City Hub 27 August 2020

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Sydney theatres finally reopen

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heatre companies such as Old 505, Belvoir Theatre, and the Sydney Theatre Company are finally reopening and planning live shows for the remainder of the 2020 season.

Easing government restrictions in NSW have been a breath of fresh air for the arts and entertainment industries.

Old 505 theatre is holding A Murder Story, Retold from September 2 to 6.

This will also be the global premiere of Sydney’s very own independent theatre company, Ninefold.

While Old 505 has been putting on live music shows since July, this will be the first theatrical performance since March.

A Murder Story, Retold is a “side spitting comedy with a dark edge”,

telling the story of a revenge killing three times, each with a story that changes along with the music of each retelling.

Artistic director of Old 505, Kerri Glasscock, in an interview with City Hub, said that A Murder Story, Retold was chosen to be the ‘debut’ performance after the peak of the COVID-19 restrictions as “The Old 505 Theatre has a longstanding partnership with the Sydney Fringe Festival and A Murder Story, Retold is the first offering in their Global Fringe program.

“We have been working in partnership with Sydney Fringe since early May to lead the way in industry best practice reopening strategies, and as such were able to work with their September program producers to rework the

staging of their productions to accommodate the new seating mode.”

On the financial impact of COVID-19 on Old 505, Kerri revealed, “It has been devastating. We have been able to secure JobKeeper for our bar and front of house staff. Even then, opening on reduced capacity means that we need to sell out every session to just breakeven. But it is important to open, as a sector we could have these restrictions in place for the foreseeable future, it’s not good enough to remain closed and hope for life to return to normal.

At least being open on reduced capacity means that artists are able to get back to work, contractors and suppliers can earn some revenue and we can maintain audience engagement. But it

is not a viable way forward and will be impossible to maintain once JobKeeper ends and commercial rents return to prior levels.”

The Sydney Theatre Company (STC) recently announced their return to the stage with a socially distanced season of Angus Cerini’s Wonnangatta starring Wayne Blair and Hugo Weaving, commencing on the September 21.

The STC, while optimistic to roll out performances for the remainder of the 2020 theatre season, is prepared to collapse all plans if the crisis worsens in Sydney.

Despite reopening, there have been detailed COVID-safe plans implemented in all three theatres.

Continued on page 2

CURTAIN RAISERS (Continued from the cover) their first public performance in six months.

Tom Wright, an artistic associate at Belvoir revealed what a typical day of rehearsals looks like during the age of COVID. “It’s more reserved; people sit in islands of space and time around the room! We leave the door open, only actors touch their props, and those props aren’t shared.

Everyone who enters the building is temperature-checked and only the very essential personnel are in the room.

Fundamentally it’s the same process once you get working but the set-up is different. It’s introduced a new term though, when the Stage Manager calls

Wayne Blair & Hugo Weaving Photo: Supplied

Speaking with Patrick McIntyre, executive director of the STC, when asked what his vision is of the STC in moving forward from the impacts of the pandemic he said, “People like going out, theatre has been around for thousands of years. I think we will bounce back, it might take a while but it will happen.

“The challenge is, it’s so wasteful if entire businesses go broke during this period because when the pandemic moves on, people are going to want to go to restaurants and theatres, and it will be so disruptive to re-invent everything. Everyone’s trying to keep their businesses afloat.”

When asked how he sees the pandemic changing the future of entertainment in Australia, Patrick said, “I think its interesting how quickly Zoom has become a part of the way we work, we might actually be more interactive on an international level now that we’ve seen how seamless Zoom can be in business. Also, we will all have different risk managements plans in place to use in future whereas in this instance everyone has scrambled to work out how to deal with it.”

Belvoir Theatre is hosting A Room Of Ones Own starring Anita Hegh and Ella Prince on September 10. This will be

out ‘Distance’ it means people are too close to each other.”

He also shared his thoughts on how COVID-19 will change the entertainment industry in years to come.

“It will have an impact in ways we can’t anticipate. But it has reminded us how precarious urban life is – that in a virtual age, a social media age, we’re still flesh-and-blood, all of us are fragile. No-one’s going to take for granted the privilege of being in a room with others for a while. The idea of a neighbourhood, or a community, will have subtly shifted, and theatre is a place where that is revealed and explored.”

STAY LOCAL, WATCH GLOBAL The inaugural Global Fringe starts this week with audiences spoilt for choice. While we’re all staying local this year, there’s a great opportunity to watch performances from around the globe. Live theatre returns to the Old 505 Theatre in Newtown with the unrelentingly intense, precise and imaginatively rich Ninefold’s production of A Murder Story, Retold’ from Wednesday to Saturday. And for those wanting an ‘at-home’ gala extravaganza, you can live stream A Celebration Of Theatre – a triple bill of brilliant independent theatre on Wednesday from 6.30pm. The live stream features A Murder Story, Retold as well as a specially ‘shot-for-streaming’ version of physical theatre ensemble Clockfire Theatre Co.’s we, the lost people, and Queen Have & Miss Haven’t – a monstrous modernist ballet by Thick & Tight (UK).

To buy tickets or register for the free live stream head to sydneyfringe.com/whats-on

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HubNEWS

The case for a Basic Income Guarantee (See p.6)

Figures reveal Inner West “tree massacre”

BY ALLISON HORE ata released by the inner west council reveals there has been an 80% increase in applications for tree removals across the council area and a 100% increase in removals.

The sharp increase in the number of applications for tree removals comes after the Inner West council made changes to tree removal policies. The new policy allows for property owners to remove trees which fall within two meters of a structure with automatic approval from council. Property owners are not mandated to replace the trees which were destroyed.

From February to the end of June this year the council received 429 applications for tree removals. So far, 275 trees have been approved for removal and the council is still processing 82 removal applications.

This is an increase of almost 80% from 2019, when the council received 240 applications in the same time frame.

Greens councillor Colin Hesse told Radio Skid Row that the sharp increase in tree removals was not surprising.

“There was certainly some pent up demand, but the new policy went quite

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HubARTS: Gem COVID allows LA based musician to spend unexpected extra time with family.

(See p. 11)

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The council’s new policy makes it easier for tree removals to be approved. Photo: Flickr/evcabartakova

a long way to loosening controls, and the intent of the policy is to have a bias towards tree removal,” he said.

Over 2,400 people signed a petition to oppose the policy. Balmain Greens MP Jamie Parker, who opposed the changes when they were put forward, says that the community’s fears have come true.

“The tree massacre we predicted is well and truly underway,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“In a highly dense area like the inner west, allowing the removal of any tree within two

News Editor: Allison Hore

“It’s these sorts of social get-togethers that can spark a cluster and, when it comes to events like birthday parties and weddings, we’ve seen how quickly people are tempted to forget the rules and throw caution to the wind,” he said.

Contributors: Allison Hore, Lanie Tindale, Merrill Witt Cartoonist: Sam Mcnair Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Irina Dunn, Madison Behringer, Mark Morellini, Renee Lou Dallow, Rida Babar Cover Photo: Thick & Tight (UK) streaming this September as part for Global Fringe.

‘The Princess & The Showgirl’

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Mr. Parker said whilst he understands “there are trees that need to be removed in many circumstances”, the new policy goes “way too far”.

Liquor & Gaming Director of Compliance, Dimitri Argeres said the venue was “clearly” trying to skirt the rules by splitting an illegally large group who all knew each other into smaller compliant groups.

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Some members of the community support the change in policy, saying that inappropriately trees planted along a neighbouring fence can create significant damage to a property which need expensive repairs.

An expensive birthday for the Red Lion Hotel

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metres of a structure pretty much allows the destruction of the vast majority of trees in our community.”

The balcony at the Red Lion Hotel where 40 people gathered for a Birthday party. Photo: Facebook/Red Lion Hotel

BY ALLISON HORE complaint about a birthday party at the Red Lion Hotel in Rozelle has resulted in the venue being hit with a $10,000 fine.

Liquor & Gaming inspectors inspected the pub on 15 August after receiving complaints about a birthday party on the 2nd of August. Around 40 patrons booked to be seated on the upstairs balcony were seen mingling and

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drinking, in breach of public health orders.

The group made a booking in four groups of 10, and when police visited the venue to check compliance all guests were seated at their booked tables. However after a review of the CCTV footage inspectors observed guests moving between tables, mingling, standing while drinking and greeting each other with hugs and handshakes.

“We expect hoteliers to set exemplary standards, particularly when it comes to managing the heightened risk presented by groups mingling.”

The Lewisham Hotel in Lewisham was also fined on Friday for not having a valid COVID-19 Safety Plan and not spacing gaming machines at least 1.5 metres apart.

“Whether we like it or not, the rules are there for a reason. Tighten up your operations and take it seriously,” Mr. Argeres warned.

To date, 68 fines have been issued to bars, cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs across the state. $304,000.

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HubNEWS

Bondi hate crime memorial design announced

By ALLISON HORE he final design for a memorial in Bondi to victims of LGBTQ+ hate crimes was announced on Wednesday.

ACON and Waverley Council have been working in partnership on the Bondi Memorial public artwork project since 2015, and with the selection of the design the memorial is one step closer to reality.

The sculpture, designed by Urban Art Projects (UAP) was selected out of the six shortlisted designs and will honour the victims and survivors targeted in homophobic and transphobic attacks in Eastern Sydney and broader Sydney.

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The events of this dark chapter in Sydney’s history have left a painful legacy UAP says their design, “Rise”, will “commemorate all women and men whom have been murdered, tortured and persecuted because of their sexuality”.

Their design, based on the topography of the area, will include six stone terraces representing the bands in the pride flag.

“Flipped to ascend, the intent is visitors to the memorial will walk up the cliff

terraces; the act of climbing inverting the act of falling, the pathway forward away from the history of violence,” they explain in their proposal.

The sculpture will also include brass plaques inscribed with positive messages from the LGBTQ+ community, pictographs or even news articles which showcase the trend towards greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in Australia.

ACON CEO, Nicolas Parkhill, said that UAP’s “deeply moving artwork” embodied the spirit and themes of the Bondi Memorial Project: remembrance, diversity, inclusion, justice and acceptance.

“We know it will serve as a respectful memorial to the victims and help heal the trauma these past events have caused for the families of victims, as well as the LGBTQ community and many local residents,” he said.

“The events of this dark chapter in Sydney’s history have left a painful legacy that continues to be felt today.”

RAISING COMMUNITY AWARENESS

Homophobic and transphobic violence is estimated to have claimed the lives of around 90 gay men and transgender women across NSW between 1970 and

Concept art of the selected design for the LGBTQ+ memorial at Bondi. Photo: Supplied

2000. Several of these attacks took place in Marks Park in Tamarama, where the memorial will be located.

At the time many of the deaths were misclassified as suicides, misadventure or accidents. But later inquests have determined the cases were most likely hate crimes. To date, around 30 of these crimes remain unsolved.

Mr. Parkhill hopes the memorial will

not only help raise greater community awareness of the issue of anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes, but also draw attention to the ongoing police investigations and the need for information so that justice can be served.

Those who wish to support the project are encouraged to make a donation through the Bondi Memorial Project’s website to cover construction costs.

Slow NAPLAN growth for elite schools Meriden School and St Andrew’s Cathedral School for high school in the expectation the schools would improve their academic results.

“Our local public high school does not perform so well, and this is our expectation that it will improve our children’s academic results,” Ms Ghaly said.

Nicole Graham sends three of her children to three different elite private schools. She says moral education was important than the academic results of schools.

Paper exams like NAPLAN don’t allow for extension questions for high performing students.

Photo: Flickr/Alberto G

BY LANIE TINDALE APLAN data shows lower academic growth in elite schools compared to other schools across New South Wales.

Of the top 22 most expensive schools in NSW, only 16 showed improvements in NAPLAN numeracy and reading results compared to the state average from 2016 to 2018 among current Year 11 students. This cohort was in Year 7 in 2016 and Year 9 in 2018.

Meriden School in Strathfield, which will

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set parents back up to $31,470 annually, showed a 2.1% increase in NAPLAN numeracy scores from 2016 to 2018. The state average score growth is 8.7%.

Students who were in Year 9 last year at St Luke’s Grammar School had a 3.4% growth in scores from Year 7. The state average was 8.2% score growth.

Tuition for Year 12 students at St Luke’s Grammar is $32,940.

Business development manager Sara Ghaly said she had put her 1 and 3-yearold daughters down for Loreto Kirribilli,

NAPLAN isn’t a precise measure at the top She expressed concern that for boys, “the more fees you pay, the more likely you’re going to get a boy that’s an entitled arsehole.”

LESS ROOM TO GROW

Despite a lower growth rate, every 2018 Year 9 cohort in the most expensive NSW schools maintained higher scores than the state average.

It is hard to improve scores for highachieving students, says NAPLAN expert Professor James Tognolini. He says NAPLAN was originally designed to assess “children at risk or of a lower ability” and that paper and pen tests don’t always allow for extension questions assessing high-performing students.

“NAPLAN isn’t a precise measure at the top,” Dr. Tognolini said.

In 2018, 200,000 NAPLAN tests were conducted online which allowed highperforming students to complete harder questions. However, most schools still use paper and pen tests.

Year 7 students at elite high-cost secondary schools also started off with higher NAPLAN scores than the state average in 2016.

In numeracy, the scores at elite schools ranged from 582 (Scots College) to 712 (Sydney Grammar School). The NSW average score was 542. In reading, scores among elite schools ranged from 576 (Moriah College) to 698 (Sydney Grammar School). The NSW average score was 541.

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Opinion

Why a Basic Income Guarantee makes economic sense Indeed, the introduction of the JobKeeper program and the $550 fortnightly supplement to the JobSeeker unemployment benefit have been economic lifelines for millions of Australians during the coronavirus pandemic.

Diana Mousina, a senior economist at AMP Capital, told the Nikkei Asian Review that “If we didn’t have these support measures, we would fall into an economic depression,” and The Grattan Institute’s Brendon Wood believes the reduction in JobSeeker to $250 a fortnight at the end of September will leave a “glaring hole in the economy.”

AN AFFORDABLE PROPOSAL

A giant poster in Switzerland poses the question of how people would spend time if they didn’t have to work for a wage. Photo: Flickr/Enno Schmidt

BY MERRILL WITT n a March research note to clients Macquarie Bank posed the following question: ‘Will COVID-19 redefine societies and economic models and inflict a prolonged and massive damage; or will it simply nudge us towards different policies (e.g. basic income guarantees & MMT) but still leave the essence of our societies intact, and the impact while deep, will not cause an economic reset?’

The fact that arguably Australia’s most influential investment bank referred to a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) and Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) as preferred economic policy options is noteworthy.

In conservative circles, a BIG is typically derided as a disincentive to work and MMT is derogatorily described as a “magical money tree” instead of a sensible economic tool for reviving our ailing economy.

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GAINING MAINSTREAM ACCEPTANCE

Ironically, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has done the world a favour by bringing into sharp relief the chronic problem of rising income and wealth inequality.

The risks these glaring inequities are posing to the post-pandemic economic recovery are forcing even hard-headed business people, economists and some governments to challenge long-held assumptions about what the government 6

CITY HUB 27 AUGUST 2020

should do to ensure financial security for its citizens.

In Scotland, for example, a government established steering group recently published a detailed feasibility report endorsing a three year pilot study of a Universal Basic Income (UBI).

The scheme has already received the backing of the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who told the Guardian in May that the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic on middle and working class people made her think the “time has come” to consider a UBI. A UBI or BIG would see the government provide every adult with a steady source of income regardless of their employment situation. Depending on the design, it may or may not be meanstested and could replace all existing governmental assistance programs or complement them, as a wider safety net.

CALLS FOR A LIVING WAGE

In Australia, the financial predicament of many of our citizens is not that dissimilar to Scotland’s. In the lead up to last year’s federal election, former Opposition Leader Bill Shorten argued that the minimum wage should be replaced by a living wage in order to address years of sluggish wage growth, which has not kept pace with increases in executive compensation and company profits.

More recently, revelations of “wage theft” by a number of high profile

organisations across a range of industries have highlighted insecure working conditions and low pay. Just last week, The University of Melbourne agreed to repay around 1,500 academic casual staff in four faculties millions of dollars in underpaid wages.

What’s particularly distressing about the Melbourne University example is that it illustrates how higher education qualifications and skills training offer no protection against the increasing casualisation of the Australian workforce.

ECONOMIC STIMULATION

More than likely, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) would welcome the introduction of a government sponsored BIG to soften the detrimental impact of low-income growth on the prospects for a post COVID-19 economic recovery.

If we didn’t have these support measures, we would fall into an economic depression In a recent research note, the RBA cautioned that households might “permanently adjust their spending” if they don’t anticipate wages rising soon.

Restrained spending patterns, it argues, will in turn discourage businesses from investing in labour or capital and consequently “damage the economy’s productive potential.”

Hughes believes a UBI should be funded by increasing taxes on the wealthy. But given that raising taxes in Australia, even on the rich, is a politically unpalatable option for our current conservative government, could the federal government find another way to fund a UBI? Here’s where MMT comes into play.

MMT contends that the size of a country’s debt and deficits is a political, not an economic consideration. In an interview with the Eureka Report’s Alan Kohler, Bill Mitchell, emeritus professor of economics at the University of Newcastle and one of the founders of MMT, said that “a sovereign country that issues its own currency has no financial constraints on what it spends.”

Inflation is the only real risk of more government spending, but it’s only a problem if supply constraints mean the increase in demand can’t be met without putting pressure of prices. That’s hardly a worry at the moment because the economy has lots of excess capacity due to high levels of unemployment and rising business inventories.

A recent Deloitte Economics Access report also dismissed concerns about increasing government debt. It labelled the “belief we have to pay off all this new debt” a “phantom menace” because debt will shrink relative to the size of the economy if growth returns.

Macquarie Bank’s recommendation that both a BIG and MMT should be considered to avoid inflicting “prolonged and massive damage” on the economy seems like very sound advice indeed.

Not only would such an approach go a long way to curing Australia’s economic malaise, but it would help to address issues of fairness and equity, making for a more prosperous and cohesive society.

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WestConnex compensation for council

BY ALLISON HORE he Inner West Council has won big in a compensation claim against Transport for NSW. The council and the local community will receive a $2.875 million pay out from Transport for NSW for the compulsory acquisition of 2,285sqm of land at King George Park in January this year. The land in the popular foreshore park was to be used for a bioretention facility and informal carpark for the WestConnex M4-M5 Link project.

The M4-M5 Link Tunnel is the third stage of the controversial Westconnex project.

On top of the compensation, the council negotiated with Transport for NSW for 72% of the acquired land to be returned to council by December 2025. As part of the deal, Transport for NSW will also be footing the bill for returning the land to its pre-acquisition condition.

“We’ve fought hard to win compensation for the community and this funding will go straight back into the neighbourhood,” said Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne.

The Inner West local government area has one of the lowest proportions of

COMPENSATION TO FUND COMMUNITY

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Throughout the litigation process, the Inner West Council say they argued the compensation for the acquisition and the damages should reflect the value of the land to the community rather than the “nominal” amount Transport for NSW’s experts recommended.

“The impacts from WestConnex on residents around King George Park have been horrendous, so improving their quality of life is the priority now” Mr. Byrne said.

An anti-WestConnex poster on Iron Cove Bridge in Rozelle. Photo: Rozelle Against WestConnex

public open space per person in Sydney.

According to data from the NSW Office of Local Government, the Inner West local government area is second only to Burwood, with more than 700 people per hectare of public open space.

The impacts from WestConnex on residents around King George Park have been horrendous

King George Park is one of the Inner West’s most popular sporting grounds, and is home to a number of local soccer, athletics and rugby clubs. It also makes up part of the Bay Run precinct and is a popular sport for dog walkers.

The areas that will be affected by the construction will include the northern part of the park on the corner of Victoria Road and Byrnes Street as well as the informal parking area for the oval off Manning Street. None of the King George oval will be lost for the project.

Mayor Byrne says projects the money said the money would go towards projects including improving the amenity of local streets, improvements to the park and safety measures for those travelling to Rozelle Public School. He also said he is “keen to” meet with local sporting groups to discuss how the funding can be used to improve the sports grounds and facilities.

“I am determined that the funding will go straight back into the neighbourhood around the park that has been so horrendously affected by Westconnex construction,” he said.

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COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

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A ‘VAXACIOUS’ QUESTION?

t’s official – Pauline Hanson will not be getting vaccinated if a COVID shot becomes available some time next year. She made this emphatically clear when asked for her views on such a vaccine being made mandatory by the Federal Government.

Whilst an effective vaccine could be many months away, the Government has already made plans to conduct a mass vaccination of the Australian population and raised the question of whether it will be mandatory of not.

Given the public’s widespread compliance with social distancing, mass testing and the wearing of masks it would be fair to predict a fairly universal take up of the vaccine, achieving what is considered a 95% herd immunity. There will be of course a minority, like some anti-vaxxers and stalwart libertarians, who refuse to be inoculated.

How their refusal will play out if an effective vaccine does eventuate, remains to be seen and raises all kinds of ethical and legal questions. The Government has already set a precedent with policies like reducing the family tax benefit where a

By Sam Mcnair #thatsneakyrabbit

child does not meet normal immunisation requirements. And last week the Health Minister Greg Hunt indicated a possible “no jab, no pay” measure, where some welfare payments would be conditional on a vaccine take up.

When it comes to legal enforcement there are already precedents in Australia where the court has authorised the

vaccination of a child against the wishes of at least one parent. This could possibly apply in the case of a child with a badly reduced immune system and medical advice that a COVID vaccination was essential.

How those who refuse vaccination will be treated in the private sector and the legal ramifications are also open to wide

debate. Can an employer dismiss an employee who refuses vaccination on the grounds that they are a danger to their patrons? Can a community sporting team exclude a player who knocks back a COVID vaccination and will some evidence of the jab be mandatory for entry to any large crowd gathering like a football match or music festival?

Historically any government initiatives that appear to impinge on the rights of the individual have been met with some opposition, be it the compulsory wearing of seat belts, the restriction of firearms or even the banning of non-reusable plastic bags from supermarkets.

Remember Andrew Bolt’s annoyance at the latter!

What we could find with those who view any semblance of mandatory or incentivised vaccination as a violation of their basic rights is a totally expedient response, given the current financial impact. It’s a realisation that if the virus is not eradicated or fully contained, their own economic future is bleak. Go ahead you bastards - jab me if it means I’ll be back in a job and paying my rent next week.

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Telstra plans to upgrade an approved telecommunications facility located at 859-861 BOURKE STREET, WATERLOO NSW 2017 (SP97115) www.rfnsa.com.au/2017028 1. Telstra are currently upgrading an approved mobile network facility that is to be built in the near future to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of LTE700, LTE1800, LTE2100, LTE2600, WCDMA850 and NR3500 (5G) technologies at Waterloo. Proposed works at the above site involve the installation of three (3) new 5G antennas for Telstra, installation of three (3) Optus panel antennas, Installation of six (6) Telstra panel antennas, installation of three (3) Vodafone panel antennas, installation of new shroud screen around the perimeter of the proposed rooftop, installation of new ancillary equipment associated with the facility, installation of one (1) Optus 5 bay Outdoor Unit (ODU), and installation of three (3) Telstra ODUs consisting of one (1) Vertiv SP22 battery power rack and two (2) 2-bay RBS6102 equipment cabinets to improve Telstra’s mobile phone network.

2. Telstra regards the proposed installation as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”) based on the description above 3. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2018 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/ or written submissions should be directed to Janelle So, Aurecon Australasia via email to: Janelle.So@aurecongroup.com or call (02) 9465 5499, by 11th September 2020.

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HubARTS

LOWDOWN DIRTY CRIMINALS: Cheesy crime caper stars Rebecca Gibney (See p.11)

REVIEW

WELCOME TO THE MASQUE

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Max Lambert

elcome To The Masque, a performance starring award-winning actress Genevieve Lemon and legendary composer and musical director Max Lambert streamed live from Riverside Theatres this past Sunday.

In compliance with government imposed COVID-19 restrictions, the show streamed live on YouTube from the theatre.

Genevieve performed a number of songs by the likes of Joni Mitchell and Carole King. She had a captivating stage presence and made the audience feel like they were right there with her from the comfort of their own homes.

The stream also included a live chat feature which allowed the audience to

ANTENNA SELECTS A

specially curated selection of high quality and insightful documentaries will be screening at the Antenna Selects, a new yearround program for 2020/2021. The first six documentaries have been announced: The Painter And The Thief is an intriguing documentary with a twist.

When an artist’s two renowned paintings are stolen from the Oslo gallery, she meets the thief and a surprising friendship develops.

(September 3-5) Welcome To Chechnya. A group of activists in the Russian republic of Russia risks their lives by fighting the anti-LGBTQI torture campaign which has gripped the nation. This story is vastly unheard of around the world and is a confronting documentary not to be missed. (September 19-20) Gunda is an Australian premiere executive produced by Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix. An ‘ensemble cast’ boasting a mother sow (Gunda), two cows and a one-legged chicken takes audiences on a unique journey

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exploring the values of life. (October 1) Brazen Hussies should allure movie-goers who have an interest in the Woman’s Liberation Movement. Through archival footage, photographs, memorabilia, and interviews the subject of the feminist revolution in Australia is meticulously investigated. (October 15) Dope Is Death delves into the alternative medicinal practitioners known as the Black Panther Party, who were dissatisfied with the lack of professional assistance, so evolved the use of acupuncture as a treatment for drug addiction in the 1970s. (November 5) Collective received many accolades when screened at the Venice, TIFF, and Sundance. This documentary follows the Romanian investigation into a disastrous nightclub fire and the ensuing healthcare scandal.

(December 3) (MMo) Palace Chauvel Cinema, Paddington. $18.50-$21+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.antennafestival.org

interact and discuss the performance in real time.

I found this to be a very homely and exciting way to retain the ‘in person’ feel of a performance during these times.

There was a lot of positive feedback from the ‘crowd’ via the live chat feature throughout the show and the audience was able to enjoy and discuss the hour long performance which made it even more engaging.

In Genevieve’s concluding words, the show “brought cabaret back to the audiences and the audiences back to the performances.”

Overall, I found the show to be a positive and light hearted experience which I would definitely attend again. (RBa)

Genevieve Lemon

HubARTS

NATIONAL HERO’S JOURNEY ART PRIZE T he aMBUSH Gallery is set to host the National Hero’s Journey Art Prize.

The exhibition will feature posters on the subject of COVID-19. Sights, sounds and survival tales driven by feelings of angst, depression, frustration, guilt, need, loneliness, despair, and also the prevailing need to never lose sight of hope. This is a time when helping others versus the need to help oneself as we are forced to maintain distance from those we love and from those, not so close, who could quite obviously do with a little companionship.

But amidst all the gloom and doom are we

GEM

BY JAMIE APPS or many of us COVID has driven a wedge between individuals and left a sense of isolation festering away within us.

However, for Gem this global pandemic has actually brought her home and allowed her to spend much more time with family than she otherwise would have.

Originally from Sydney, but now based out of Los Angeles, Gem is an electro-pop music producer who has been making big waves since relocating to the US. Shortly after arriving in the US Gem was placed on a top five list of female producers, was selected for the Grammy NEXT program and performed at both the Emmy Awards pre-party and both the New York and Miami Pride Festival. With all of these accomplishments accumulating

F

actually headed for a new golden age?

According to Gallery Director, Bill Dimos, there is always a time of great social commentary from artists inspired by the breakthrough of new ideas and new ways of expressing them after great upheavals in the world. “We need to have the perception and the power to turn this into a learning experience and we need to pay attention to how the planet is responding,” said Dimos. “Something’s not working. It’s very clear.”

The idea of a poster exhibition, as opposed to paintings on canvas, is due to the need

so rapidly Gem told City Hub she was “pinching myself after seeing my name on a list with one of my lifelong heroes Linda Perry.”

With all of this success you might ask why would Gem return to Australia?

Well the return was only meant to be a short fly in fly out trip for a performance at the Melbourne Grand Prix, but then the global pandemic hit and she decided Australia was the safest place to be.

“It felt so surreal,” explained Gem when asked how it felt watching COVID take hold as she returned to Australia. “I could have gone back [to the US] because I have a working visa but Australia is so safe and so beautiful that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now. I think Australia is doing a really good job handling everything.”

Perhaps the biggest benefit of quarantine in Australia for Gem though has been the opportunity to spend an extended period of time with her family that this has created.

“That is the magic of this moment,” Gem said before continuing, “I’ve got elderly grandparents and to have this time with them is time I wouldn’t have otherwise had, which is really special to me so I’m super grateful for that.”

to express the immediacy and urgency of the situation we find ourselves in.

“A poster throws everything at you all at once,” said Dimos, and referred to movie posters in which composite images usually centre on the hero’s journey, as an example. “What’s the danger and how will the hero get out of it?’’ is the general gist of this exhibition.

Now we all have the chance to be heroes.

50 finalists will be featured in an online exhibition with the actual gallery exhibition Entries close Sep 10.

Visit www.ambushgallery.com in November with the winner receiving for more information $3,000 cash. (RLD)

While she has been here though Gem has continued to work incredibly hard on her music. She has been working “everyday” in her Surry Hills studio on her upcoming record, which fans got a nice teaser of with her most recent single Malibu. Gem has also used the opportunity in Australia to collaborate with up and coming Australian acts they she may otherwise never have been able to work with.

“Just being here. Being available and in being in the right time zone has made a big difference,” Gem explained. “There is so much talent here in Australia. There are a bunch of up and coming artists that I think are incredible. Max Jackson is an emerging country artist who I think is just great, I have a remix that I’ve done of Max’s new song Billionaire. Alicia Brook is an emerging singer-songwriter from the Central Coast. There are just so many people here.”

With concerts slowly returning here in Australia Gem said she is also hopefully that she may be able to return to the stage and perform while here, “Yeah definitely, let me know when! I would so love that.”

Follow Gem on Instagram @gem_rpm to keep track of her new music.

VAN WALKER - GHOSTING

M

elbourne singer and songwriter Van Walker’s new album Ghosting dives deep into and explores all the stages of an emotionally scarring breakup, with the lyrics and sound working together to provide a truly immersive and moving musical experience.

Each song has its own unique sound and feel to it, with my personal favourite Long Night’s Journey To Day serving nostalgic 90s endof-the-disco slow dance energies. While folk music is not typically my cup of tea, I found Ghosting to be a riveting album to listen to.

Van Walker’s music paints a picture in your head and can make you feel sad about something you may never have experienced, showing his masterful skills in the art.

Van Walker’s Ghosting is a must-listen on a cold rainy day – or any day really. (RBa) WWWWW

LOWDOWN DIRTY CRIMINALS

A

question that came to mind soon after watching this Kiwi comedy was, why did an actress of Rebecca Gibney’s high caliber lend her name to such an idiotic film? Are film roles for mature actresses really that sparse?

The synopsis sounded promising – Freddy works long hours but is always broke so he gives up his pizza delivery job and works for a crime lord. When he and his mate Marvin fail their first assignment, they are ordered to kill their boss’ wife’s sexual partner else face the consequences!

James Rolleston (The Breaker Upperers) is a natural as docile Freddy and it was quite

refreshing seeing Gibney steering away from her usual ‘goody two shoes’ roles and playing the villainess of the piece.

However, this cheesy crime caper which is overloaded with corny scenarios and dialogue can only be described as embarrassingly cringe-worthy at best and fails as a comedy only garnering the occasional giggle at the sheer stupidity.

Nauseatingly gratuitous scenes of body dismemberment performed by Gibney’s character while delivering some of the unfunniest dialogue also fuelled the film’s demise. (MMo) WW

Freddy (James Rolleston) & Marvin (Samuel Austin).

Photo: Chris Coad CITY HUB 27 AUGUST2020

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19 BRILLIANT PERFORMANCES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

GLOBAL FRINGE PRESENTED BY:

MADE IN SYDNEY PRESENTED BY:

2020 SYDNEY FRINGE PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY:

WATCH NOW — sydneyfringe.com 12

CITY HUB 27 AUGUST2020