book was titled “The Death and Life of Great American Cities.” A modern day rewrite could be titled “The Death and Life of the City of Villages.”

Local small businesses have invested abundant amounts of social capital into our village precincts to ensure that we live in an exciting, unique and dynamic city. Many of us spend money in their shops; work in their businesses and love their vibe. Some of us own our own businesses or hope to one day.

From London to Los Angeles, from New York to Melbourne, the world’s best cities invest in their local precincts to ensure that their main streets have a diverse range of local businesses and that each of their urban villages is utterly unique. We should expect no less of Sydney.

Stumping up for trees

BY ANNA COMINOS The landscape of NSW is about to undergo a radical shift if the Berejiklian Government has its way with NSW legislation changes, which will allow property developers to fast-track land clearing approvals.

The current NSW government has a less than impressive environmental record. Many Sydneysiders still remember the reign of Premier Baird’s leadership, which saw Sydney lose a massive numbers of heritage trees in a misguided drive for more rapid development.

“People are really fed up with the loss of precious bushland and landmark trees. These kinds of decisions really beg the question whose interests does the NSW Government has at heart, the community or the toll road lobby?” said the Greens Upper House MP Dr Mehreen Faruqi.

Ms Faruqi is also the Greens NSW Environmental Spokesperson.

“We need strong, effective conservation laws that will stop the loss of trees and bushland across our state. The NSW government’s new Biodiversity Conservation Act is not good for biodiversity or conservation. It deliberately undermines both,” she added.

As part of the reforms, the government is proposing ‘offsetting arrangements’ that will enable property developers to fell trees for cash. Currently a like-for-like offset is the standard approach. If you want to destroy bushland and trees – you must find something similar nearby to replace it with.

If these legislative changes are introduced, organisations like Saving Sydney Trees estimate the new changes will see tens of thousands of Sydney’s trees at risk, particularly in urban renewal areas or where major infrastructure projects are currently proposed or have not even been applied for.

“Buried within the regulation is the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme which fundamentally allows developers to pay cash for trees,” explains community spokesperson Maria Bradley.

“It overthrows current protections and gives an easy multiple

Protestors outside Gabrielle Upton’s office last week. Credit: Anna Cominos

choice solution for developers wanting to clear bushland in order to develop land.”

“This new regulation says developers can just pay some cash into a fund – which can be used for something as ridiculous as an educational night on the area the developer just destroyed, and not replace it at all,” details Ms Bradley.

Another community activist sad “Our leaders are encouraging irreversible damage. It’s just another example of the government getting into bed with developers, regardless of the price Sydneysiders will pay now and in the future.”

Woollahra Council, which sits at the heart of the current NSW Minister for the Environment Gabriel Upton’s seat of Vaucluse, unanimously adopted a motion noting that the changes to the regulation being considered by State Government pose a risk to the Council’s ability to protect and maintain its urban tree canopy.

If you would like to object to the NSW government to the Biodiversity Offset Scheme call Gabrielle Upton’s office now (02) 8574 6107 or fax in your objections on (02)9339 5546. city hub 22 JUNE 2017

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Lockout laws loosened on select Sydney venues “From what we’ve seen from other businesses that have been granted this extension, it doesn’t really make a difference in terms of their revenue.

“While it’s very encouraging, we still have a long way to go.”

Greens MP Jenny Leong agrees that the extensions do not go far enough, saying that “making our city safer and allowing people to go out and party are not mutually exclusive.”

“What we need is big change,” she said.

“There are many ways of addressing

violence associated with alcohol that don’t shut down our nightlife, like tougher measures on problem venues and responsible services of alcohol certifications, and educating young people on alcohol and alcohol-related violence.”

But some groups remain vigilantly opposed to any softening of the lockout laws, and see these recent changes as a step backwards.

The Last Drinks Coalition, a group representing emergency service workers, credits the lockout laws with a significant

Credit: Flickr

The Burdekin Hotel is the latest Sydney venue to have its trading hours extended by half an hour. Credit: Supplied

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reduction in alcohol and drug-fuelled violence and urges the government to reconsider any changes.

“We know that the alcohol laws work. We’ve seen the positive change on Sydney’s streets and we’re concerned that relaxing the alcohol laws will now result in a rapid increase in assaults, violence and serious injury,” a spokesperson for the organisation said.

“The alcohol laws have saved hundreds of people’s lives and spared thousands more from serious and debilitating injury. The only change to the laws should be for them to be rolled out across the state.”

© “Night Skies” Suzy Evans represented by NADA

by Charli Shield Sydneysiders tired of having their nightlife curtailed by the 2014 lockout laws have marked a small victory thanks to the half hour extension granted to select venues in the city’s centre.

Sydney’s Burdekin Hotel is the most recent venue to confirm an exemption from the controversial lockouts since the Baird Government’s relaxation of the laws, announced late last year.

The Burdekin is now permitted to extend its lockout from 1:30am until 2am and to serve last drinks at 3:30am instead of 3am. It joins fellow high-profile live entertainment venues Oxford Art Factory, World Bar and The Basement within the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct, each of which have secured extended trading hours in the last few months.

The easing of the laws came after recommendations from an independent review conducted by former High Court judge Ian Callinan, who also suggested the state-wide ban of alcohol after 10pm be extended by an hour, saying it had minimal impact on violence and anti-social behaviour.

Campaign director of Keep Sydney Open, Tyson Koh, says while the exemptions are positive, they aren’t the right changes Sydney needs to foster a safe and vibrant late-night culture.

To do this, he says, we need anti-violence education campaigns, more effective policing and better transport options.

“It’s a very small step. [The government] haven’t committed to providing better services, they are only tinkering with closing times,” he said.

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city hub 22 JUNE 2017

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Have you been paying attention?

Ten’s in turmoil

BY ALEX EUGENE It may be business as usual on our tellies, but speculation continues to build around the financial woes of Channel 10.

The shocking announcement that the national broadcaster would no longer be backed by billionaires Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon came just over a week ago.

With whopping debts and a reported loss of almost $250million in just the last six months, the company was forced into administration and is now in the hands of Mark Korda, Jennifer Nettleton and Jarrod Villani of KordaMentha.

Ten’s demise prompted media groups to rally together and put pressure on the government to loosen media ownership laws, and reduce licence fees.

Though the changes would make the prospect of an investor rescuing Channel 10 better, in the long run the effect would benefit monopoly moguls like Rupert Murdoch, shrinking even further the tiny diversity that Australian media currently has.

The company remained tight lipped about the controversy, putting out an evasive statement thanking staff and management for a job well done in the “challenging times.”

There was no mention of the predicament on the Channel 10 Twitter feed. In fact, they seemed to be attempting to put their best foot forward, triumphantly tweeting on the day of the announcement that “Masterchef Australia had 1.25 Million viewers nationally last night. #1 program in 25 to 54s, #1 in its timeslot, up 6% on 2017 Series Average.”

The message has been re-tweeted multiple times since then, along with an ostentatious “Have you been paying attention?”

Masterchef is the network’s best performing product.The reality cooking show is a saving grace amongst just about everything else which has flopped, including Ten’s copycat Breakfast show that was axed after failing to compete with Nine or Seven’s Today andSunrise.

Speculators have been murmuring for years about the broadcaster’s downward spiral since the end of the 90s, after reigning supreme during its Simpsons andVideo Hits heyday.

Ten had cemented itself through that period as the favourite choice for teenage viewers, but with Gen Y now too old for youth programming, and their children turning to the internet for instant gratification, free to air television is set to be the next casualty of the changing media landscape.

Dr Michael Richardson, of the UNSW School of Arts & Media said broadcasters would have to start looking at other options if they wanted to stay alive, amid the ruthless competition of streaming services.

“Streaming places broadcast networks in a double bind. They face competition from new players like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon who are eating into their audience. At the same time, competing with streaming services by having their own digital platforms risks cannibalising those already shrinking audiences,” he said.

“Advertisers simply won’t pay the same rates for digital delivery, nor can as many ads be screened in streamed content. And if all that’s not tough enough, TV viewing culture is changing. Young people want content on demand and mobile devices are transforming where and how people watch.”

Neil Shoebridge, the company’s Director of Corporate and Public Communications did not respond to City Hub’s requests for comment.

Nonetheless, it hasn’t stopped the Twitterverse

Channel 10 made no mention of its financial woes on Twitter last week, when it was forced to go into adminstration.

Credit: Alex Eugene

and social media users from weighing in on the hot debate.

“We removed our aerial awhile ago and haven’t looked back. iView can take care of any ABC that I care for. Netflix, Google and good old physical media on occasion at our place,” said one user.

“The Simpsons everyday at 6pm was a lot of ppls [sic] thing. Bring Simpsons back, then I’d continue watching ten,” said another.

“The never ending MASH reruns were the only good thing about this channel,” read the comment of another nostalgic viewer.

But others used the opportunity to lash out at Muslims, claiming Waleed Aly and The Project’s “left wing propaganda” was to blame for dwindling audiences.

“Persisting with obnoxious left wing presenters insulting their audience and those who don’t even have the respect to have a shave like Wallied Aly [sic] killed Ch10 not the ABC,” said one put-out viewer.

“Put Andrew Bolt on at 6pm followed by Mark Latham at 6.30pm, problem solved,” crowed another.

Dr Elaine Jing Zhao of the UNSW Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences said the public debate showed

that viewers cared about the quality of their content as much as the cost.

“Television stations are facing significant challenges in today’s on-demand digital content consumption environment. Streaming platforms are vigorously producing or commissioning premium-quality content,” she said.

“In this format-driven era of television, how to enhance content innovation to audience taste becomes a key question.”

But it seems Channel 10 will look to sports fans as their saviour, having recently secured a deal to screen Hyundai A-League football and Caltex Socceroos matches in prime time television slots.

Though part of the company’s crash has been due to enormous fees for American shows, there has been no hint that more locally-made content is on the agenda.

The Hyundai football season will be simulcast on Ten and FOX sports on Saturdays at 7.30pm.

Peter Tonagh, the CEO of Foxtel sits on the board for Channel 10 and partook in the joint decision to put the broadcaster into administration.

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Locals wage war on bus privatisation

The Greens’ community meeting at Leichhardt Town Hall last Monday was packed with supporters of public transport. Credit: Supplied

“People are fed up with the privatisation of public services and are drawing a line at losing our buses,” she said.

Ms Haylen said the government had plans to remove several bus stops from pickup areas at schools, child care centres and nursing homes, but as yet had given no reason for doing so.

“It’s clear that the stops are being removed to make the network more attractive to potential buyers,” she said.

“No matter what the Minister says, there’s

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only one reason they’re selling off the buses: Whenever they’re faced with a problem, the only thing this Government knows how to do is to sell their way out of it.”

At the forum, one bus driver from the Tempe depot filmed himself and posted the video on social media, saying “We are asking everyone to support us, not to sell public transport, this is our public asset.”

Yet another community assembly against the privatisation will be held on Wednesday June 28th, at Pitt St Uniting Church.

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Jo Haylen, the Labor member for Summer Hill, Darcy Byrne, the former Mayor of Leichhardt and Labor MP Sophie Cotsis held their own community forum just days earlier.

Herb Greedy Hall in Marrickville was packed with bus drivers and local supporters wearing bright yellow “Don’t Sell Our Buses” t-shirts.

Ms Cotsis said many residents had expressed outrage about the privatisation, and that she intended to send a “clear message” to the Berejiklian Government.

Licence No. 173676c

BY ALEX EUGENE Local politicians and community members have ramped up their fight against the privatisation of Sydney buses this week, with a string of meetings and rallies held to resist the state government’s latest public asset sell-off.

The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance announced in May that the region 6 bus network would be privatised. Region 6 includes the entire Inner West bus fleet.

The Minister also made an alarming comment in March, saying that in his view “In 10 to 15 years time government will not be in the provision of transport. [All forms of transport] will be private.”

The government will invite private companies to bid for the bus service in July, with protest groups scrambling to have the decision reversed before then.

The Greens held a community meeting for the public to voice their concerns on Monday night. The Leichhardt Town Hall was packed wall to wall with supporters holding up “Stop the Sell Off” banners.

Jenny Leong, the member for Newtown led the meeting and was joined by the Greens member for NSW Mehreen Faruqi, and Jamie Parker, the member for Balmain.

“There has been a groundswell of support in our community to keep inner west buses in public hands,” said Ms Leong.

“Sydney deserves world class public transport, and the bus system is a critical part of our public transport network,” she said.

An online petition started by the Greens has gathered almost 2000 signatures, while the “Don’t Sell Our Buses” Facebook page has over 1700 likes, which one person victoriously pointed out is “officially more popular than Andrew Constance...it only took us a week!”

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Westconnex bulldozes communities

BY TOMMY BOUTROS The Dennis family have been living in Concord West for 24 years. Nicholas, the eldest in the family has lived in the house for his whole life, 21 years.

Now, Nicholas and his family are being forced to say goodbye - forever. Their home is the next casualty of compulsory aquisitions of Westconnex.

“Leaving our home is going to be a long and emotional process for my family. All the memories we have are being stripped away, without as much as a second thought,” says Nicholas.

Nicholas’ home, as well as the whole block of land, will be transformed into apartments to make room for Sydney’s growing population, against the will of current residents.

As outlined in the WestConnex Updated Strategic Business Case (2015), “WestConnex was originally put forward by Infrastructure NSW in 2012, (and) one of its central features was to enable urban renewal and regeneration along Parramatta Road. This remains one of the main objectives of the project.”

The WestConnex action group (WCAG), is an organisation who strongly oppose the WestConnex.

A spokesperson for WCAG, Pauline Lockie said “The way it’s been handled has been terrible.

I’m not against compulsory acquisition in general, if it’s handled well and it’s for a project that is for the greater good then I can see where they have a role.

“I don’t think either of those two things applies to WestConnex, it’s a project that is very short term in nature,” she said.

“The way people have been treated during the acquisition process is absolutely appalling. There are numerous reports of people being offered hundreds and thousands of dollars less than they were entitled to receive in compensation.”

Nicholas’s home can be saved if WestConnex is scrapped, since the proposed apartments are a by-product of WestConnex.

The community feedback found in consultation

Nicholas Dennis, who will lose his childhood home to the Westconnex. Credit: Supplied

report of Westconnex very much echoes the sentiments of Nicholas and his family: “The Draft Parramatta Road Plan should only relate to Parramatta Road. Instead this plan only generates unsustainable pockets of density in the suburbsunacceptable! The inner west is not a dumping ground for all future development and population growth. The draft plan will decimate the Concord community, changing the fundamental nature of Concord. To convert this parkland suburb into soulless canyons of concrete is criminal,” it reads.

Nicholas says that he has been offered compensation to leave, but no amount of money would make him feel better.

“Money isn’t going to give back what is taken from my family, it’s not going to give us instant happiness.m Buying a house is not the same as buying a home,” he says.

The development of WestConnex will ultimately link up two of the main motorways in Sydney — the M4 in western Sydney and the M5 in south-western Sydney, which will provide commuters more direct access to the city, Sydney airport and Port Botany.

However, the project is going ahead on spoilt soil. No WestConnex: Public Transport Not Motorways (NoW PT) show their strong stand against WestConnex with a bold statement on their website: “We must stop the WestConnex toll road from carving up our communities and streets and harming our quality of life.”

Andrew Chuter a spokesperson for NoW PT clearly states “We oppose WestConnex primarily because it won’t work. Public transport is needed instead.”

“Even if built, we will never lose this fight because in the long run, our argument is correct - you can’t build roads to relieve congestion.

Sooner enough, with worsening climate change, the tunnels will have to revert to public transport or be shut down,” he said.

A strong voice in the community who are against WestConnex, the group are tackling the plans head on.

“We describe WestConnex as a climate crime.

We need greater active transport such as walking and cycling. WestConnex and car culture in

general is obesogenic. There will be ongoing health repercussions for a generation,” said Mr Chuter.

But it seems that the government has made a habit of gathering community feedback, acknowledging it, but refusing to take it on board.

A spokesperson for WCAG, Pauline Lockie also commented on the city of Sydney’s alternative proposal.

“The City of Sydney has been very clear in noting that it is not necessarily the alternative to WestConnex, but it should be enough to give the government a push to halt the project and look at the alternatives.”

Jenny Leong, the Greens Member for Newtown also commented on the City of Sydney’s plan.

“What the city of Sydney plan shows is that there are genuine alternatives to the current WestConnex madness. Exploring these alternatives - that prioritize reducing congestion, sustainable transport options and much needed housing in our city - should be what the NSW state government is doing.”

But the burning question still remains, will the decreased commute times proposed by the government for residents of Sydney’s west be worth the environmental and social impacts of WestConnex?

Photo: nicephotog (Flickr)

AGNSW expansion will shrink outdoor public space

BY DYLAN CRISMALE The Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) has secured $244 million to help fund an expansion that will allow the gallery to display more of its $1.3 billion collection.

The expansion which will double the size of the gallery was announced last week by the NSW Government ahead of this week’s state budget.

But the expansion is set to eat up the Woolloomoo reservoir, a grassy public space the community has always enjoyed access to.

The AGNSW claims the site is currently underutilised as it is dotted with manholes, making it unsuitable for organised sports.

Ownership of the site is complicated. The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust owns approximately 57 per cent of the project site, while Roads and Maritime Services has 37 per cent, with the Art Gallery of NSW holding the balance.

Whilst the announcement is a clear win for the AGNSW there is a still a lack of funding for arts organisations around the country.

Ché Baines, 21, is an artist and art activist who has been active in the ‘SCA Resistance’ campaign, to stop changes being made to Sydney College of the Arts which will be moved to the University of Sydney’s main Camperdown campus in 2019.

Mr Baines believes that rather than spending millions of dollars of money on AGNSW, some of the money could go towards other organisations in the arts sector.

“It’s always good to be putting money into arts, but art galleries have a sort of strange history in terms of access, technically speaking they’re a public space where anybody can go and see art but for a long time they’ve been coded as somewhere where the elite goes to see art and then coding art as something only for the elite.”

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The Art Gallery of NSW has secured an enormous grant to expand, but will public space suffer? Credit: Supplied

“I have a problem with that when there are other types of things, that could use some of that money; like funding fringe theatre, smaller art galleries as well as art schools,” said Mr Baines.

“I think is a serious concern and something that I’ve been working on recently to make sure we can support student campaigns and academic campaigns against those attacks,” he said.

The Gallery’s expansion – the Sydney Modern Project – details plans for expansion of art spaces, live performance, film as well as spaces to learn, study and participate in cultural expansions.

NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong said: “Any investment in the arts is welcome and I think… having worked in theatre and the arts, we know the arts are underfunded in our community.”

“Anyone who has seen the coverage on how many artworks sit, not in view in the art gallery [AGNSW] would know that anything we can do, to try and improve the amount of access people have to the amazing artwork that this state has is to be encouraged.”

Ms Leong said: “One of the key things we have to remember is this investment in the art gallery is being done at the same time as we’re seeing our national art schools under threat… it’s important for us to recognise that we need to be supporting the full spectrum of artists and that means from education, through to professional artists and their ability to do their work as well as access to galleries and exhibition spaces.”

Archibald Prize-winning Sydney artist and

AGNSW board member Ben Quilty told ABC Radio last Wednesday that the galleries large indigenous art collection is currently being displayed in a transformed basement.

“We just need the space. We need to put the indigenous collection at the heart of the way we look at art and contemporary art in this city, the state and the country” he said.

AGNSW hopes the expansion “will improve significantly the State’s ability to attract more major international art exhibitions to NSW” with the Sydney Modern Project expected to deliver $1 billion in economic benefit to the NSW economy of the next 25 years as well as the creation of up to 242 fulltime jobs in NSW. An AGNSW spokesperson said: “The Gallery expansion will enhance the underutilised site to the north of the existing Gallery, comprising two grassed concrete platforms – one over the Cahill Expressway and the other over two disused former World War II oil tanks.”

The two oil tanks (with 280,000 litre capacity) sit under the surface of the Woolloomooloo reservoir in a cavern with seven-metre high ceilings, spanning 4,500 square metres.

As part of the project this space will be converted into a ‘Oil Tank Gallery’ occupying approximately 1400 square metres of floor space.

Pritzker Prize-winning architects, SANAA have worked with AGNSW for the past two years, working on the design concept, which will continue to be refined until the submission of a State Significant Development Application in the coming months.

Major construction of the expansion project is expected to commence in 2019, due for completion in 2021, in time for the 150th anniversary of the Gallery’s founding in 1871.

FEATURE

Recalibrating Culture

By Rita Bratovich As a major world city, Sydney has an established, albeit constantly evolving, artistic and cultural personality. The city and inner urban localities are clustered with theatres, art schools, entertainment centres, studios - all the facilities and infrastructure that are indicative of and further promote a mature creative culture.

However, Sydney itself is growing at a speedy rate geographically, with a perimeter that re-positions like the watermark on an incoming tide. With that, a clear divide has emerged between metropolitan Sydney and what is regarded as Greater Western Sydney; a divide that is reflected in the culture, art and psyche of the respective populations.

Last week, Western Sydney university’s institute for culture and Society (ICS) released a report that had been several years in the making. The report was launched at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre which has become the hub for Greater Western Sydney’s arts community and is currently hosting six exciting exhibitions.

Entitled Recalibrating culture, the aim of the report was: “To understand the work practices of artists and cultural practitioners who live and/or practice in Greater Western Sydney.The research aimed to find out about the nature of artistic and cultural practice, how that work is undertaken, where it is done, and what is needed for arts and cultural practice to happen and prosper.”

It’s the first study of its kind and examines the career potential, needs, lifestyle and opinions of artists and cultural practitioners in Greater Western Sydney.The idea first germinated in the mind of Dr Michael Volkerling, who passed that curiosity onto colleagues Professor David Rowe and Professor Deborah Stevenson.Together they developed a proposal which they took to the Australian Research Council (ACR), receiving a Linkage Project grant.

Sadly, Dr Volkerling died suddenly in 2014, leaving the others to complete the work.

CuriousWorks Stories Project. (2014).

Photograph: Courtesy of CuriousWorks

The project involved collecting data via an online survey and supplementing it with face to face interviews. Respondents had to live and/or work in art or cultural based activity in Greater Western Sydney, and derive a reasonable portion of their annual income from that activity.

Most of the results were not surprising.

Respondents, in general found it difficult to earn income directly from their art.

“People are supplementing the money they make from their pure art with money they earn in the commercial sector… or by teaching,” says Prof Stevenson, one of the Chief Investigators and authors of the report.

There were various other means of support: super funds, a partner or family. Typically, the annual income of respondents was very low; they admitted to being motivated more by passion and community service than money.

A large majority of respondents were women, and many of those were aged over 50, highly educated and actively engaged in art practice or facilitation.

Prof Stevenson noted that overall, rather than

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feeling inferior or excluded, the people in Greater Western Sydney felt there was something unique, pleasing and idiosyncratic about their environment, describing them as “a highly motivated and resilient creative population.”

One significant finding and a fact that is often overlooked by funding bodies is the intersectional nature of art. Most artists work across disciplines, either engaging with different skills or collaborating with other artists.This conflicts with the conventional concept of an artist as a specialist in one field - a problem because it leads to misguided implementation of programs, funding and infrastructure.

“What the study reveals is [that] the way infrastructure is done within the cultural sector needs to be re-thought,” explains Cecelia Cmielewski, also of ICS, who managed and contributed to the research.

“The usefulness of the report will be that local councils, through their cultural programming will have a better ability to direct their resources.”

In the past, the approach has been to arbitrarily place a single purpose building in a central location

and assume it will serve a particular creative need in the area. However, Cmielewski believes, and the report proves, that what is required is a multifunctional hub that facilitates a variety of disciplines and requirements. It should include multi-purpose space; studios; training rooms and equipment and flexible availability (times and usage).

This is not only pertinent to Greater Western Sydney but everywhere.Art and cultural practice has changed, with people and skills merging and even the work itself being an amalgamation of concepts and disciplines.

Yet government funding and decision making bodies still continue with “business as usual” thinking that focuses on mainstream, single purpose, large performing arts organisations.The irony is that “in terms of return on investment… most studies would show that the small to medium sector of the arts are actually the ones that provide a much greater return on investment,” says Cmielewski.

In view of this, it seems even more irrational that many educational institutions in the Greater West no longer provide any creative training.Young people are required to travel to the city or out of Sydney completely to gain a creative qualification.

Within the upper echelons of government organisations, the arts appear to have little value, but reports such as this reveal the high perceived importance of art and culture within a community.

“It’s very easy to forget that it’s actually the artist who is at the centre of the cultural infrastructure,” says Cmielewski, “the artist has to be there for culture to exist.”

While it was only released a few weeks ago, according to Prof Stevenson, “the feedback has been really positive - the partners are very keen to take the information that’s in it and use it in their deliberations.”

Copies of the report can be downloaded from the Western Sydney University website: www.westernsydney.edu.au

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW: Sunset Strip

Griffith Theatre Company presents Sunset Strip, written by multi-award winning playwright Suzie Miller.

Sunset Strip is a gripping 90 minutes of raw and intense emotional expression. It’s a transitory journey into the realities of life, love, family and dysfunction with a strong and robust Australian voice.

“Sheer beauty doesn’t last. Nothing like that is real. It’s not perfection anymore.

It’s life,” laments Teddy, played by Simon Lyndon. Such moments reflect Miller’s use of dialogue to explore life and loss as well as survival throughout the play. Miller’s script is a raw narrative exploration of human endurance that plays with metaphors of vanishing and fleeting life.

A dried up lake, a mind lost to dementia and an optimistic will to hold onto the fading memories of the past.

The intimate atmosphere of the Stables Theatre contributes to the intensity of the performance. Powerful scene transitions through the use of dramatic lighting and sound design contribute to a sense of inclusion within the performance.You can gauge the audience’s involvement with and at times, discomfort with being so close to the characters.Arrays of emotions are

squeezed from the audience when brief moments of humour are blended with raw emotional exposition. Miller’s script gets to the grit of cathartic expression.

‘I was sick of seeing so many women as the mother, the wife or the lover. Where are the women leading? I want to see women leading!’ said Miller.

Miller certainly tackles strong female characterisation and places their narratives at the forefront of this performance. Femininity and sexuality within the context of breast cancer survival, drug addiction and motherhood are all thematically explored. Both Emma Jackson and Georgie Symes are completely committed to their characters throughout the performance, with an additional special mention to Lex Marinos’ full embodiment of character.

Sunset Strip will have you laughing and crying within the space of two fleeting moments. (EB) Until Jul 1, Mon-Sun 7pm, Sat June 24 & July 1 2pm & 7pm.

SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross. $30-38.Tickets & info: boxoffice@griffintheatre.com.au or Ph: 9361 3817

Review: I Love You Now

June and Leo are in a hotel room, tentatively trying to fan into flame a passion that has long gone cold.

Seems simple enough so far. But June is having a dalliance with Leo’s twin brother Rob, and her personal trainer, Helmut, as well as the local priest, who is also Rob’s confessor.

Leo is seeing his twin brother’s wife, Melissa and seeing the nanny, also called Melissa. Then of course he’s been doing the horizontal tango with his therapist. Each of these characters, incredibly, are played by Jeanette Cronin (who also wrote the play) and Paul Gleeson. As they say in the clichés, ‘It’s ah, complicated’.

The affair. It’s the classic trope of drama not to mention life. It’s risky, it’s intriguing, it’s exciting – but what happens behind the scenes?

And what happens when it runs out of steam? I Love You Now, puts the tongue in cheek and pokes fun at the silliness of it all.

The set is a long wide bedroom.

Scenes and characters change with the slam of a door – and there is much slamming and changing. Call me slow, but it takes a while to

Photo: Robert Catto

work out what’s going down. Max Lambert and Roger Lock have provided a clever soundscape – with plenty of tango – but putting them behind a glass wall, staring into the bedroom is a little off putting. Or perhaps this is just to highlight the latent voyeurism?

Kim Hardwick’s direction moves things along and there are some very tender and comic moments – Cronin undressing in bed, then having to answer the door is a classic. The challenge

for this two-hander is differentiating the characters but maybe that’s the point.

The search for something better just turns out to be something different – and maybe not all that different. (GW) Until Jul 9, Various performance times. Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton Street, Darlinghurst. $38-$54.Tickets & Info: www.darlinghursttheatre.com or Ph: 02 8356 9987

Coranderrk

a&e

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Coranderrk is based upon the true story of one communities fight for land against the Aboriginal Protection Board.

Verbatim theatre, it draws on historical records from an 1881 Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry, where the Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve took on the Aboriginal Protection Board, fighting for their right to be allowed to stay on in their community. The enquiry is recreated on stage and it revives the voices of all those involved, both black and white.

Indigenous woman Eva Grace Mullaley directs this latest production and says she was was not aware of the history of Coranderrk prior to her involvement. She had to do her own research and learnt about the people involved and the story.

“Australia has a very misinformed view of history and it doesn’t incorporate many of the atrocities and injustices suffered by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations,” she says, “The story of what happened at

12 STAGE 13 Sounds 14 SCENE 15 SCREEN

Photo: James Henry

Coranderrk is one of those that needs to be told often and everywhere so the average Australian audience can learn the true history of how resilient and strong the first nation people of this country are.”

It features an all-indigenous cast, including Trevor Jamison as William Barak, an indigenous leader of the delegation that would walk 18

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 @AltMediaSydney

hours to parliament house with a petition in hand.

This production is set to be inspiring. (VP) Jun 28, two shows only Wed 11am and 7.30pm.

Riverside Theatre, Corner of Church and Market Streets, Parramatta. $38-$52.

Tickets & Info: www.riversideparramatta.com.au

Contributors: Alannah Maher, Alicia Sim, Athina Mallis, Barbara Karpinski, Caitlin Burns, Chantal Walsh, Craig Coventry, Daniel Jaramillo, Emily Shen, Georgia Fullerton, Greg Webster, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, James Harkness, Joseph Rana, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Peter Urquhart, Rita Bratovich, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Zeiya Speede, Jade Morellini,Vanessa Powell, Olivia Lyle, Alex Eugene, Ellouise Bailey, Manuel Gonzalez.

Underground Cinema: DREAM Photo: Paul Benjamin

You get a text.You open it and all it says is a location. Heart pounding, you know that the adventure has begun.

Underground Cinema is a secret immersive film-screening event held in undisclosed locations across Sydney and Melbourne. Given only the theme of the evening, audiences are texted the final location a mere 24 hours in advance – and it could be anywhere from a warehouse to a ballroom to a carpark.

This month, guests have been asked to dress for their desired career trajectory under the genre of sci-fi/thriller.

“I think Sydney-siders are going to love this one. It’s a very sophisticated, enigmatic and stylised world that guests will walk into,” says Tamasein Holyman, Underground Cinema’s creative director.

“World is the key word here because it’s not theatre where you get played to. It’s worlds that you discover and it’s really important for today’s audience to have the ability to explore and partake to the level that they want to. It’s what’s needed in art forms. We’re not passive anymore.“ With diverse programming, Underground Cinema has been pushing the frontier for immersive live performance for the last seven years. Previous sessions have involved audiences partaking in refugee camps and FBI training for screenings of Children of Men and The Silence of the Lambs respectively. “[This] has the power to lead you to different and unknown opinions and experiences and that’s what good art does. It changes, controls, confronts and it entertains,” says Tamasein.

“We’re trying to make good art.”

Jun 22-24, 7pm. $70.Tickets & Info: www.undergroundcinema.com.au

Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE Sydney

By Jamie Apps

Chris Cain: San Franciscan blues master Chris Cain makes his triumphant return to Australia with Sydney in particular tonight.

No stranger to our shores, Cain has forged a career as one of the best of the modern wave of blues guitar virtuosos, with a huge warm voice reminiscent of his hero BB King and an individual song writing style to back it all up.

Thu, Jun 22,The Brass Monkey Larissa Tandy: Currently based in Canada,Tandy is one of Australia’s finest emerging talents – a powerful, instinctive songwriter with an arresting voice. Hailing from rural Australia, Larissa came up from the underground of Melbourne’s world class music scene, mining her difficult life for potent stories and spinning them into songs.

Fri, Jun 23, Petersham Bowls Club Tora: This new band from Byron Bay continue to solidify their position as one of the most lauded live acts in the country and with their debut album dropping just a couple of weeks ago this is a show not to be missed.

Sat, Jun 24, Oxford Art Factory Tina Harrod: Award-winning vocalist Tina Harrod is one of Australia’s great singers and songwriters. Having just returned from performing bandmate Stu Hunter’s The Migration project in Germany, Tina and her powerhouse band will present new music from her forthcoming album, showcasing her inventive, soulful compositions.

Sat, Jun 24, Sound Lounge Seymour Centre

Sye McRitchie: Having played shows at Woodford Folk Festival, Peats Ridge Festival, Beams Arts Festival and a plethora of venues up and down the east coast, Sye parks his caravan of melodies in Sydney Town. Playing all original tunes on guitar, vocals, pedals and muted megaphone, Sye is an act not to be missed.

Sat, Jun 24, Bondi Pavilion Daniel Champagne: Australian singer, songwriter and one-of-a-kind guitar virtuoso first picked up his instrument of choice as a five year old following in the footsteps of a musical father. Now regarded as a leading light in acoustic music, with a firm reputation for making festivals buzz, holding crowds in his palm, dropping jaws and breaking guitars wherever he goes.

Sun, Jun 25, Leadbelly Classic Album Sundays: Sydney’s monthly series of all-vinyl hi-fi listening parties will use their event this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of LCD Soundsystem’s masterpiece of dance punk and New York City grit Sound Of Silver.

Sun, Jun 25,The World Bar Bliss n Eso: Following the release of their sixth album the leaders of Australian hip-hop are currently touring around the country to celebrate. This week they stop in Sydney for a mid-week party that won’t be rivalled.

Wed, Jun 28, Enmore Theatre

The Village Bike The convergence of talent in Red Gabrielle Scawthorn.

Line Productions current staging of Photo: John Marmaras The Village Bike makes it a rare and thrilling theatre experience.

Penelope Skinner’s sharp, unapologetically vulgar script, a cast of capable, intuitive actors and the brilliant set design by Anna Gardiner & Martelle Hunt come together under the keen direction of Rachel Chant in this exploration of the complexities of human sexuality.

Becky (Gabrielle Scawthorn) is the young, newly pregnant, insatiably horny wife of John (Benedict Wall), an overly socially conscientious prude whose academic obsession her wildly expressive face plays Becky like a with all things “baby” has completely supplanted “Carmen” turned up a few degrees. This is his libido. Frustrated beyond restraint, Becky perfectly juxtaposed to Wall’s clergy-like, succumbs to the charms of a local cad, Oliver impossibly naive John.

(Rupert Reid) from whom she has purchased a A mere surface interpretation does injustice bicycle. With the impending return of his to the insightful writing of Skinner and the temporarily absent wife, Alice (Kate Bookalil) nuanced ambiguity in the performances, allowing Oliver abruptly ends the affair, to the dismay of for a deeper, more complex narrative. the now fixated Becky. Becky vengefully turns Gardiner and Hunt do wonders with the her attention to the plumber, Mike (Jamie tiny theatre, with a static set that represents Oxenbould). Meanwhile, neighbour Jenny several locations, allowing the pace to be (Sophie Gregg) whose chronically errant quick and seamless. husband has left her verging on a nervous Definitely worth the ride! (RB) breakdown caring for their two young children, Until Jul 8,Tue-Sat 8:15pm, Sun 6:30pm. brings counterpoint to the sexual tension with The Old Fitz, 129 Dowling St (Cnr of comically mis-timed, over-enthused helpfulness.

Cathedral St), Woolloomooloo. $30-$42.

Flame-haired, supple-limbed Scawthorn with Tickets & Info: www.redlineproductions.com.au

Selby & Friends - Proud Folk

By Jamie Apps A concept which originally formed from an idea to showcase classical chamber music to children in 1989 has since evolved into something much more. In just a couple of weeks Kathryn Selby will welcome her friends Natalie Chee and Julian Smiles to Sydney to showcase both their own immense virtuosic talents whilst also diving deeper into the cultural evolution of music across countries and generations.

Having it’s roots in a children’s format the Selby & Friends concept still has education running through it’s veins even if it’s not the primary focal point.

“It’s a fascinating look at how we as a cultural species respond to what makes us feel comfortable and happy,” explained Selby, “Even with just these three compositions by Elena Kats-Chernin, Dvořák and Ravel you can see how extremely infectious music can be to those listening both locally and around the world.”

Whilst the music during these shows is exquisite and also serves an an educational tool the hallmark of the Selby & Friends format is the opportunity it

Kings of Cough Syrup

Kathryn Selby

provides to the musicians to speak directly to the audience from the stage.With the opportunity the musicians are able to speak openly about why they are so passionate about or connected to a particular piece or composers.This is something Kathryn says they find “very exciting and liberating.”

When Kathryn first began incorporating this speaking element into her programs almost 30 years ago it was met with resounding criticism.

Ironically though over the years more and more people have begun also incorporating it into other shows because of how well it was received by both the musicians and audiences.

Melbourne’s indie duo, Kings of Cough Syrup, have released their debut self-titled EP. Creating a soothing, yet haunting atmosphere with their soulful sounds and distinctively changing tempos, they have incorporated a range of instruments to produce a set of unique songs.

They experiment with the styles of each song, incorporating electrical rhythms to spice it up, accompanied by the extremely impressive, raw vocals. The vocals draw the listeners in, creating a sense of intimacy while the integration of vocal effects, such as echoes, further enhances the depth of the song, taking the listeners on a journey narrated through the lyrics.

The EP as a whole works really well, with all songs compatible in union, having a common sound yet still rare in their own ways. This EP is gentle and relaxing, making it enjoyable to listen to. (JM) WWW1/2

“Over the years my guest artists always know that I want them to talk and what I’ve seen is that they’ve become more open and keen on the idea through the years.” said Selby.

By hand choosing her artists from past friendships and experiences Selby is able to ensure that the artist not only combine seamlessly on-stage in there performance but also off-stage during the tour.

“These tours are so successful because they’re happy enjoyable tours where the artists really enjoy their time together so the music is a natural beneficiary of those personal relationships.” reflected Selby.

The audience in Sydney may also be in for an extra special treat as Selby is hoping to have Elena Kats-Chernan herself take to the stage to share her personal insights into the composition alongside the insights of the musicians performing the piece.

Jul 13, 7pm. City Recital Hall, 2 Angel Pl, Sydney. $50-$75. Tickets & Info: www. cityrecitalhall.com

Thomas Wynn & The Believers – Wade Waist Deep

Wade Waist Deep is an enthusiastic album. Ernest voices reach for the brim of the album and keep pushing, falling over the edge without taking a breath.

The drumbeats are dramatic, keeping beat with gusto, the guitar is sympathetic in the background, almost lost underneath the strength of the vocals which take up so much room in mix. Rushing forth like an overfilled glass of champagne, these songs will keep pushing, crashing against each other in the limited space of the listeners brain, determined to be centre of it from start to finish.

There is almost an overabundance of heart in this album beating harder than the crash of each drumbeat. This album is intense, listeners should be prepared to match the vocals with as much intensity or they risk losing themselves in the melee. (SP) WW1/2 city hub 22 JUNE 2017

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THE NAKED CITY

POVERTY PORN IN THE LOO!

With Coffin Ed “Poverty Porn” – it’s a rather unfortunate expression that has entered the English lexicon in recent years.

According to one internet source it’s defined as “any type of media, be it written, photographed or filmed, which exploits the poor’s condition in order to generate the necessary sympathy for selling newspapers or increasing charitable donations or support for a given cause”.

It’s does however manifest in many other ways, well outside the area of aid organisations and charity groups. We have all seen those reality style shows on television that focus on those living at the lower end of the economic spectrum like SBS’s Struggle Street, not to mention endless documentaries on the slums of India and Brazil. Whilst no doubt well intended they do satisfy a somewhat perverse fascination on the part of the financially secure, observing the struggle of those living on next to nothing. It could be seen as “there for the grace of God go I” but in many cases it appeals to a kind of highly questionable voyeurism.

Hand in hand with the media preoccupation with the less fortunate is the worldwide phenomenon of ‘slum’ or ‘ghetto’ tourism, whereby supposedly well meaning tourists divert from the normal attractions to tour the impoverished areas of cities like Mumbai and Lima. Again the messages are very much mixed.

Some see it as just plain gawking at the poor whilst others view it as one way of highlighting the immense social and economic problems facing the so called Third World. Others would argue it puts much needed money into the pockets of those ‘entrepreneurial’ slum dwellers who actually organise these tours.

Closer to home in downtown Woolloomooloo, I’ve recently witnessed the phenomenon of school groups, many from Catholic colleges bused in to observe the landscape of the homeless and the bottom end of the city. On one occasion a group of school girls arrived in Walla Mulla Park with plates of

looking at me through you

looking at me through you is an exhibition celebrating the diversity of the city of Campbelltown and the greater Western Sydney region by highlighting the growing rate of urban development in the area.

The exhibition aims to change political debates through a cross-cultural narrative and highlights how rapidly the area is changing.

Presented by the Campbelltown Arts Centre, 12 artists from the region were commissioned to make socially engaging pieces of art reflecting their own internal and external perceptions and perspectives of Campbelltown and Western Sydney.

City Hub asked curator Megan Monte what themes the artists would be exploring and her response was: “as you may or may not know Campbelltown has a rich history of tragedy and celebration and that’s what I like a lot about the suburb, there’s a huge amount of shifts and changes going on in the community of Western 14

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Sydney and we thought it was relevant and timely to present looking at me through you.

The broad topic is generally Campbelltown and how we can make a comment or investigate the way Campbelltown is seen and for artists to develop their work”.

Some of the 12 artists showcasing their work are: Abdul Abdullah a seventh generation Muslim Australian painter, Andrew Christie a Campbelltown artist, recent Egyptian immigrant and filmmakers Mona Ibrahim, Sonia Leber and David Chesworth who have collaborated on a video and sculpture installation representing the famous universal power house on top of Mt Universe in Campbelltown and was known in the 70s as the home of the world power society a movement that was designed to make the world a better place. (DJ) Until Jul 23, 10am-4pm. Campbelltown Arts Centre, 1 Art Gallery Road, Campbelltown.

Free. Info: www.c-a-c.com.au

cakes and sandwiches to feed the regular crew of drunks and itinerants who gathered there – a gesture that can only be described as biblical in its inspiration.

I recently intercepted one such group and offered their teacher some of my own personal insights into the problems that beset the area, like the numerous homeless men who sleep rough in Tom Uren Place and the complete apathy on the part of the Council and State Government as to their welfare. This kind of impromptu social comment was not appreciated by the teacher in charge and I was quickly dismissed as some kind of local crackpot. Perhaps the students were only here to observe and shed pity, not to discuss the shameful neglect that has exacerbated this problem.

So are we soon to see an organised sightseeing tour of Sydney’s skid row quarters, one which reveals a different side of this city, totally removed from Opera House vistas and cuddly Koalas at Taronga Park. Oh don’t worry - there’ll still be wildlife but in this case the numerous rats which scurry along Cathedral Street in the Loo and prowl amongst the homeless at night.

Let’s not be cynical, it’s a tourist initiative that might just catch on as camera snapping participants begin their late evening tour with coffee and muffins at the makeshift homeless camp at the top of Martin Place. It’s now time for a body count along Macquarie Street as the tourists are encouraged to tally up the number of homeless bedding down for the night. We now enter the wilds of Wolloomooloo and a staged hurling of Molotov cocktails in Tom Uren Place, recreating an earlier infamous incident and a fabulous photo opp. There’s lamingtons and Iced Vo Vos in Walla Mulla Park, courtesy of a group of Catholic School Girls and we all bed down (for at least ten minutes) with the homeless guys outside the unoccupied Police Station. Who said there‘s no money in poverty?

Join the Pride Join British and Irish Lions fans at Palace Hotel in Haymarket Sydney, home of the All Blacks Supporters Club Sydney, when all 10 Rugby Union matches of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand will be televised live throughout June and July.

The 2017 British and Irish Lions will play 10 matches on their tour of New Zealand - including three Test matches against the All Blacks. The Lions will have six games before the first Test against the All Blacks on Saturday June 24. They will then face the Hurricanes before the final two Test Matches on Saturday July 1 and a potential series decider on Saturday July 8.

Palace Hotel Sydney has signed a three year agreement with the All Blacks Supporters Club Sydney to use the pub as its home venue where New Zealanders and All Blacks fans from around the world can support their sporting teams and enjoy other cultural activities.

With large TV screens playing the games live and loud around the venue and $10 jugs of Tiger beer all day, every day throughout the Lions Tour,The Palace Hotel will truly be the rugby hub for all matches.

Palace Hotel Sydney is a popular dining and entertainment venue located in the heart of Sydney’s entertainment district. Located at 730 George Street in Haymarket, the pub is open from Sunday to Wednesday 1:30 Lockout 3am last drinks, and Thursday to Saturday 2:00am Lockout and 3:30am last drinks.

McLaren

Bruce McLaren is a motor racing legend whose name lives on through the cars he helped design and build. Before his untimely death at 32, he accumulated a record number of trophies in all the major prestigious international car races.

Born to a humble New Zealand family, he suffered from Perthe’s disease at age nine which left him immobile from the waist down for two years. He overcame this to become one of the greatest racing car drivers of all time.

In his new documentary, McLaren, Roger Donaldson uses archival footage, home movies, interviews and some short recreations to tell the biographical and professional story of Bruce McLaren. Donaldson does a good job of assembling the narrative, however the story itself is interesting and sad but not riveting.

Unfortunately, without scandals and drama, this movie will probably appeal mostly to motor racing enthusiasts or fans of biography. (RB) WWW

Rough Night

Scarlett Johansson takes a role outside of her comfort zone, in this wild comedy which centres on a group of five women who reunite for a disastrous bachelorette-party-from-hell weekend.

The hilarity commences from the onset and escalates when one of the ‘lethally horny’ women accidentally kills a hired stripper – or does she?

A crude overload of toilet humour further fuelled by endless ‘just below the belt’ gags which leave nothing to the imagination, should not disappoint movie-goers who enjoy films of this genre.

Nothing is sacred as these wild and zany women become involved in the usual

stereotyped comedic scenarios involving drugs, sex and booze.

Even Australia’s very own Vegemite rates a mention!

Demi Moore makes a surprise appearance in a supporting role as an oversexed neighbour who has her ‘deliciously evil’ way with one of the unsuspecting women in a scene which audiences won’t soon forget.

The plot thickens in the second half where themes of true friendship and the effects of withholding secrets are explored in a surprisingly semiintelligent style.

Rough Night is a hell of a fun ride which will have audiences laughing-out-loud. (MMo) WWW

All Eyez On Me

All Eyez On Me is the first feature length biopic made about 90s hip-hop icon Tupac “2pac” Shakur.

Tupac’s life was tragically cut short when he was murdered at the age of 25 in a drive by shooting whilst visiting Las Vegas in 1996.Tupac’s murder is unsolved to this day as the film reveals in the end credits, however this is not a film about his murder but a story about the life of a very charismatic figure who achieved so much in a short period of time.

All Eyez On Me reveals Tupac’s upbringing in New York, growing up with his Black Panther mother Afeni Shakur, then moving to Los Angeles where he became the biggest hip-hop artist of his generation and the trails and tribulations that came with his success.The film also looks at his 18 month prison sentence for alleged rape and then

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being bailed out for three million dollars by the infamous Suge Knight in exchange for signing to his Death Row Records label.Tupac’s relationship with Notorious B.I.G is also explored and reveals how their feud became hostile towards the end of Tupac’s life.

Actor Demetrius Shipp Jr. plays Tupac to perfection right down to the rappers looks and mannerism and director Benny Boom dramatises Tupac’s life to great effect. It’s more apparent than ever that the 90s hip-hop era is being re-introduced to a new generation of hip-hop fans especially in screen culture exemplified by the success of the 2015 N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton.

All Eyez On Me is a must see for any Tupac fans or anyone who loves music biopics. (DJ)

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UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS

EVENT:

EXHIBITION:

EXHIBITIONS:

WOW FESTIVAL

BLOOD ON SILK: LAST SEEN

LAUNCH DAY!

Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre presents its inaugural Turbine Hall Commission, Blood on Silk: Last Seen by established Western Sydney artist, Fiona Davies.

You are invited to a day of openings, food and drinks where we launch our next three major shows - Near x Far, Every Dog Will Have its Day and Inland Drive.

This is a dog friendly event!

12-15 JUL

22 JUL - 17 SEP

SAT 22 JUL

MUSIC:

EVENT:

THEATRE:

JOSEPH TAWADROS

SOFT CENTRE

DRAGS TO BITCHES

Known for his brilliant technique, deep musicianship and joyous style of performance, Joesph Tawadros is established as one of the world’s leading oud performers and composers.

A new one-day festival pairing experimental electronic artists with sensory altering light works and immersive performance pieces to create an unforgettable day of sound and visual abstraction.

Follow this spectacular journey that celebrates the Drag world, as well as paying tribute to some of the "Bitches" who inspire them. Repertoire features hit songs and an all star cast!

SAT 4 AUG @ 7.30PM

SAT 23 SEPT @ NOON-11PM

SUN 1 OCT @ 7PM

This pumping program of creativity for young people up-to 12 years-old, and their adult friends, will engage audiences in watching, doing and eating!

6 GALLERIES

2 THEATRES

BELLBIRD DINING & BAR

STUDIOS & FUNCTION SPACES

WWW.CASULAPOWERHOUSE.COM OPEN 10AM – 5PM DAILY

CLOSED PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

ART • MUSIC • PERFORMANCE • EVENTS • THEATRE • IDEAS • FESTIVALS • ENTERTAINMENT • GALLERY ENTRY IS FREE!

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city hub 22 JUNE 2017