FREE
C I T Y H U B SY D N E Y. C O M . AU
M A RC H 2 6 , 2 0 2 0
@CityHubSydney
LOCKDOWN SURVIVAL KIT
How to live, work, exercise, eat and have fun at home during isolation! BY RENEE LOU DALLOW & JAMIE APPS ith much of Sydney closed or deserted due to the COVID-19 outbreak we all need to find ways to survive while living at home alone. Step in the City Hub with our special Lockdown Survival Kit filled with entertainment, exercise, recipes and working from home tips.
W
WORKING FROM HOME
As Sydneysiders shift to a new working and learning from home reality we all need to wrap our heads around the concept of streaming. To help make this transition easier City Hub spoke with veteran stream host Cat Benstead about her top tips, tricks and the essentials of entering the streaming space.
The biggest thing Benstead wanted to stress was that while streaming may seem complex and daunting it is actually far from it. “I really want people to understand that you can do it yourself,” she said. “You don’t need to run out and buy expensive equipment. If your laptop allows Skype then you already have everything you need to stream!” For business, with streaming being so accessible this shutdown may prove to be an opportunity to find a new income stream. If this is the case that is when Benstead would recommend investing in streaming equipment. “If you’re planning to make a career out of streaming that is when you can look at higher quality webcams, cameras and microphones. But otherwise just use what you already have.”
For further advice Benstead is happy to help on Twitter: www.twitter.com/catstead_ Another key area to focus on when shifting to working from home is planning out a schedule, and sticking to it. Set a time for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. Also fit in time for dog walking, shopping, specific TV watching, and other hobbies. In between these times work on a project or a product which you want to share and maybe get others involved in. Share on Pinterest, Zoom, Instagram or even on your own website. Now is an excellent time too to start a blog on something that really interests you. So long as you stick to a routine and manage to accomplish something wonderful everyday you’ll get through.
STAYING FIT
Page 1-2
With gyms closed for the foreseeable future we’re all looking for ways to stay fit and healthy. While we could go for a simple walk alone that could quickly become monotonous, boring and quite frankly not as fulfilling as a full-body gym session. Luckily fitness instructors are finding innovative ways to deliver their classes, not only to their regular clients but also a whole new audience online. One such practitioner is Courtney Mills, a touring DJ and pilates instructor. Pilates is a perfect training program to implement at home via online learning because the only requirement is a flat open space, and perhaps “a water bottle and some active wear.” Pilates also has both physical and mental health benefits according to Mills. Continued on the page 2
HubARTS: Ocean Grove Band Member Tests Positive To COVID-19 Fears for fans after band completes meet & greet sessions before test results confirmed (See p. 7) “The major benefits are core strength and flexibility,” she said. “In my classes I also practice a lot of breathing as well, which can be good for anxiety and stress.” Even if you’ve never tried pilates before Mills stressed that these classes will be for everyone, “I’m going to do a program which is a pretty standard beginner class with a little bit of intermediate. I’m going to break it all down so that if someone hasn’t done pilates before that’s perfectly fine, but if people are little bit more experienced they’ll have an option to do slightly harder exercises.” Despite the classes being designed for beginners it is still going to be a great daily workout, which Mills said her partner can attest to. “I got my partner to do pilates for the first time in his life and he was sore in so many places that he didn’t even realise he had muscles, because you’re working muscles you’ve probably never worked before.” To participate in Mills’ classes head to her Instagram: www.instagram. com/djcourtneymills
ENTERTAINMENT
We all play many roles in everyday life outside the home. Roles like boss, employee, client, football player, entertainer, farmer, librarian, waiter, travel agent and lots more. Many of us are now unable to play those roles in everyday life anymore as we are stuck inside trying to keep it all together. What to do? What about creating a whole imaginary world like in Avatar, Lord of the Rings or Game Of Thrones? Create your own costumes, allocate characters you have dreamed up, create your own props. This could be a board game or you could do it as a stage play which can then be turned into a screenplay and live streamed on a YouTube channel. Make it a series that people can tune into.
Sydneysiders are desperate for entertainment options at home, so perhaps now is the time to consider gaming? As we all head into this new ‘social distancing’ world there were luckily two very different games released last week to help appease the boredom. First up is Nintendo’s Animal Crossing - New Horizons, which is available on the Nintendo Switch. Animal Crossing is a cute game which allows the player to create their own village where they are tasked with carrying out various activities such as fishing, bug catching, and fossil hunting. The game also has a very strong social aspect, in that it encourages players to visit their friend’s villages and trade different commodities. If Animal Crossing sounds a little slow and monotonous for you then id Software has the complete opposite style of game in Doom Eternal (available on all platforms). Doom Eternal is a fast-paced first-person shooter. Players take on the role of the ‘Doom Slayer’, an ancient warrior tasked with battling the demonic forces of hell. This game is action packed, visceral, violent and gory; the complete opposite of the kid friendly Animal Crossing. Despite its violent content Doom Eternal still encourages social play with its multiplayer ‘battlemode’, which sees players joining forces in a 2v1 fight against a giant enemy.
Paella: Mix rice with tomato soup packs, add peas, corn, chorizo and stir. Omelette: Eggs, mushrooms (champignons chopped) and cheese. Mix, pour into a fry pan and cook at low heat. Beef Stew: Diced beef or one minute steak, zucchini, carrots, onion, capsicums, barbecue sauce, diced tomatoes, add spices and garlic. Throw it all in a pot and stir. Cook everything together so that the juices mix. You can put anything in a stew. Tinned peas, carrots, corn, and anything else you can think of. So long as you add spices and sauce you are on a roll. Vegetarians can do it too without the meat. Bolognese: Everybody loves it. Mince with spaghetti or pasta. Do the
So why not find some friends and enjoy some social gaming while waiting out this pesky virus?
DINNER FOR ONE
We are still able to buy fresh and that’s great but there are alternatives if you can’t get fresh. DON’T PANIC! Here are a few simple recipes as a rescue pack.
STAY UP-TO-DATE with the seemingly minute by minute changes in our city by subscribing to the City Hub newsletter. Our newsletter delivers a comprehensive rundown of the week’s biggest news, arts and entertainment directly to your inbox. Subscribing takes just a few seconds by entering your email address in the subscription box on our website, www.cityhubsydney.com.au
Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide. Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city. Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677.
If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au
2
CITY HUB 26 MARCH 2020
Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Erika Echternach, Irina Dunn, Madison Behringer, Mark Morellini, Olga Azar, Renee Lou Dallow, Rita Bratovich, Lisa Seltzer, John Moyle
Published by Altmedia Pty Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, we take no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions.
Advertising Manager: Georgina Pengelly
ABN 52 600 903 348
Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au
Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons
Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007
Cover Photo: Supplied. Comedian Sam Wade works from home Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva
Contributors: Alec Smart, Alexi Demetriadi, Christine Forster
Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633
Cartoonist: Sam Mcnair
Website: cityhubsydney.com.au
News Editor: Alec Smart @CityHubSydney
mince in a separate pot, add tinned tomatoes or pasta sauce, add veggies, onions, mushrooms, capsicums. Mix it all up with spices, add to pasta and serve. Chilli Con Carne: Use the leftover bolognese sauce, add chilli, corn chips, avocado dip, cheese and you’re done. Soups: Pumpkin and potato. Lentil and onion. Minestrone (tomato soup with pasta). Bean soup with anything. Be inventive. You can add dips to soup. French onion dip, avocado dip, capsicum dip and any other dip you fancy. There are so many things you can cook so long as you have the right ingredients. Notice that we’ve suggested the same ingredients for more than one dish. For the full Lockdown Survival Kit head to our website: www.cityhubsydney.com.au
HubNEWS
Last call at Sydney’s small venues (See p.4)
Sydney’s coronavirus cruise ships BY ALEC SMART n the day that the infamous Ruby Princess docked at Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour resembled a parking lot for cruise ships as large vessels queued for docking space. Anyone crossing Anzac Bridge and looking down to White Bay would have seen two enormous white liners anchored below. Simultaneously, other ships were vying for docking space in the main harbour, one anchored at Athol Bay alongside Taronga Zoo. Four of them brought covid-19 infected passengers. Ruby Princess discharged 133 covid-19 cases, one of whom has since died.
subsequently told reporters “There were some people on board the cruise ship who presented with flu-like symptoms. One of those passengers was not at all well, and was taken off the ship and has been taken to a hospital here in Sydney, and is being cared for. That particular passenger, now patient, is not particularly well.”
O
It seems unbelievably
The passenger, a woman in her 70s, has now succumbed to the virus.
Celebrity Solstice, one of several ships that were allowed to dock in Sydney with coronavirus infected passengers. Photo: Alec Smart
absurd in the middle of a pandemic that this be allowed to happen
overseas port (three or those cruises originated in Sydney). This included the aforementioned Ruby Princess.
On 14 March Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced he would bar foreign cruise ships from docking at Australian ports for at least a month. Australian-flagged vessels were exempted from the ban, as well as four international cruise ships bound for Australia that were already at sea, having departed their last
RUBY PRINCESS
On 19 March, Ruby Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, quietly docked in the heart of the city at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay, and released 2647 passengers, all but 12 of whom were allowed to disperse into the population without tests or quarantine. Two who later tested positive for
coronavirus boarded a flight home to Darwin. Since then, the number of people diagnosed with coronavirus who were on-board the Ruby Princess has accelerated from four to 133. NSW Health says 107 of those are still in NSW while 26 have travelled interstate. NSW Opposition health spokesman Ryan Park was astounded by the lapse in security. “It seems to be unbelievably absurd in the middle of a pandemic that this would be allowed to happen,” he said. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard
Despite the focus on Ruby Princess, three of the other four cruises that were allowed to drop thousands of passengers in Sydney after the March 14 cruise ship ‘ban’ also had coronavirus-infected passengers aboard, since confirmed by NSW Health officials. These were: Ovation of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Celebrity Solstice. It has now been revealed that Voyager of the Seas had a 66-year-old South Australian man aboard who was sick with covid-19 on the second of its two treks, whilst Celebrity Solstice’s covid-19 infected passenger boarded in Auckland before mingling with fellow cruisers. Another five covid-19 cases have since been identified from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship.
Bondi Beach ban C BY ALEC SMART iting “irresponsible behaviour,” the NSW Govt closed Bondi Beach this week after thousands of people flocked there to take advantage of unseasonably warm weather, despite breaching official limits of no more than 500 people in public places to curb spread of the coronoavirus pandemic. On 21 March, Police Minister David Elliott and NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Karen Webb announced the closure of Australia’s iconic tourist beach. “It’s with a significant level of disappointment that we have to move today to not only remove people from Bondi Beach but use this as an opportunity to remind everybody that the Health Act must be complied with,” Elliot declared from the beachside. “What we saw this morning on Bondi Beach was the most irresponsible
behaviour of individuals so far. This is not something the government is doing because we want to make life easy. This is about saving lives.”
CLOSED BEACHES MAY BE NEW NORM
Elliot warned that other Sydney beaches must restrict numbers. “If the community does not comply with the regulations and the health warnings, [closing beaches] is going to become the new norm. We’ll now be seeing beaches across the state that fail to comply with the public gathering regulations closed.” Pictures of the large crowd on the sands of Bondi Beach showing people in close proximity were shared on social media and appeared in foreign news reports, attracting widespread criticism. “We need the public to be aware that some of them could be carrying this virus without even knowing,” Elliot
Bondi Beach was closed after warm weather attracted large crowds, risking spread of coronavirus. Photo: Alec Smart
warned. “Some of the photos I saw this morning from this very beach of dozens of families using communal showers and toilets - they’re in complete denial of what this virus is all about.”
This reminds everybody
that the Health Act must be complied with
Surf lifesavers will now be tasked to regulate beach attendance. If numbers exceed 500 and new arrivals refuse to turn away, Elliot said lifesavers “will advise local area command if they believe the public area gathering is not compliant. Surf lifesavers will then close down the beach and order people to move on. If people do not comply, police will have powers to move on individuals.” CITY HUB 26 MARCH 2020
3
HubNEWS
Opinion
Help small business! BY CHRISTINE FORSTER ydney is reeling from the spread of coronavirus and it’s time the Lord Mayor put her money where her mouth is to assist the small businesses that may not survive the crisis. The City of Sydney currently has more than $670 million in the bank and yet not one cent of cash has been earmarked to assist those who have been and will be the most severely impacted by coronavirus. What council needs to do now is what the other levels of government are doing: make stimulus payments to help our small businesses survive this period of financial stress.
S
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
To achieve that, I’ve this week called on the Lord Mayor to convene an extraordinary general meeting to vote on my resolution that council must provide immediate cash assistance to local small businesses. I’m also asking for that cash assistance to extend into next year. The City of Sydney local government area is the engine room of New South Wales. It is a $130 billion per year economy which accounts for nearly 22% of the state’s entire output and around 7% of national GDP.
That contribution is driven by our significant financial services, tourism and education sectors, but nearly 84% of the businesses that exist in Sydney are small ones, employing less than 20 people. Many of them rely on the custom of people who walk past their premises every day.
small businesses are
really struggling in these times It is those businesses who are really struggling in these unimagined times. Anyone who regularly spends time in the CBD or our inner-city suburbs can see that the numbers of people walking the streets, visiting the shops and restaurants and gathering in our public spaces are well down on usual. People are heeding government advice to be cautious and exercise social distancing.
CONCRETE ACTIONS NEEDED
And yet in the midst of the unfolding health and economic crisis, Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s response contained not one concrete action to provide genuine
City of Sydney has over $670 million although allegedly none is to assist those severely impacted by coronavirus. Photo EVG/Pexels
assistance to the businesses which are suffering most. My plan is to make funds equal to 75% of our remaining operational contingency for this year – more than $3 million - available right now as fast-tracked small business stimulus grants. Under my plan council would also allocate another $10 million in the 2020-21 financial year for the small business stimulus grants.
Council can afford these contributions and a small grant, received in a timely fashion, could mean the difference between survival or otherwise for many businesses which might struggle to pay their energy or water bills in coming months. Now more than ever, Sydney’s small businesses don’t need investigations, they need action. Christine Forster is a Liberal councillor in the City of Sydney.
Last call at Sydney’s small venues W BY ALEXI DEMETRIADI ith the coronavirus escalating in Sydney, so too have the necessary, but strict, ‘social distancing’ laws. The government announced that venues now must provide four square metres per person. For many small venues across Sydney’s Inner West, the current climate has become near-impossible to operate in.
less than a year old, it boasts a large number of regulars. A ‘puppy photo wall’ of regulars’ pets is displayed near the front bar. “We are a small business, so we rely in large part on our regulars and return drinkers,” Cas Tynan, bar manager at Miss Wolf, told City Hub. “They’re really trying to support us and as long as they keep coming back, we should be alright.”
PLACES EMPTYING
“There’s no one on Enmore Road anymore,” Aaron Morley, licensee at The Hideaway Bar, told City Hub. “If you look outside, it’s peak hour – but there’s no one there.” Hideaway is one of Enmore’s popular spots for live music, but the speakers have been temporarily unplugged. Hideaway has seen numerous bands cancel due to the outbreak – its main source of footfall. “We can’t survive without live music and bands,” said Morley. The bar usually hosts three or four a night, that number has dropped to zero. Just up Enmore Road is Cottonmouth. One wall of the small venue hosts vinyl 4
CITY HUB 26 MARCH 2020
We’ve still got to operate, pay rent, pay our staff Many small venues across Sydney’s Inner West, like The Hideaway Bar in Enmore, are closing due to coronavirus fears. Photo: Alec Smart
records, the other a selection of craft beer. The bar celebrated its first birthday in early-March, and it has a consistent group of regulars, many of who are supporting it during the virus. “The support from the locals and regulars has been fantastic,” Cottonmouth’s owner Zac Williams told City Hub. “A lot of people are making an effort to support not just us, but other local spots – which is fantastic.”
“At the moment we’re like the band on the Titanic who continue to play,” Williams added. “We continue to play and serve - we’ve still got to operate, pay rent, pay our staff.” The sentiment of solidarity between regulars and the venues that serve them is shared across the city. Miss Wolf on Marrickville Road has a capacity of 50 and even though it is
Moshpit on King Street, Erskineville, a small live music venue that remained popular as larger venues nearby shut down, has also had to cancel its live music program and close its doors. Managers Pat and Wax released a statement on 21 March saying, “We are sorry it has come to this but with the new restrictions that came in place yesterday, and with public health at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we feel it is the right thing to do.”
COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY
L
ROCKIN’ PNEUMONIA & THE BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU
ast week Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California - the world’s fifth largest economy ordered a complete shutdown of the state. Its 40 million residents were essentially told to go home and stay there with the possibility that roughly 56% of Californians, or about 25.5 million people, were expected to contract COVID-19. It was a drastic response coupled with a dire warning. At the same time thousands of US university students were partying on the beaches of Florida, seemingly oblivious to their own danger and the possibility of spreading the virus to the population at large. Here in Sydney an unusually warm March day saw thousands flocking to Bondi Beach despite numerous government and health department warnings about avoiding large gatherings of people. Later in the week the Federal Government brought in a four square metre per person restrictions for patrons in restaurants, pubs, clubs and other indoor spaces. Whilst some venues had already rearranged their seating to comply, others had totally ignored the advice and many customers continued to sit within the range of mutual airborne bacteria. It’s not surprising that in a
THAT SNEAKY RABBIT
pub or club setting the degree of social distancing diminishes with the increased consumption of alcohol. At the time of writing, Victoria and NSW have just announced a lockdown of all non-essential services and it seems the other states will soon follow suit. For the entertainment and music industry this would mean the final closure of those few bars and venues that have been hanging in there during the past few weeks. Already we have seen many musicians announcing they are looking to live streams and podcasts to connect with the public and this is bound to become the new norm over the coming months. In the immediate future it looks like the lounge room and the couch will become the hub of our amusement and cultural activities. Of course many in the community have
By Sam Mcnair #thatsneakyrabbit
already adjusted to that way of living but certainly expect lots more live music streamed from all variety or artists and bands. Some of these musicians might look to monetise their web streams to compensate for the disappearance of all live gigs, whilst others might simply do so as a service to their fans and the community at large. At times like this ingenuity always comes to the forefront and who knows what we might be offered in our lounge rooms, as a music or cultural experience in the future. Whether free to air TV and pay-per-view services will come to the party and program live concerts and gigs remains to be seen, but you would expect many operators to capitalise on the situation. The question also arises whether many Sydneysiders, in particular those of a more hedonistic persuasion, will be content to sit endlessly on the couch for the foreseeable future. It’s unlikely we will witness what happened in Italy a few weeks ago where quarantined apartment dwellers joined in a community orchestra and sing-song from the social distancing of their balconies. Give the shutdown two or three months and there’s bound to be a section of the population who could well become stir crazy and look to underground and illegal gatherings in a devil-may-care attitude. In the same way police once busted unlawful warehouse raves, we could see COVID-19 defiance parties raided by a constabulary clad in hazmat suits and armed with spray cans of disinfectant. The only thing we can be certain of in the coming weeks is the uncertainty of it all and it would be a brave person to forecast just where we will all be, two to three months from now. CITY HUB 26 MARCH 2020
5
HubARTS
SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL Photo : Ben Sanford
S
ydney’s comedy scene was dealt another severe blow on March 18, when the Sydney Comedy Festival announced their cancellation for 2020. Originally set to take place between April 20 and May 17, the annual festival was a major highlight on the city’s comedy calendar. The 2020 iteration was set to welcome comedians such as the Umbilical Brothers, Jason Byrne, Catherine Cohen, Tom Gleeson, Ms Pat,
Dave Hughes, Matt Okine and David O’Doherty, to name just a few. Whilst the festival will no longer proceed in its normal format many of the performers are attempting to reschedule their shows for later in the year. Information on these future shows is yet to be confirmed. All previously purchased tickets will be refunded. Ticket holders will be contacted directly. (JA)
BIENNALE OF SYDNEY GOES DIGITAL
HEAD ON PHOTO FESTIVAL GOES DIGITAL
I
photographers have put into delivering n light of COVID-19 restrictions and award submissions and preparing fears Australia’s leading photography exhibitions over recent months and festival will be delivered in an entirely plan to honour and celebrate this new fashion this year. by working to The 2020 iteration of the Head create an online On Photo Head On Photo Festival will be Festival. At presented as a a time when predominantly many people online event feawill be in turing an array isolation, of exhibitions, this digital webinars, talks platform will and events. provide our “The Head On n ia audiences Photo Festival rt a - The M Matt Smith team have been around regularly checking the world with a variety of updates regarding the coronavirus interesting artworks, images and pandemic and we are making plans activities to engage and interact with.” to best protect the public, our artists, The online portion of the festival will volunteers and staff,” explained take place between May 1-17. While a Festival Director Moshe Rosenzveig. scaled-back physical festival is set to take place in November. (JA) “We recognise the extraordinary effort
6
CITY HUB 26 MARCH 2020
J
ust last week the Biennale Of Sydney was determined and confident thay would be able to proceed safely in the face of COVID-19. Sadly, as of Tuesday morning it became clear this would no longer be possible. The nearly 50-year-long tradition will now be closing the doors to all of its public exhibitions and will instead be exploring new, innovative ways to showcase the more than 700 artworks from 101 different artists/collectives included in this years program, NIRIN. “We remain steadfastly committed to the artists and communities we serve by moving to a digital program,” read their statement, “Working with long-time Biennale partner Google - and in a first for the Biennale of Sydney - audiences
around the world will be able to engage with NIRIN on the Google Arts & Culture platform.” Perhaps as a positive consequence of the move the exhibition may now be more accessible than ever. “Creating a virtual Biennale will bring the exhibition and programs to life through live content, virtual walkthroughs, podcasts, interactive Q&As, curated tours and artist takeovers.” The decision to move online rather than cancelling was made because, “At times like these, it is more important than ever that we find ways to connect, to help each other, listen, collaborate and heal – all core themes of NIRIN.” (JA) Until Jun 8. More Info: www.biennaleofsydney.art
HubARTS
OCEAN GROVE BAND MEMBER TESTS POSITIVE TO COVID-19 Last Thursday night it was announced that an unnamed member of the Melbourne band Ocean Grove had tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing symptoms on Monday, March 16. The sick member of Ocean Grove is currently in good spirits whilst undergoing treatment. The remainder of the band are also undertaking Photo: all of the necessary Sam Wong precautions to prevent the virus spreading to them. There are however grave fears for fans of Ocean Grove; the group completed a publicity tour last weekend, which saw them coming into close contact with fans at meet-and-greet sessions. “We understand we just completed a
ANDY GOLLEDGE
BY JAMIE APPS efore the dreaded COVID-19 virus shut down all entertainment venues, Inner West musician Andy Golledge was excited to celebrate his debut EP, Namoi. The excitement levels were at an incredibly high level because after 15 years performing Golledge was finally putting a collection of recorded music out into the world. Sadly, Golledge now won’t be able to perform these songs live. However, when speaking to City Hub it was abundantly clear that simply achieving the milestone of releasing recorded music was something he was very proud of. “I’ve been playing for about 15 years without recording a whole heap of music. So releasing this is a long time coming, but it feels like this is the right time.” Namoi is filled with country music elements but with a modern city flourish which leads to a unique indie-folk, pop, country fusion. To spend 15 years performing constantly and growing a fan base without recording is a very unusual scenario for a musician. As Golledge explained to us though there were a number of underlying reasons behind this choice, “There were a number of factors, but the biggest two were mental health and fear. While they couldn’t stop me from performing they definitely held me back from recording and moving forwards faster.”
B
With entertainment venues now shutdown for an indeterminate period there is a fear musicians like Golledge may no longer have their creative outlet. Which is especially concerning given that Golledge believed the scene was “flourishing” again. “The Inner West has really been my only scene for the past 15 years. During that time I’ve seen it grow, die, and grow over and over. Since the lockout laws made people become more passionate about our live music scene it seemed to be flourishing again with so many great bands and venues.” Until we can all go back to enjoying live music though we’ll have to make do with recordings like Namoi, which Golledge said will inspire “energy, laughter, tears and a whole range of emotions.” Debut EP, Namoi, out now. Available at www.andygolledgemusic.com
SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL
T
he leaders of the Sydney Film Festival had been contemplating drastic measures for weeks in the face of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. But that didn’t make the final decision any easier. Last Wednesday afternoon the group made the call: They would cancel their 2020 program. In the announcement SFF stated, “It is with deep regret that, for the first time in its history, the SFF board and management must announce the cancellation of this year’s Festival.” Speaking to City Hub on Friday festival CEO Leigh Small explained that the decision to cancel was one they had been considering for some time. “We’ve been looking closely at this
predicament for the past three weeks. We’ve been modelling how we would respond and had anticipated that this closure could possibly occur.” During their modelling process the fest also considered a raft of other measures to cope with COVID-19. “When we modelled this situation there was a version where we perhaps would cancel our larger venues. However that would have been financially very difficult for us,” explained Small. “Pushing the festival back would mean we would have to be able to maintain those venues. The State Theatre wasn’t available later and once we go beyond August it becomes too difficult to put in place the next festival for 2021.”
promotional run of meet and greets over the weekend in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and therefore feel a social responsibility to share this news with you immediately,” said a statement on the band’s social media pages. “If you attended one of these signings, please take into consideration the Australian Government’s advice to selfquarantine for two weeks to prevent the spread of the virus. In the event you begin experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, please seek medical attention.” (JA) For more information about COVID-19 please head to www. health.gov.au
I
nspirational and incredibly interesting, the Be Better Off Show is the perfect mix of business and lifestyle advice. Hosted by Brett Kelly, an author, speaker and CEO of an ASX-listed chartered accountancy firm, this podcast is about helping people be better off in all aspects of their life. And frankly, that’s what we all need in these chaotic times. Whether you’re trying to grow your business, scramble to keep your clients and get through this tough period, or looking for inspiration to change direction, you’ll get it from this podcast. Guests so far have included cricketer Brett Lee and founder and CEO of Vision Personal Training, Andrew Simmons.
The focus is on guests with an authentic story who have achieved real results both financially and personally. The Be Better Off Show was ranked in the Top 10 Business podcasts within the first week of release and at 30 minutes long, it’s an inspiring weekly show to listen into. (LS)
Now that the decision to cancel physical screenings has been made, the fest leadership have shifted their focus onto alternative delivery methods, such as online streaming. “We will be somewhere in some form
before the end of the year, but we don’t know what that looks like at this stage. We are in a good position to do something though, so stay tuned.” (JA) Stay up to date with all future announcements at www.sff.org.au CITY HUB 26 MARCH 2020
7
38 Parramatta Rd Stanmore 2048 P: (02) 9565 1275 E: info@annandaleinteriors.com www.annandaleinteriors.com.au
•
8
CITY HUB 26 MARCH 2020