City Hub January 2020

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HubNEWS

Clover Moore’s Macleay St. monstrosity (See p. 10)

Opinion

Dead fish and shonky salesmen

HubARTS Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.

(See p. 12)

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Willow Grove, to be demolished for the new Powerhouse Museum, and what its replacement looks like. Photo: Kylie Winkworth

by KYLIE WINKWORTH t this time of year government staffers are preparing the dead fish announcements for release during the festive season when no one is paying attention. In political parlance this is called taking out the trash.

With no fanfare, the news of the winning competition design for the new Parramatta incarnation of the Powerhouse Museum was dropped to The Australian, followed by a low-key media event at Parramatta. Premier Berejiklian was nowhere to be seen, perhaps mindful of the rolling crisis in regional NSW, battling devastating fires, drought and towns running out of water.

How could she explain the extravagant $1.5b cost of moving the Powerhouse Museum 23kms west, especially when the more than 300 volunteer museums in regional NSW share a miserable $68,706 in grant funds?

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Milk crate on stilts

In other circumstances the long-awaited design for a new museum would be big news. The cost blowout has already started, with the building rumoured to be $150m over budget and it’s still just a sketch design. All the armchair architecture critics can see the winning

design by Moreau Kusunoki and Genton is no Opera House. Community response to the design has been almost entirely negative; a milk crate on stilts, an unfinished IKEA flat pack, or a scissor lift – an excellent idea for getting the collection above the flood waters.

All the armchair architecture

critics can see the winning design is no Sydney Opera House

There is no sign this is a museum, let alone anything approximating the real Powerhouse at Ultimo. The sketch designs show empty, neo-fascist spaces, curiously devoid of objects, exhibitions or anything suggestive of an actual museum. But this project was never about a real museum. It was entirely focussed on the delivery of an iconic trophy building that would define Parramatta’s character and cultural coming of age.

Oh dear.

The only positive point in the announcement was the 60 studio residencies for scientists and researchers, and the opportunity for regional students to stay overnight.

This is something that could be easily accommodated on the Parramatta community’s preferred museum site in the Fleet St precinct at north Parramatta.

In selecting the winning design, the competition jury appears to have given no weight to the practical use of the building as a museum. There are vast facades of north facing glass that will trap heat and be an environmental and conservation nightmare. The long vertiginous escalators will be a safety risk for moving people and objects in the building.

A bait and switch exercise

While everyone is pouring over the puzzling selection of a ‘hyper-platform’ building for the evicted collections from the Powerhouse Museum, the real prize is the museum’s site at Ultimo. This must pay big time for the Parramatta museum. Planning Minister Rob Stokes is busy finessing the up-zoning of Pyrmont Ultimo to deliver the biggest possible development opportunity for the site. Expect to see towers of perhaps 70-100 stories on the PHM site, including where Lionel Glendenning’s Sulman award winning Wran building now stands on Harris Street. city hub 2 JANUARY 2020

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HubNEWS

Govt closes relief wallet to bushfire victims

By VERONICA ANASSIS he NSW Government has turned their back on many bushfire victims, leaving them with little to no funding options to rebuild their half-a-million dollar homes. City Hub can reveal that only pensioners and the unemployed are ever eligible for Disaster Relief for the recovery of household contents and structural repairs.

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Only pensioners and unemployed are eligible for Disaster Relief for household contents and repairs Bushfire victims who are employed are being turned away from receiving any rebuild funds from NSW Emergency Services, because they receive a basic wage. Victims with jobs only have the potential to receive a $1,000 towards restoration from Centrelink, a fraction of costs to livelihoods destroyed by climate change.

A Centrelink employee confirmed to City Hub that this payment will likely be refused too, if victims are receiving other

The Disaster Relief fund is strictly for homes that are uninsured. Photo: Alec Smart

government funds. The ‘low income’ test for individuals also includes what their spouse or partner receives. Over $20,000 combined in assets – such as owning a car on the day of the fire, means they will not receive a dime.

Time lag for compensation, if eligible

Billy Morris of Colo Heights not only lost the family home he and his father built, but claims they cannot receive clean up funding - which spurred the family

to reach out for donations. They are not eligible for a small business grant the last remaining restoration funding option - because it completely omits more southerly affected areas, such as the Hawkesbury River region, in favour of northern zones, such as Armidale and Coffs Harbour.

In regards to the north being preferenced over the south, Emergency Services and Management said there is simply a time lag to extend to other areas of NSW with high devastation.

Waverley Council Update Mayor’s Message Bondi Pavilion Restoration I’m so excited that the moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here – the Bondi Pavilion Development Application has been approved. On Thursday 19 December the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel gave us the green light to restore the Pavilion to its former glory with a detailed design that has been guided by the Bondi Pavilion Conservation Management Plan (CMP) and extensive community consultation.

• Renovated community spaces • A larger gallery and fully renovated theatre • A ‘Bondi Story Room’ which will be used as a flexible exhibition/educational space • A community radio studio • New tourist centre/box office to the north of the entrance foyer • Renovated commercial spaces for hospitality and other services • A new indigenous public artwork • Larger Pottery Studio and a second kiln.

This is the first restoration plan that has been guided by a CMP, which is a state government requirement for the redevelopment of heritage buildings. A lot of work went into developing the CMP and it will ensure that the historic integrity of the Pavilion is retained.

Waverley residents and the more than one million visitors who use the Pavilion each year can expect to see:

Works are scheduled to start in May this year.

For more information about the project head to waverley.nsw.gov.au/bondipavilionproject

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Paula Masselos, Mayor of Waverley.

New and improved amenities on the northern side of the Pavilion, including a family change room

Waverley Customer Service Centre: 55 Spring Street, Bondi Junction Ph: 9083 8000 | waverley.nsw.gov.au | Stay in touch: waverley.nsw.gov.au/subscribe 4

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“Each national disaster area is declared listed as it is established,” said a spokesperson. “That’s not to say the regions listed are prioritised over others. It’s just a case of other affected areas have not been processed yet.

“We would reinforce there is a range of support available for impacted people,” he added, for victims who face rebuilding their lives from scratch.

“Free legal advice, documents replaced for free, increased mental health and wellbeing services in the field.”

Emergency Services did not comment on why even low bracket income earners will be rebuffed with only $1,000 to look forward to, but contended that “there’s a fair amount of support for people once they qualify.”

“We really encourage people to take out insurance, even though it is a strain for many people. But, when you are insured, the clean-up process is much simpler.”

The Emergency Services disaster relief is strictly for homes that are uninsured.

There is no maximum amount awarded and the contribution is calculated based on costs of structural repairs essential for home and content.

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5

HubNEWS

Bridge to nowhere

BY ALEC SMART alls to repair Glebe Island Bridge and reactivate the 1899-built electric swing structure over Rozelle Bay will likely go unheeded for the foreseeable future. Bicycle NSW are among those lobbying for the heritage-listed bridge to be put back into permanent service as a combined cycle path and light rail route from Pyrmont to the Balmain peninsula.

Bicycle NSW suggest that while the different stages of the WestConnex tollroad construction works at Rozelle Interchange continue until 2023, reopening Glebe Island Bridge would make an ideal long-term cycle and pedestrian route between the city and inner-west. Instead, planned diversions scheduled for the existing cycle/foot paths from Rozelle Bay into Annandale, Lilyfield and Rozelle will see the creation of several temporary routes, causing disruption to cyclists and pedestrians attempting to commute through the area.

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Tied to the masts

The 120-year-old bridge remains in a permanently open position,

allowing an estimated 200 boats a day, including fishing vessels and small ferries, to move back and forth between Rozelle and Blackwattle bays and Sydney Harbour, a number of which are high-masted.

The NSW government has pursued a policy of demolition by neglect of Glebe Island Bridge However, Bastien Wallace, Bicycle NSW General Manager of Public Affairs, believes one of the primary impediments to reactivating the bridge – which entails closing the pivoting middle section centres on the passage of those highmasted yachts.

Wallace told City Hub, “Apparently the issue is that high-net-worth individuals have demanded the bridge be left open so they can sail their super-yachts in and out anytime they feel like.”

A Transport for NSW (TfNSW) spokesperson told City Hub: “TfNSW is still investigating options for re-use of the Glebe Island Bridge to facilitate connectivity between the proposed Bays

Glebe Island Bridge is unlikely to be repaired and reopened as a combined cycle/tram route. Photo: Alec Smart

Precinct and the City of Sydney.

Active transport links are important parts of our transport network, and include the new Rozelle Interchange which is under construction and will improve connectivity in the Bays Precinct…”

In June 2019 the NSW Govt was accused of deliberately ‘neglecting’ Glebe Island Bridge by Philip Thalis, an architect and City of Sydney councillor.

Thalis said: “The government has pursued a policy of demolition by neglect. They seem to have no interest in keeping it.”

City of Sydney told City Hub: “The Glebe Island Bridge is owned by Maritime NSW, who would be best to contact about its feasibility as an alternate route for people walking and riding. We’re not aware of its condition but it does appear to be in a state of disrepair.”

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HubNEWS

Oh, what a lovely horrible year!

March

by ALEC SMART

January

ity Hub began the year reporting on the proposed demolition and replacement of the Sydney Football Stadium, known commercially as the Allianz Stadium, at Moore Park.

The Lockout Laws were crippling night traders and venues, and Sydney’s southeast light rail link construction limped along as businesses along its route were forced to close due to its impact.

City Hub reveals the NSW Police ‘Dob in a Dealer’ campaign, launched in January to target drug dealers, is relatively ineffective.

The NSW election takes place and although there are healthy results among some Greens and Independents, some guy in a suit that headed the NSW Labor Party, whose name no one can remember, fails to get the top job and the woman with the unpronounceable surname was returned to power.

February

April

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High levels of particulates and dust swirl around schools and playgrounds around the WestConnex construction sites.

State elections are coming in March and there is talk the Berejiklian Liberal Govt might be replaced as candidates start canvassing for votes.

Small respite with the much-despised LockOut Laws despite a big rally calling for change: City of Sydney will lift the curfew for one night in March to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Premier Berejiklian continues the destruction, er, construction schemes she began when she was NSW Transport Minister. The Sydney Gateway, another toll-road motorway in development, announces it will push cyclists off the bike path beside Sydney Airport so cars can rule right up to the riverbank.

May

Measles is on the rise, particularly in popular tourist destinations throughout south-east Asia and the Melanesian

and Polynesian islands. This is largely due to fear of vaccinations, spread by disinformation campaigns.

Simultaneously, the Liberal-National Party coalition is returned to power under pious Bible-thumping Prime Minister Scott ‘ScoMo’ Morrison, whose mentor is a Pentecostal preacher who hid the crimes of his child-molesting father.

June

Water restrictions set in as the longrunning drought affects Sydney’s primary source of drinking water.

Private transport operator Sydney Metro, which co-opted some of the northwestern railway stations for its own service, opens along its northern link, with driverless trains.

City Hub reaches out to an ailing fellow media publication, Star Observer, Sydney’s longest-running gay and lesbian magazine, which moves in and thrives under the Alt-Media publishing roof.

Rallies begin to pressure the NSW Govt to decriminalise abortion, in line with all other states and territories in Australia.

July

Residents of Mascot Towers were urgently evacuated from the 10-storey apartment blocks after cracks were discovered throughout the building.

Sculpture by the Sea announced their intention to walk away from 22 years of exhibiting along the Eastern Suburbs seafront, blaming Waverley Council’s decision to build a path for wheelchair users.

Talented sports star Israel Folau was sacked by Rugby NSW for posting homophobic slurs and comments on social media, which prompted Prime Minister ScoMo to propose drafting a Religious Freedom Bill, to permit bigots to say what they like under the protection of religious belief.

August

Lendlease were kicked off the Sydney Football Stadium rebuild contract for their alleged likelihood to go over the NSW Govt’s budget, although the Govt has since awarded the contract to Chinese multinational John Holland, who will go an estimated $99 million over budget.

FEB - JULY

2020

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city hub 2 JANUARY 2020

HubNEWS

2019 in REVIEW Star Casino’s attempt to build a high-rise hotel above their Pyrmont premises was rejected by the NSW Dept Planning and the Independent Planning Commission.

NSW Police strip-searches increased, much to the public’s chagrin, and City Hub revealed a disproportionate amount of indigenous youth were targeted.

Shock-jock 2GB DJ Alan Jones overstepped his usual offensive limit when he criticised New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern, whom he insisted should be choked with a sock by our own PM ScoMo.

September

Provocative sandwich board sign wearer Danny Lim appeared in court for a sign that used a corruption of the C-word, but he was let off by a judge who described him as ‘provocative and cheeky’.

Aboriginal deaths in custody raised its ugly head again, especially in light of the fact that although Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders make up 5% of the national population, 70% of youths in custody are from indigenous backgrounds.

October

The NSW Govt votes to decriminalise abortion, the last Australian state to revise the law, and also makes it illegal to protest within 150 metres of an abortion clinic, preventing fundamentalist Christians from harassing women utilising the service.

WestConnex began construction on their Rozelle Interchange, felling trees at Buruwan Park, redirecting pathways and generally infuriating residents surrounding the construction site.

Newspaper front pages across Australia were blacked-out in a rare show of solidarity on 21 Oct to criticise Govt censorship and police raids.

Julian Assange’s health is revealed to be seriously declining but the Aust Govt still refuse to intercede.

November

The Deputy Coroner overseeing drug deaths at music festivals criticises NSW Police strip-searching. The inquiry finds that hundreds of children have been stripped by police under the probably illegal pretext of looking for illegal drugs

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Meriton’s plans to turn Little Bay in Sydney’s south into a Gold Coast-style metropolis are resisted by locals, who suspect it is linked to the Yarra Bay mega cruise ship terminal the NSW Govt is pursuing nearby.

December

New cameras to record mobile phone usage while driving were rolled out across NSW. The CBD & South East light rail link opens and experiences technical problems with trams grinding to a halt on its opening weekend.

Bushfires raging across NSW, incinerating wildlife and homes, bring dense smog to Sydney CBD and ash washes up along harbour beaches.

Prime Minister ScoMo takes off on holiday, is eventually shamed into coming back.

There are calls to cancel Sydney’s traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks and donate the millions that they usually cost to rural fire services Turns out ScoMo had been preoccupied with the revised draft of his Religious Freedom Bill, which the LGBTQI community insists still discriminates against them.

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HubNEWS

Opinion

Macleay St upgrade a downgrade

BY ANDREW WOODHOUSE lover Moore’s proposed megamillion dollar Macleay Street “upgrade” has hit a snag; it’s not universally popular. Residents were roiled at the first community meeting in early November and another vociferous meeting on 19th November raised alarm bells.

About 130 local residents and businesses attended the meeting, which Mrs Moore described as “lively.”

In fact, it seemed bizarre, with the Lord Mayor whispering to those near her: “say something positive” and telling attendees “there are a lot of naysayers.”

The project has since been altered and has a smaller footprint, starting at the Macleay and Orwell Streets corner and ending sooner at the Challis Avenue, Potts Point, intersection with Macleay Street. Macleay-Regis apartments and the Yellow House are now exempt.

But along the way massive archaeology will occur. Council refuses to lodge a development application, a budget or Heritage Impact Statement, a Traffic Study or Social Impact report, has no maps of underground utilities and has no public tender process, all due

mean bicycles on footpaths, another major safety hazard? What about the disabled and elderly or mums with prams?

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Unsustainable?

process items expected of a council with cash to splash.

Ratepayers are uber-sensitive to potential corruption issues and decisions by those high priests of planning made behind closed doors.

First impressions

Council’s “artists’ impressions” show bus stops will be moved and JC Deceaux transparent canopies replaced by

Berlin bunker-style concrete structures.

Council’s dyslexic obsession with black granite tiles persists despite clear evidence these tiles lift, creating safety trip hazards.

There will be no more right turns from Macleay Street into Greenknowe Avenue, surely a nonsense.

Some footpaths will be widened between Hughes and Manning Streets, preparing the way for “dual use” footpaths. Does this

Council’s meeting was not the fait accompli it wished for. Locals asked for evidence the scheme is required but none was forthcoming. Businesses requested compensation but were shafted. Claims the new tiles will add prestige were mocked.

Work will be undertaken in 50-metre sections taking eight weeks each but will still take until 2021.Whole sections of the street will be barricaded off with council promising, or is it threatening, that “this is not going to be easy … there will be inconvenience … and issues.”

One political proponent insisted council should be applauded for the scheme.

He was howled down with counter claim that the scheme was no panacea and would lead to financial ruin for some small businesses.

The residents are revolting.

Send your comments to David Riordan, Director, City Operations, at: David.

Riordan@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

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city hub 2 JANUARY 2020

Coffin Ed’s NAKED CITY

CULTIVATING THE URBAN ZOO O

ne of the great things about Sydney is the proliferation of wildlife throughout the CBD and suburbs, despite the loss of habitat in many areas. Whilst some animals have all but disappeared others are queuing up to take their place. The Eastern Quoll once roamed the bushland around Nielsen Park in Vaucluse but has not been sighted since the early 60s. On the other hand, the enigmatic brush turkey is currently encroaching on many areas in Sydney.

The ABC recently reported that “brush turkeys are heading back into urban Sydney areas in droves, according to an environmental expert, and there is not much residents can do about it.”

Found along much of the East Coast of Australia, from the far north of Queensland to the NSW South Coast, the native Australia bird is currently invading the leafy backyards of Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches.

Despite the threat of cats and traffic, the ultra-resilient birds who are now a protected species, are multiplying in great numbers. The male of the species is apparently particularly amorous, courting up to six females at a time, each of whom can lay up to a dozen eggs. Some residents regard them as a pest as they dig up backyards to make their large incubator nests and run amok in the veggie patch. Others are more welcoming and are happy to

THAT SNEAKY RABBIT

accommodate them with food scraps and a section of the garden in which to proliferate.

For the past year or more both lovers and haters of the cheeky gobblers have been able to access an app that allows them to report sightings for a joint research project initiated by the University of Sydney, Taronga Conservation Society and the Royal Botanic Gardens. It’s similar to other reporting apps that have encouraged Sydneysiders to help track the

movement of white ibis and sulphurcrested cockatoos.

We are now well served with a brand new zoo in the western suburbs, as well as Taronga Park and boutique operations like Featherdale and the Wild Life Zoo at Darling Harbour. However, maybe the best zoo of all is happening in your own backyard, especially if you are prepared to welcome all manner of birds and critters to share your urban space.

Lots of greenery and shrubs in your garden will attract all sorts of animals,

By Sam Mcnair

#thatsneakyrabbit

from birds and lizards, through to possums and of course those loveable brush turkeys. Whether you choose to regularly feed them is slightly contentious as some animals soon become dependent on human service rather than foraging for themselves.

Possums are the classic example and if you provide them with fruit such as apples and bananas every night at sunset, they will arrive like clockwork.

If you have a domestic pet like a cat or a dog it’s a matter of managing their behaviour to ensure they stick to their Whiskas and Chum. Possums are nocturnal so no cats or dogs in the yard after dark. Keep any bird feeding stations well off the ground and right out of the reach of your stalking moggie.

Even if you live in an apartment, your balcony can quickly become an attractive haven for birds like rainbow lorikeets and cockatoos. There are of course strata committees that don’t like you feeding native birds – lorikeets can be noisy and cockatoos can sometimes go on a destructive rampage, gnawing away at windowsills and ripping up roof insulation. Nevertheless, you can always do things in a clandestine way, waiting until the apartment ‘police’ have disappeared for the morning before you bring out the avian treats.

One note of caution. It’s been reported that the super randy male brush turkey has been observed invading suburban chook pens and engaging in a bit of unwelcome rumpy-pumpy with the hens.

Scientist don’t believe this cross-species flirtation might actually produce any offspring but you could end up with fewer eggs and some really pissed off hens! city hub 2 JANUARY 2020

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Seaside Cinema Flickerfest International Short Film Festival celebrates a 29-year milestone!

By Mark Morellini his annual world-class cinematic event, held on the iconic Bondi Beach, is one of the most important platforms for short films and remains Australia’s leading Academyqualifying and BAFTA recognised film festival, which inspires creativity and opens influential doors to filmmakers worldwide.

This year there were over 3,500 short films submitted from around the world and a committee of 50 volunteers within the Australian Film Industry aided in selecting the final program of 200 shorts which will screen at the festival. An astounding 47% of the short films were directed by women.

Aspiring Sydney filmmaker Alana Hicks has written and directed her first short called Chicken which will screen at the festival. “I’ve been writing about being a mixed-race person like a migrant second-generation kid for a long time and the intersection between what you think of your old home and your new home and how they match. Chicken came from a real-life story about my mother and myself moving to Sydney from Papua New Guinea in the 90s.”

Hicks said she initially didn’t believe that her short had been selected to screen at Flickerfest. “I haven’t really believed any of this process - there are so many barriers in getting a film made.” But she stressed the importance to filmmakers of having their work screened at this festival.

“A short film is a calling card for your

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From Chicken Photo: Supplied

work. It fills your CV and it encourages a network of people around you. I think it’s integral to be part of an Oscarqualifying film festival like Flickerfest because in many ways you don’t think that validation is important, but at the end of the day if it’s not available to be seen by audiences you’re operating in a vacuum.”

Hicks was adamant that people who have never attended Flickerfest should come along and watch a selection of short films. “It’s an experience.

Most often film festivals are in an interchangeable cinema location that could be anywhere in the world but at Flickerfest you’re outside, in the pavilion, under the stars and next to the beach. It actually creates an entire experience. The energy of the audience is also different than it would be inside an actual closed off cinema space.

There’s also a community around Flickerfest because there are many

Sydney based filmmakers present and you feel a real buzz just by being there.”

Filmmaker Michael Shanks was born in New Zealand, moved to Australia when he was 12 and has worked in the industry since he was 17. His short-animated film Rebooted was two years in the making and has also been selected to screen and compete at the festival. “I think of it as a live-action film with an animated main character. It’s my second short and like all of my work it’s very visual effects focused.” Shanks wrote, directed, composed the score and was one of the visual artists on the project. He opted to make his short with no dialogue. “The challenge was you had to communicate so much without words. I wanted to tell a story with camera movement, with a music queue and with a look – I love that!”

Rebooted tells the story of Phil, a stop motion animated skeleton from the Ray Harryhausen era of filmmaking who

can’t find work in modern Hollywood because he’s an obsolete special effect. “When he discovers the film he was created for is being rebooted without him he has a crisis of identity and has to go on a journey to shut it down.”

When asked what it was like realising every filmmaker’s dream of having a short chosen to screen and compete at Flickerfest Shanks paused momentarily.

“It was great! It was such a labour of love to pull this film together. The stop motion of the main character alone was an incredibly technically challenging and laborious experience.

To be selected and in competition is validating and it’s nice to have your work recognised by your peers.”

And winning an award – is that of paramount importance? “No. Naturally, it is amazingly validating and generous when you’re fortunate enough for it to happen to you, but if your short is one of the selected 200 films from 3,500 submissions that’s a reward in itself.”

Shanks is honoured that his short will be screening at Flickerfest but is at a loss to explain why this festival is so anticipated and highly respected worldwide. “I would love to know what makes this festival so renowned worldwide! All I know is that it is. It’s one of those names you hear bandied about where people are disappointed when they’re not part of it or elated when they are. I don’t know what their secret is but it’s definitely an industry stabler.”

Jan 10-19. Bondi Beach, Bondi. $18-$180+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.flickerfest.com.au

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city hub 2 JANUARY2020

HubARTS

Understanding the link between music and art key to Of Monsters And Men success.

(See p.14)

RIFF RAFF O

ne of Australia’s most prestigious and longest standing art prizes has officially opened entries. The 66th Blake Art & Poetry Prize is open to all artists exploring the wider experience of spirituality, religion and belief.

Chris O’Doherty aka Reg Mombassa, Stations of the Cross No.10.

Photo: Dane Howell

The 2018 prize received 769 entries from across Australia and the world, a massive 30% increase from 2016.

Entries for 2019 are now open via www.casulapowerhouse.com.

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ewtown’s New Theatre has unveiled their enthralling program of shows for the upcoming 2020 season.

Throughout the year New Theatre will present four incredible theatrical works. The season will feature Angry Fags by Topher Payne, Neighbourhood Watch by Lally Katz, Saro LustyCavallari’s interpretation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and finally Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet.

Of these shows Animal Farm is the most well known but discerning theatre buffs shouldn’t look past the incredible Angry Fags, which is a whip-smart and very funny revenge story and cautionary tale about good gay guys gone bad.

For more info head to www.newtheatre.org.au

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Stormzy is coming!

Following the release of his incredibly highly acclaimed album Heavy Is The Head UK grime legend Stormzy is headed Down Under.

Stormzy will roll through Photo: Sydney on May 9 at the Mark Hordern Pavillion.

Mattock Tickets & Info: www.playbillvenues.com.au p.14

Shrek - The Musical

“Rehearsals have been so much fun!

Marcia sounds incredible and The Dragon is amazing and Todd is hilarious and I think that we could not find a better Shrek than Ben Mingay, I think anywhere in the world. The ensemble are also incredible!”

Durak believes the cast was picked especially for the production.

“It’s a show with a lot of heart and I think they’ve cast people with a lot of heart and that’s what it feels like anyway in the rehearsals.”

Shrek - The Musical will follow the adventure and fun of the film with Durak saying, “the show is a wonderful story and it’s a beautiful message of being inclusive and not judging his January at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre a book by its cover. It’s a lovely show of a star-studded cast featuring Todd celebrating the fact that what makes you McKenney, Ben Mingay, Marcia Hines and Lucy Durack will take the stage for the huge different makes you special.”

Durak is excited for Sydney audiences Sydney season of Shrek - The Musical. to experience the magic of the show, Todd McKenney will step into the role of saying: “I hope that the audience comes the hilarious Lord Farquaad, Ben Mingay out uplifted. The last couple of numbers will take the stage as loveable ogre are really fun and I think we’ll make Shrek, Marcia Hines will bring the fire as Dragon and Lucy Durack is over the moon everybody just feel really good about themselves. We have a big old dance and to be playing Princess Fiona. Shrek - The celebrate at the end.” (MB) Musical is set to start the year off bringing Until Feb 9. Sydney Lyric Theatre, wholesome fun for the whole family.

The Star, 55 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont.

Lucy Durack says rehearsing as From $49-$145+b.f. Tickets & Info: Princess Fiona with the cast has been www.sydneylyric.com.au an unforgettable experience, saying:

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eturning for the first time since 2017, the My Dad Wrote A Porno podcast hosts Jamie Morton, Alice Levine and James Cooper (a.k.a Team Porno) will bring their all-new show to Australian audiences in January 2020. The awardwinning podcast features the best/worst erotica novel ever written titled Belinda Blinked, written by Jamie’s father who goes by the pen-name Rocky Flinstone.

The 2020 Australian Tour will include never-before-heard material as the group delve further into the mind of Rocky and uncover more of convoluted plotline that is Belinda Blinked.

My Dad Wrote A Porno has raked in over 180 million downloads and has gained a Hollywood fan base with celebrities such as Elijah Wood, Daisy Ridley and

Nicholas Hoult jumping onboard the porno train. The My Dad Wrote A Porno 2020 Australian Tour will be interactive, hilarious, definitely not erotic and will have a huge party atmosphere.

Jan 8. Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $81.50-$203.90+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Six The Musical

Chloe Zuel, Kala Gare, Loren Hunter, Kiana Daniele, Courtney Monsma, Vidya Makan.

Photo: James D. Morgan

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alk about revisionist history, Six - The Musical takes the story of Henry VIII’s six wives and turns it on its head (okay, poor choice of words).

“Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived” is how Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr respectively introduce themselves. It’s a quirky new show created by young British writing team Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss and it has completely upended the West End. Taking unabashedly overt inspiration from the Spice Girls, the six wives are presented as modern pop stars, each telling their version of their own famous story through 80s style pop songs and spoken word. It’s more like an enhanced stadium concert than a traditional musical, and there’s loads of cheeky humour and sass.

The six queens in the upcoming Australian production are industry royals.

Chloé Zuel takes on the role of Henry VIII’s first wife the sassy Catherine of Aragon; the rule-breaking second wife Anne Boleyn will be played by Kala Gare; Loren Hunter stars as the loyal third wife Jane Seymour; the independent Anna of Cleves will be played by Kiana Daniele; taking on the role of playful fifth wife Katherine Howard is Courtney Monsma; and finally, musical maven Vidya Makan stars as the empowering Catherine Parr.

This edgy, power-packed girl group show might not please hardcore historians but it should be a treat for audiences who really, really, really wanna zigazig-ah! (RB) Jan 4-Mar 5. Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $59-134+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com city hub 2 JANUARY 2020

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tar War:The Rise Of Skywalker brings a 42-year long saga to a rather underwhelming and serene ending.

The Disney sequel trilogy has been much derided… Despite being an enjoyable and heartfelt ride through the galaxy The Rise Of Skywalker is unlikely to break this trend…

For a large portion of the film, it relies heavily on action sequences and nostalgic callbacks to draw out the emotional gravitas as it rushes towards the ending at lightspeed.

Read our full review on CityHubSydney.com.au

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he stage musical is one of the longest-running and most successful shows ever created, so there has been a lot of apprehension about Tom Hooper’s lush, star-packed movie version of Cats. Well, it certainly is a sensory-rich, enveloping cinematic experience.

The lack of a concrete plot will put some people off, but if you relax and go with slinking you’ll enjoy it for the incredible visuals and mesmerising characters.

Read our full review on CityHubSydney.com.au

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n an age where children are addicted to computer screens and have helicopter parents that are reluctant to let them play outside on their own for fear they might tread on a bindi or, even worse, get their hands dirty, it is refreshing to know that a production of, The Wind In The Willows, is still as relevant today as it was when first produced.Glenn Elston, creator of The Australian Shakespeare Company is delighted to be directing and producing his version of the ever-popular tale, which focuses on the importance of friendship and selflessness in the face of adversity.The show

has been a regular summer feature of the Royal Botanic Gardens events program for the last 17 years. Elston has specialised in productions of great works dealing with similar themes for more

than 30 years including Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night with his roving troupe of players.

The importance of working together to solve problems, to make necessary changes

Of Monsters And Men

y Renee Lou Dallow Of Monsters And Men are very soon to arrive in Sydney a concert booked at The Enmore Theatre. It has been said that this is a very indie band, heavily influenced by folk music, which gives them their distinctive sound. Their ability to tell stories with lyrics evoking the magic and myth of children’s tales. Their music videos also have a sort of a surreal and sometimes psychedelic edge to them and they are the first Icelandic group to reach one billion streams on Spotify. It’s been nearly 10 years now and the band continues to go from strength to strength.

Understanding the link between music and the art world has been one of their key strategies for success as has been their unique knowledge and use of various musical instruments not normally associated with modern acoustics such as the trombone.

It all started with a song called Little Talks.

A radio station in Philadelphia played the song and before long the band was signed with, Republic.

They followed with My Head Is An Animal, which was quickly strung together with a kind of childlike naivety and immediately went multiplatinum.

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The Wind In The Willows

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“It was so cute and so innocent. Just a group of very close friends putting a song together in the living room,” said lead singer Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir.

Describing themselves as a democratic band, due to their ability to give each other space to explore, they have also proven to be consistent in the way they can relate to fans on an emotional level.

“If one person is missing the music sounds different,” explained Hilmarsdottir, “It can be difficult at times working together but the trick is in knowing when it’s the ego and when it’s something else.“ In fact, their new single Alligator

has become a sort of anthem for the downtrodden and has inspired a whole generation with its lyrical power. According to Hilmarsdottir the song is about “taking control of your life.”

The combined voices of singer/songwriters Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir and Ragnan Porhallson seem to relay the sound of old souls questioning the rapid pace of the new world in which they find themselves. ‘Wake me up, I’m Fever Dreaming’ are lyrics that defy logic and yet demand attention to the inner self. With lyrics like, ‘twenty-two women stood by the riverbank and cried’ the song has a very strong “essence of women being strong and vulnerable at the same time.”

The five-member group have expressed a wish to surf the mosh pit in an inflatable lifeboat. We wonder if this is actually within the realms of possibility or if it is, in fact, more Fever Dreaming.

Seriously though, the band has gained worldwide attention, with their hauntingly beautiful sound and style. They’ve even performed on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and captured the attention of the American market. Now that makes them a force to be reckoned with.

Jan 7. Enmore Theatre 18-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown. $89+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.enmoretheatre.com.au

for the good of all, to foster kindness in one’s self and in others is integral to us all in the face of greed, violence and fear.The Wind In The Willows teaches children through the escapades of Toad, Mole, Rat, Otter, and a whole slew of other characters that camaraderie is a wonderful thing to be treasured.Pack a picnic and watch the fun in Sydney’s magical Botanic Gardens.

(RLD) Jan 4-26. Royal Botanic Gardens - Harbour side of the Main Pond, Sydney. $25-$110+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.shakespeareaustralia. com.au

Pinegrove Marigold

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inegrove’s latest album, Marigold, is a marvellous collection of stories as the group continues to master the sound of its unique blend of altcountry, indie rock and cerebral humanism.

Pinegrove has always focused on being authentic and caring for the community around it, which shines through in the empathetic lyrics found throughout the tracks on Marigold.

Although the group’s vocals are strong, it is truly the instrumental backing that stands out in Pinegrove’s work, which features melodies that somehow manage to sound light, yet melodramatic.

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and an element of play to ignite creativity.

As Brash explained, “A combination of daily stress and the constant connection to our devices has left many of us feeling disconnected. People are longing for ways to reconnect, and there is a growing shift towards the importance of self-care and awareness.”

Solar Springs, with its tranquil tree-lined gardens and spectacular views is the perfect location to learn new practices, or simply relax and rejuvenate mind and body. A range of packages from a twonight stay for a quick recharge, to much longer stays for longer-term benefits are available.

Accommodation packages begin at $590 for a

Little Women

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t’s one of the most ubiquitous 19th-century novels and has been adapted for the screen dozens of times, so any attempt to say something new with the story will naturally attract close scrutiny - especially if that attempt is being made by someone as respected as Greta Gerwig.

It’s definitely a lush film. There’s a lot of visual detail and colour, and it’s rich with music, both incidental and as part of the action.

Gerwig has added a twist to the familiar story by starting it further ahead in time than where the novel ends, then telling it in flashback. It’s an interesting idea, though there are times when it becomes confusing.

The performances are mostly adequate, with Florence Pugh being the delightful exception as Amy March. Laura Dern has a controlled energy as Marmee.

Saoirse Ronan doesn’t quite have the right amount of fire as Jo March. Timothee Chalamet

is too petulant and boyish to be convincing as Laurie, especially with the narrative that is built around him.

A mixed bag. Enjoyable but not brilliant. (RB) WW

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The Truth

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his French film, spoken mostly in French by actors who do not speak Japanese was written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda who can only speak Japanese.

And yet, the result is a film that feels authentic and nuanced.

The title references a continuous theme throughout the movie, specifically, the lack of the truth.

Fabienne (Catherine Deneuve) a legend of the cinema and utter narcissist with no filter, has just completed a memoir in which she has taken liberties with the facts. Her daughter, Lumir (Juliette Binoche), a screenwriter, returns to Paris from New York to be with her mother for the book launch.

Lumir is accompanied by her husband, Hank (Ethan Hawke), an out of work actor, and 8-year-old daughter Charlotte (Clémentine Grenier). While Charlotte is enchanted by her grandmother, Hank is subjected to insensitive barbs

Ethan Hawke, Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve & Clémentine Grenier

and Lumir feels the resurgence of resentment from her upbringing. It’s a comic drama, with Deneuve in fine she-devil form. (RB) WWW1/2

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