City Hub 8 November 2018

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Refugee Crisis, Australia’s shame

By John Moyle There are currently 27 children left on Nauru as ScoMo scrambles to rid the Federal Government of a highly emotive issue before elections next year.

Even if all the children are off the island before Christmas, the episode of keeping asylum seekers and refugees in offshore detention will be a blight that Australia will never recover from.

“The whole idea that you have mandatory detention is abhorrent and we are the only first world country that does this,” Dr Barri Phataford, founder, Doctors4Refugees said.

The situation on Nauru became untenable when the true conditions of asylum seekers’ health were finally brought to light after a spate of suicide attempts and reports by whistle blowers.

“According to the government’s own statistics in a 12 month period from 2015 to 2016 there were over 770 documented cases of self harm in onshore and offshore centres, and about 300 of these were on Manus and Nauru,” Dr Phataford said.

“This is in a population of around 3,000 and if that had been any group in Australia there would be an outcry.”

The situation over the past five years has been brought about by a failure of policy and vision from both major parties and huge sums of money being poured into private companies lacking experience in dealing with humans under stress.

After a number of private enterprise companies failed spectacularly in their duty of care to the asylum seekers, last October the Department of Immigration issued a contract to Queensland firm Canstruct to provide garrison and welfare services to Nauru.

The first payment of $591,439,817.01 was for services between 28 September, 2017 and 30 April, 2018 and a later six month contact to 2019 was issued for $206,439,817.01.

Canstruct is a Brisbane based company operated by the Murphy family which has absolutely no experience in being jailers or offering welfare services.

The company had previously been engaged on the island to provide construction and infrastructure projects.

An outreach activity on Nauru. Photo: MSF ©

With the visa fees Australia pays Nauru for asylum seekers comprising 18% of Nauru’s total domestic revenue, Nauru has a vested interest in the offshore processing system continuing.

“The reality is that Nauru has a population of 10,000 and is not economically viable, so the whole offshore project relies on the Australian Government,” said Professor George Newhouse from the National Justice Project.

Dr Beth O’Connor is a psychiatrist with Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) who spent time on Nauru providing psychiatric care before her organisation’s contract was suddenly terminated by the Nauruan Government.

“MSF was working with both the refugee and Nauruan population, mainly seeing chronic psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and auto bi-polar,” Dr O’Connor said.

“With the asylum seekers it was mainly depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder and amongst the children we were seeing dramatic withdrawals.”

Dr O’Connor worked in a clinic with a psychologist, two psychiatrists, a mental health activity manager and two Farsi speaking cultural mediators.

“We had children gradually becoming more depressed, and their conditions continued to deteriorate until they needed medical evacuation as there was not sufficient treatment on the island,” Dr O’Connor said.

On the first of October 2017 MSF received a letter from the Nauruan Government ordering the immediate cessation of their services.

The Nauruans later employed a Cuban psychiatrist who did not speak English or

Nauruan, and there were no Spanish translators on the island.

When medical evacuations do occur on Nauru it happens after assessments are made, some timely, but others only after prolonged durations and a legal battle waged in Australia.

Emergency evacuations are by aircraft through the Medivac service, which requires clearances from Australia and Nauru and at least a six hour flight each way.

“Recently we had a two-year-old girl in a coma and a high fever and she was eventually brought to Australia,” Dr Phataford said.

“Somehow we saw the invoice for the flight and it was $116,000 to be flown to Australia.”

In other cases, the Department of Immigration practices a style of refugee rendition whereby patients are flown to Port Moresby, which is not regarded as a centre of excellence for medical care.

Even when asylum seekers are brought to Australia they are not necessarily safe.

Detention centres such as Villawood are experiencing a hepatitis C epidemic, with 235 new cases being reported between July 2015 and September 2016.

Refugees awaiting a decision are also often placed in detention with sometimes violent 501 detainees, who are awaiting deportation for crimes committed in Australia.

Then there are cases of bureaucracy gone mad when patients in Australia have been transported to medical treatment in shackles and accompanied by security guards.

“We had a woman in Brisbane who was giving birth and there were two security guards stationed in her room,” Dr Phataford said.

“It is the bureaucratic bungles and treating everyone as a high security individual which costs a lot of money.”

Save the Children claims that the offshore detention system has cost the Australia tax payer up to $9.2 billion over the last five years.

The Department of Immigration and Canstruct did not respond to questions.

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By Vanessa Lim A long-needed upgrade of the Circular Quay ferry wharves has created an opportunity to completely reimagine the iconic gateway into Sydney.

Alongside $200 million reserved for the project from Restart NSW, Transport NSW is offering a Structured Market Engagement (SME) which will allow the private sector to tender for management of the renewal of Circular Quay and the wharves.

The process would see the private sector working in partnership with the NSW Government to complete the revitalisation project, though it isn’t clear how the precinct would be managed from then on.

A spokesperson from Transport NSW said, “The wharf upgrade is the catalyst for the Government to explore opportunities for a renewal of the broader Circular Quay precinct in partnership with the private sector”.

“The Government will continue with industry engagement with the private sector into 2019 to come up with the best, value-for-money solution.”

The decision to move forward with renovation of the wharves has come in response to an assessment that the tourist precinct was neither accessible to all visitors nor capable of meeting the demands of future growth.

A spokesperson from Transport NSW said the “wharves are ageing and need to meet new accessibility requirements.”

“Transport for NSW would ensure ferry services continue during construction.

Customers would be fully informed of any wharf or timetable changes ahead of time.”

This commitment would seem ambitious given the logistical issues facing a development

Circular Quay upgrades will include replacing ferry wharves. Photo: Vanessa Lim

in the middle of one of the city’s public transport interchanges which is also Sydney’s most popular tourist spot.

Transport NSW promised the renewal would not diminish the appeal of current landmarks nor disrupt major events such as Vivid or Australia Day celebrations.

Criteria were set by Transport NSW to “ensure the ferry wharf precinct will complement the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House”.

The height of the wharves would need “to be lower than the Bradfield Highway and not include residential use”, ruling out a development similar to Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf.

SydneyWay founder Tim Cole has had a longterm interest in Circular Quay, and has a vision for the renewal, “a garden gateway to NSW and national reconciliation bridge” which he is hoping to put in front of the developers leading the tender bid, via a Pozible crowdfunding campaign.

SydneyWay’s website describes “an outdoor classroom to teach our kids and visitors, indigenous and modern Australian culture and heritage…5m high interchangeable mosaics will educate and entertain …SydneyWay will use the best art and design with native vertical gardens and on-site energy systems to transform the Quay into a beautiful oasis of greenery”.

While Mr Cole hopes the SydneyWay design will prevail, he insisted “Anything will be better, and the best plan should be used...the benefit of SydneyWay is its spiritual beauty, culturally it is what Australia needs”.

Mr Cole said 75% of the project could be built off-site, minimising the disruption to commuters and residents.

A short list of potential developers is expected in March 2019. city hub 8 NOVEMBER 2018

3

Mardi Gras pride not for all

By Michael Hitch Rainbow flags, Drag Queens and a false sense of achievement?

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will return in 2019 to celebrate its 41st anniversary, but activists say the event is ignoring the suffering of queer refugees and forgetting its roots in protest in favour of commercialism.

The theme next year will be ‘fearless’ with the festival’s most visible event, the Mardi Gras parade, held on Saturday 2 March.

New events such as the Strictly Kaftan Pool Party have been added to the two-week program, while the popular Sissy Ball is expected to make a return to Carriageworks in Redfern.

The program begins on Friday 15 February and ends on Sunday 3 March 2019.

However, at the event’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in late October community campaign group, Pride in Protest called for Mardi Gras organisers to recognise the abuse suffered by queer refugees in Australia’s offshore detention camps.

The lead board candidate for Pride and Protest, Holly Brooke said that Mardi Gras is becoming detached from its political past and that the politics of the organisation now focus on turning a profit, rather than achieving social equality.

“The refugees on Manus and Nauru are getting bashed regularly, are fearing for their lives, are facing persecution from the authorities and are facing general homophobic abuse within the community.

The same homophobic abuse they’re fleeing from their countries of origin,” she said.

“There are some people claiming that we’re bringing a political agenda to Mardi Gras, which those people are saying has never been political and I just think that’s not true.

Ms Brooke continued “Mardi Gras has always been political and to this day is political. The political choices it’s making are just more conservative ones

Has the rainbow flag taken on new meanings in better times. Photo: WikiCommons, Benson Kua

now. More aligned in some sections with the Liberal Party and corporate sponsorship.

Ms Brooke said there had been a shift in the politics of the people who are running Mardi Gras.

“In seventy-eight it was explicitly a protest, a streetparty that was a parade turned riot that had influences from the gay liberation movement…it was activists who were running it for social justice” she said.

“I think the politics of the people who are running the organisation now are about pleasing corporate interest and having a big party.”

At the AGM, Pride in Protest proposed that Mardi Gras organisers conduct an internal review of their corporate partnerships on human rights grounds, focusing on major corporate partner, Qantas which has previously returned refugees from Australia to countries where they face imminent danger.

The motion was voted down by the conservative faction of the organisation.

Pride in Protest also called for that Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party to be disinvited from the parade due to the party’s positions regarding refugee detention on Nauru, gay conversion therapy, safe schools and the introduction of religious exemptions that allow the expulsion or firing of queer children or teachers from schools.

The group proposed that police should not be permitted to have floats in the parade due to the history of police violence towards the queer community, as well as ongoing police violence against trans and First Nations communities.

Other proposals included granting community floats access to the Mardi Gras workshop space - which is currently exclusive to corporate entries - and implementing a Mardi Gras membership fee model that is more accommodating to lower income members of the community.

All proposals were voted down at the AGM. Pride in Protest board candidate, Salem Barrett-Brown said that she was disappointed at the decisions and shocked that an organisation such as Mardi Gras would turn a blind eye to issues relating to human rights infringements.

“It was disappointing to see them shut down discussion of important social justice issues in an organization that claims to represent the queer community and to prioritise diversity and equality,” she said.

“We are dismayed at the hostility of the Mardi Gras establishment to dissent and debate.

The refusal to even support a non-binding review of corporate partnerships on human rights grounds is really quite astonishing and a major shift from the social justice roots of Mardi Gras.”

In the Mardi Gras 2019 program there is no mention of any human rights violations.

Instead Mardi Gras Creative Director, Greg Clarke is quoted saying, “In 2019 we shine the spotlight brightly on what’s happening in our world today and in the future, as we celebrate our fearless trailblazers. Our diverse and inclusive program is an exploration of sexuality, gender, body image, power, fearlessness, vulnerability, celebration and desire.”

Ms Brooke said that Pride in Protest’s aim is simply to push back against homophobia in whatever form it takes.

She said she believed this could best be achieved via the enormous media and social reach of events like Mardi Gras.

“If we [Mardi Gras] apply the same pressure here that they’ve done in other countries such as with UK Pride, we can give the same rights that we have to the people who most need it.”

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was contacted for comment.

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SOS for Powerhouse’s Bourbon at Stake Collection

BY KYLIE WINKWORTH If the Powerhouse collection had a voice it would be sending out SOS distress signals. One of Australia’s most significant museum collections, including treasures of international significance, is under existential threat.

The recent news of a flood in the textile store is just the latest assault on the collection. It might not sound like big deal in a sea of peril facing the Powerhouse from the Berejiklian government. It started with a leak in a pipe in the conservation lab. Conservators noticed water pooling on the floor and reported the leak to the facilities manager. A request for a plumber was logged.

Two days later the pipe burst overnight. Water flowed freely into the concrete slab and then through into the textile store below. More than twenty objects were soaked, including costumes designed by Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson, a wedding dress, and an Aboriginal weaving.

have come from art galleries. The lack of deep museum experience in key positions matters in all kinds of ways, from collection development, exhibitions and community engagement, not to mention planning the risky move of the collection and the complete neglect of the museum’s major donors.

This does not bode well for the New Museum Western Sydney project, which is on the nose in the museum industry, here and overseas.

This year the museum readvertised the head of conservation position, removing the requirement for the person to be an experienced conservator.

The senior project co-ordinator, who will be in charge of evicting the museum’s priceless collections from Ultimo, does not need to have any collection or museum experience, it is only desirable. And the soon to be appointed new CEO also does not need to have actual museum experience, only an ‘understanding’ of museum

The Powerhouse Museum leaks onto valuable fashion collection. Photo: John Moyle

Conservators worked quickly to assess and dry the items. It will be weeks of work for the conservators. It is not known if any of the donors of the objects were notified. No objects were ‘lost’ said the museum. But water marks on textiles can be impossible to fix. A flood in the textile store, soaking into the concrete slab, carries a high risk of mould which can be difficult to eradicate.

A museum spokesperson said it acted immediately when notified of the leak. What does immediately mean when there is a leaking pipe above the museum’s collection store? Getting it fixed that day, the next day, or the day after? In this case fixing the leak ‘immediately’ took three days, and the pipe was only fixed after the flood in the textile store was detected.

The Public Service Association (PSA) has sounded the alarm on the loss of expert staff at every level of the museum’s operations, including the trade staff who knew the museum buildings and infrastructure inside out. Now the museum uses contractors, and employs managers to manage contracts. The museum’s buildings and exhibits are not being maintained, feeding the government’s narrative that the Powerhouse is too decrepit and must be closed. This is absurd.

In the government’s rationale for demolishing the museum, we would all be selling our houses because the taps leak and the gutters need cleaning. The Powerhouse just needs proper maintenance by skilled people, like any high traffic public building.

Last year MAAS posted a $10m deficit. Its management team is relatively new and has limited experience working with a major museum collection. Most of the senior management team

collections and exhibitions. Such is the disdain for museum expertise it would not be a surprise if the government appoints a contemporary arts person as the new CEO. They have been among the government’s biggest spruikers for the demolition and ‘move’ of the Powerhouse.

To top it off, there is no one on the museum’s Trust who has any experience in museums or collections. The Trustees and past directors have driven a vicious redundancy program which has seen the museum’s staff shrink by nearly half.

There has been no succession planning to retain critical skills and expertise.

If a public company had four CEOs in just six years, a senior management team new to the company and the business, and a board with no industry experience, the shareholders would be revolting and the company would be in administration. You wouldn’t be thinking this is the time to give a broke and diminished organisation a complicated $1.5b capital project.

But instead of re-building the museum’s staff numbers and capacity, the government is cutting $13m from the museum’s budget next year.

Meanwhile, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is sitting on a money pile like Uncle Scrooge, gloating over the state’s $3.8b surplus. And the Premier is lavishing billions on stadiums and greyhound races. But when it comes to caring for the treasures of NSW, they are squeezing the museum till the pips squeal. That is the SOS we can hear. At this point the fate of a 135 year old museum hangs in the balance. The Powerhouse can and must be saved. Visit the Powerhouse this summer. Support the staff and volunteers. And put the Liberals last next March.

Opinion

Bernie “Howdy pardner” Houghton looks out onto Darlo Road from Fitzroy Gardens. Photo: John Moyle

By Andrew Woodhouse If ever there was a site that represented Kings Cross, it would be the Bourbon Bar site and its white arches.

Its founder was a Texan opportunist, Bernie Houghton whose bust faces the site from the nearby gardens.

He was known for his hospitality, drag queen shows, colour and kitsch.

US sailors on R & R loved the nostalgia, a real Texan steak and raw Bourbon whisky.

The bar itself was known for scenes of mayhem and for evicting former Australian Cricket Captain, Ricky Ponting, after a fight involving a girl.

In 2014 the site, including three sites adjacent, was sold to Sam Arnaout, speculator, and Iris Capital CEO. A 700-page DA was lodged in mid-December 2017 with a 28-day exhibition period.

Locals lodged a 2,458-person petition and 659 individual submissions, held community meetings and a large outdoor rally/festival with entertainment.

Sydney Councillors attended, Mr Arnaout snubbed the events.

His plans for complete demolition of the sites and a new mega-bar with new apartments above were ridiculed as “bland”.

Four years of excavation, drilling and construction would sabotage nearby businesses and force some nearby residents to live on a construction site with dentist-effect drilling from 7am.

Some apartment windows would be bricked in.

The 311 bus, a lifeline for many, would be blockaded.

The soul of Kings Cross would be decimated, they chanted.

Council announced a “site-specific study” of the sites: the Bourbon, the former Aussie Rules Club, the backpacker site and the Empire Hotel site.

The Kingsbury apartments were also included although not purchased by the developer.

It’s the biggest single DA in the history of Kings Cross since Sydney Council floated its own re-design in 1973 for a mall and above-awning monorail.

Then, surprisingly, in April 2017, Sam Arnaout withdrew his DA proposal.

Why? Figure 7a in the proposed Development Control Plan appears to show large increases in street massing over current buildings, a major incentive.

Council’s own design proposals gave locals only 28 days to respond to over 540 pages of micro text.

Council points out correctly: “We asked you how you want the area to look and feel over the next 5, 10 or 20 years [and] included a community workshop, online survey, pop-up events and written submissions … The changes are designed to protect the area’s significant social, cultural and historical value and maintain a mix of retail, commercial and residential uses … They … set out a minimum amount of nonresidential floor space and reflect the desired street character …”.

Locals say they don’t want minimum floor space ratios: they want maximum height restrictions.

Good planning needs consistency, clarity and certainty.

Many documents on-line have now been removed, frustrating locals, due to a council “error”.

Smart locals can comment direct to Sydneyyoursay@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au .

Council now states “The closing date … has been extended from 23 October to 29 October 2018.”

But another alert states: “The closing date … has been extended from 29 October to 8 November 2018.”

Confused?

The study itself has 24 major flaws.

It includes a new Area Locality Statement, Heritage Data forms (withdrawn), draft changes to the Development Control Plan (DCP), 70 pages of heritage studies, community meeting summaries, Design Advisory Panel comments and an 80-page urban design study.

It encourages development but locals insist they want improvement instead.

70% believe Darlinghurst Road has changed for the worse over the last 20 years, according to council’s survey.

The design for the chemist shop building (18-20 Darlinghurst Rd) is perplexing, showing a four-storey building cantilevered above the current site.

There is no local precedent for this.

The height increases from three to seven storeys with the click of a mouse.

This won’t “ensure new development … respects the existing built fabric” (DCP) For Kingsley Hall, recommendations are “to respect the Inter-War art deco character of Kingsley Hall at 1A Elizabeth Bay Road through height, scale, materials and detail.”

What about amenity and light?

Council claims “the Empire Hotel can be demolished” but images show its main façade, designed by distinguished architect, Neville Gruzman AM, fully retained.

Any demolition is not supported by Council’s heritage listing.

And how will the Bourbon be “saved”?

Council claims “there will be a stepped 8m setback behind the existing street wall”.

But what wall?

And “the new DCP ... for the Bourbon ... encourages a minimum setback ... of 6m”.

Que? Even then, none of this is confirmed.

Council has slipped in a loophole big enough to steer the QEII through, stating “The ... heritage inventories can continue to be updated ... through completion of a Conservation Management Plan (CMP).”

So, the buildings’ heritage status may well change.

This new CMP could stipulate what should be saved - to fit in with the latest developer-driven plans.

And Council claims “Development along Darlinghurst Road will contribute and enhance the area’s fun …”.

Are we living in a Disneyland funpark?

Council’s community survey says people prefer creative art spaces (galleries and studios).

The design study is Humpty Dumpty-ism: “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, “it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.” city hub 8 NOVEMBER 2018

5

Newtown to park its late night problems

By Michael Hitch The Inner West Council has unveiled plans to tackle antisocial behaviour at Camperdown Memorial Rest Park and Fleming Street Reserve as Newtown continues to earn a reputation as the party suburb of Sydney.

The Council decided to undertake a community safety survey of the park after a reported increase of assaults, underage drinking and public urination within the park due to an increase of party-goers visiting Newtown.

The plan to tackle the antisocial behaviour includes removing lighting from open spaces at night, installing public toilets within the park, a reactivation of other community events and potentially introducing evening patrols by council rangers.

Independent Councillor, Pauline Lockie said that the problems in the park have intensified since the introduction of lock-out laws in Kings Cross caused an influx of visitors into Newtown.

“There’s been problems in that park for a number of years, but they escalated quite significantly, really since the lockout laws were introduced,” she said.

“The lock out laws haven’t so much ended violence as shifted it elsewhere. We know in Newtown that we’ve had a 300 per cent increase in visitors since the lockout laws were introduced because obviously King Street is the first late-night district that you get to outside of that zone.”

Cr Lockie said the bad behaviour in the park was sporadic and varied in severity.

“Over last summer we had a lot of complaints coming into council and police were attending to a lot of incidents out there as well. Anything from people urinating against fences right up to assault and I know there were a couple of stabbings as well,” she said.

“Even the lower level antisocial behaviour, when it’s happening every night of the weekend and

At dusk Inner West areas turn into party parks. Photo: Michael Hitch

you’re a resident who lives around the park, than that creates a liveability issue as well.

“A lot of long-term residents, people who were used to living next to an inner-city park and very accepting of it, were coming to us and saying, ‘we no longer feel safe going into the park after dark’.”

Since the introduction of the lockout laws which shut down Kings Cross in 2014, assaults within the park have risen from 59 in June 2015 to 89 in June 2018.

This is due to an increase in congregations of people at the park who are either preloading with alcohol early in the evening, or who are visiting the park after venues have closed.

In response, the Council proposed its ParkSafe initiative which involved partnering with NSW Police, the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and

local residents to highlight issues within the park that cause the anti-social behaviour.

Through these meetings the Council has come up with a set of proposals, including removing the globes from lights in open spaces during a trial period of six months over summer, installing public toilets within the park to prevent urination and defecation by intoxicated people, and providing opportunities for locals to reclaim the park through community events.

The Inner West Council said that the proposed actions are intended to disrupt or remove the conditions which might attract antisocial behaviour.

“An oversupply of lighting in the central green space of the park is acting as a key attractor to the anti-social behaviour after dark,” the Council said.

“Local community members have expressed a wish to reclaim the park, disrupting negative behaviours by introducing a variety of communitybased initiatives during the day and into the evening.”

Evening patrols of the park by Council rangers and police have also been proposed as a solution despite concerns that an increase of authority presence could be overkill.

Local resident, Felix Petitnicolas said that he hadn’t seen extreme antisocial behaviour in his time living near the park and that the introduction of evening patrols could destroy the area’s social nature.

“Sometimes some people get a bit drunk together, some argue but there are never any really big problems with the people here,” he said.

“I think today people are too closed up in their houses and here it’s easy to spend the weekend, play guitar, have a drink.

“Closing and monitoring this place at night would kill the soul of Newtown. I mean, everything has a bad side and a good side, the bad side here can be noisy, or you can get some angry drunks but, I think essentially closing up the park is much worse.”

Cr Lockie said that increasing safe usage of the park was Council’s top priority and that striking a balance between law enforcement and civilians would be challenging, with community consultations being key to ensuring that a partnership is met.

“I’m not expecting we get everything right in the first go, it is going to be a case of trial and error and community consultations allow us to start that process as a partnership,” she said.

“With police patrols I had residents ask for more of those and other residents say that the more you get police coming in and being viewed as heavyhanded, than you affect that relationship between police and the community.”

NSW Police were contacted for comment.

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NEWTOWN

Guide 2018

Newtown Festival Turns 40

By Jamie Apps Not too many community events stand the test of time as long as the Newtown Festival, which celebrates it’s 40th Anniversary this Sunday.

The festival has become a staple in the yearly entertainment calendar for not only Newtown but Sydney at large. Acting as the primary fundraiser for the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre (NNC), the Festival will showcase the best music, art, literature, markets, and food from the Inner West at Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.

The NNC has become a crucial part of the Inner West community thanks to its focus on building an inclusive, resilient, self-reliant and creative community. NNC does this by providing support services to the local community, particularly for those people at risk of homelessness and social isolation, people impacted by domestic and family violence, as well as those with a mental illness, or facing other tough challenges in their lives. The NNC also engages in community projects with the specific purpose of retaining and developing Newtown’s unique character – the “Newtown Vibe”.

As part of fostering this “Newtown Vibe” the Newtown Festival will include a broad range of offerings to create a fun day out for the entire family. Some of the options worth checking out throughout the day include: Better Read Than Dead Writer’s Tent: A literary landmark that has thrived in the heart of Newtown’s King Street for over two decades, nourishing the neighbourhood with a specially curated collection of books and regular author

and community events. This team of dedicated book lovers have kindly donated their time and expertise to deliver a program that brings together some of Australia’s leading writers.

Commune: Is Newtown’s very own co-working space which has been fostering community, creativity, and collaboration. As part of the festival they will be offering a place to chill out and connect with others while enjoying some delicious vegan food stalls and kombucha on tap, as well as free yoga, dance and creative workshops running all day.

Eco Village: Curated by Sydney Sustainability Centre, the Eco Village will offer a full program of discussions and workshops; from learning what small steps you can take in your day-to-day life to progress your journey towards a more sustainable home, to increasing your understanding of current, global environmental issues.

Heaps Gay Karaoke Closet: Start singing in the shower... Inner West party starters Heaps Gay are back with their Karaoke Closet at Newtown Festival 2018! Located near the Newtown Locals, step into their tropical love den to sing, dance and

party with the Qweens! Love song dedications and queer bangers are 100% encouraged.

Newtown Locals: Are a collective of businesses founded on the united commitment to give back to the community who support them. The crew are back again for another year, bringing outstanding talent together in one place, at one time, offering unique and affordable dishes and drinks for all to enjoy, for a fantastic cause.

Live Music: This year’s line up offers a diverse array of local artists who have a strong connection with Newtown and the Inner West community.

This year the festival will be simultaneously welcoming back alumni and showcasing new rising talents. Some of the acts worth making time for are; Palms, Dappled Cities, Georgia June and Pirra.

Kids Zone: Kids Zone is a place for imaginative minds to create and learn while having fun. Join Guwaali for DIY boomerang painting, turn your thumbs green with composting and gardening workshops by Pocket City Farms or learn how to program and race ‘Ozbots’, pocket sized coding robots with Newtown Library.

Sassy Treats Dog Show: Let’s not forget our little four legged friends, your dogs are warmly welcomed to the festival and encouraged to partake in the Annual Dog Show. With a range of categories on day including Most Unique, Doggie Dash, Celebrity Look-a-Like and of course Champion BFFF (Best Furry Friend Forever), your pooch is sure to take home a prize.

So with so much on offer why not clear your calendar of any previous commitments and instead head out and celebrate your community.You’re guaranteed to find something fun within the unique “Newtown Vibe.”

Nov 11, 9:30am-5:30pm. Camperdown Memorial Rest Park. $5. Info: www.newtownfestival.org

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city hub 8 NOVEMBER 2018

500,000 hearts beat as one

Spring is the perfect time to challenge yourself to be fitter and healthier.Whatever level you’re starting at, we’re the place where ordinary people achieve the extraordinary.

We’re the place that says, ‘yes, you can’.

Our fitness community is ready for you to achieve your health and fitness goals.

Are yOu?

CoMe JoIn Us

re-energIse yoUr lIfe wIth anytIMe fItness newtown now www.anytimefitness.com.au LeveL 1/93-99 King St, neWtOWn | Ph: 9519 7948 city hub 8 NOVEMBER 2018

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NEWTOWN Anytime Fitness

Anytime Fitness is the largest gym chain in Australia, boasting a community of over 500,000 people using the program to improve their lives.

The Newtown location, however, combines the resources and community of a nationwide brand with the individual attention and support of a personal trainer. Joining the gym is an experience built around convenience, safety, and ultimately results.The gym is open 24 hours seven days a week. It is constantly monitored by security cameras and uses a secure key card system for entry.And finally, no matter the level of support you require,Anytime Fitness has the well trained staff and the most up-to-date equipment to meet your needs.

Level 1, 1/93-99 King St, Newtown.

Ph: 9519 7948

Nique

Nature’s Energy is located in the heart of Newtown on King Street. Rated by CNN as one of Sydney’s best day spas, the business offers healings, readings, massages, acupuncture, a hot spa, sauna and a steam room. A wide variety of massages are available, including options for pregnancy, sports, deep tissue and remedial. As an optional extra on any of these treatments, an extra 15 minutes can be spent on the scalp, feet or face. The Newtown location is known for its vast selection of crystals and gemstone jewellery. Every product on the shelves and used in treatments are organic and never tested on animals. There is something on the menu for everyone at Nature’s Energy.

173 King St, Newtown. Ph: 9555 5533 Escape Hair

Guide 2018 Gelatissimo on King Street is a must for any hungry festival-goers in need of a refreshing snack.The Newtown location was the gelato chain’s first to open back in 2002. Once the secret got out about the excellent taste of their gelato, which is churned in-house using secret family recipes, stores started to open across Australia and the rest of the world.

They do more than just gelato, however.Their various sorbets have won champion and gold at the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Show for the past several years. Do yourself a favour and grab some Newtown Gelatissimo.

278 King St, Newtown. Ph: 9517 1515 Dentists on Enmore

Originating from a design studio in Melbourne, Nique is a fashion boutique located on King Street. The outward appearance of the building, which is raw, minimalistic, and sophisticated, is representative of the style of clothing offered.

Providing high-quality garments for both men and women, Nique’s vision is to “create timeless pieces that make a statement”. Offering everyday basics, a theme of sophisticated practicality is present in their clothing, making it a perfect go-to for modern men and women who want to dress in style. Their selections are affordable, however many options are currently on sale for over 50% off. Make a fashion statement with Nique.

309 King St, Newtown. Ph: 9557 7850 Gelatissimo

Natures Energy Escape Hair specialises in cuts and colours, ranging from unicorn rainbow anime styles to classic cuts and subtle colours or everything in between, they’ll be able to create a piece of hair artwork just for you. Not only can Escape Hair provide you with a new statement making hair style you can also rest assured that everything used during the process, whether that’s the colours/bleach/shampoos or styling products, is 100% cruelty free and vegan.

484 King St, Newtown. Ph: 9517 2211

Described as caring, awesome, friendly, thorough, and extremely professional, Dentists on Enmore shines as the premiere local office. Led by Dr. Sevda Aslan and Dr. Sawsan Shiyab, the practice stays true to its goal of “providing quality and exceptional dental care where your comfort is our top priority.” They offer both general and cosmetic dentistry as well as a range of services from X-rays, cleans, and fillings to bleaching, crowns, and even lip enhancement.

It’s an office for the whole family as they also specialize in children’s dentistry and create a fun and relaxed environment for everyone. In case of sudden dental pain, call them up and they’ll work with you to fit you it as soon as possible.

208 Enmore Rd, Enmore. Ph: 9550 6094

WElcoME to DEntiStS on EnMoRE where we do dentistry a little differently!

Are you ready to press restart on your smile?

Our clinic is one of only a few nib providers located near Sydney’s CBD. This means you and your family can access dental care with a piece of mind.

Make the most of your nib Extras cover and receive the full range of benefits by booking your appointment with our friendly staff today. If you are not with nib don’t sweat it, we also accept all other health funds too.

Our clinic is located on 208 Enmore Rd, Enmore.

There is 2 houR fREE council car parking available right behind our building on Edgeware Road.

Open hours are: Mon - fRi 9:00am – 7:00pm, SAt 9:00am – 3:00pm

Your local dentists in enmore - newtown - stanmore area.

call us on 9550 6094 to speak to our friendly staff. onlinE BooKinGS are also now available. find us on facebook, instagram and Google for more.

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city hub 8 NOVEMBER 2018

NEWTOWN Made590

Scrambled in Enmore is a favourite of locals, known for its superior breakfast.Although busy on the weekends, the wait is well worth it.Appreciated by the Newtown community, the cafe shows its supporters the same respect by featuring works from local artists on the walls and local musicians on the stereo. Living up to its name, Scrambled is known for its free-range eggs. Scrambled is raved about in online reviews for having appropriate serving sizes, high quality food, and a friendly staff.

205 Enmore Rd, Enmore. Ph: 0451 066 451 Webster’s Bar

Made590 is a cute, approachable corner store located in Erskineville which first opened its doors in October 2004. Boasting 14 years in Newtown, Made590 has become a humble, long-standing staple of Australian-made fashion.

All designs are created in house or sourced from local artists.The recently launched Every Body collection exhibits Made590’s attention to inclusivity and body positivity, creating garments ranging from size six to 26 in order to ensure that everyone can feel comfortable and happy in their Made590 clothing.Their cool, minimalistic men’s tees are an important part of their inventory as well. Support local fashion in style at Made590.

590 King St, Newtown. Ph: 9550 1020 Scrambled

Guide 2018 Newtown Chiropractic Clinic

The team includes several experienced dentists, oral health therapists, and a visiting oral surgeon.To keep your experience entertaining and relaxing, Elite Dental’s modern facilities offer music and movies for customers during their treatment.Trust Elite Dental Newtown for an experience that will leave you smiling.

1/167 King St, Newtown. Ph: 9519 6098 Yoga Synergy

Webster’s was named the second best whiskey bar in all of Australia by Whiskey Magazine this year. Being alongside names such as Baxter Inn, Mjolner and NOLA makes this bar a must for anyone who enjoys bourbon.Their whiskey collection is now over 600 strong.Their amazing whiskey, not to forget their wide selection of beer and wine, can be paired with tender steak, delicious ribs, mouthwatering burgers, and other small bites.The King Street location is a rustic street bar with wood and brick accents, relaxing by day but turning into a successful nightlife location on Friday and Saturday nights. Come in hungry and thirsty, leave happy from Webster’s Bar. 323 King St, Newtown. Ph: 9519 1511 Elite Dental Newtown At Elite Dental Newtown, it is believed that a great smile starts with a healthy mouth, and the dedicated team promises to put your oral health first.The staff have been described as kind, professional, and looking out for your best interests, both in terms of saving you money and keeping your mouth healthy.

Located conveniently in the centre of King Street, Newtown Chiropractic Clinic is a must visit if you are experiencing any muscle or joint pain. Having over 35 years of experience between them, the two practicing chiropractors can treat a range of musculoskeletal injuries. Along with the resident massage therapist, the doctors offer extended consultations and tailor the treatment directly to the patients’ lifestyle, needs, and condition. Treatments include not only manipulation of the spine but also soft tissue techniques, trigger point therapy, basic massage, stretching, and lifestyle advice.

With great reviews, it’s no wonder Newtown Chiropractic Clinic is the longest running chiropractic clinic in Newtown.

1/281 King St, Newtown. Ph: 9550 6634 Lentil As Anything

In 1984, Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss founded Yoga Synergy, seeking to provide Newtown residents a place to practice yoga that’s “fun, safe, strengthening, meditative and calming yet as challenging as you would like it to be.” Today, as a result of Simon and Bianca’s simple philosophy,Yoga Synergy is thriving.

Offering down to earth, basic yoga in a no-frills studio,Yoga Synergy’s wide range of classes has something for everyone.

196 Australia St, Newtown. Ph: 9389 7399

Offering a wide variety of vegan food, 30% of which has been donated from food rescue operations, Lentil As Anything is so alternative that it doesn’t even have a set menu, or set prices.

Instead of reading off of a boring old piece of paper, customers can ask the waiters (all of whom are volunteers, by the way!) what is available for the day and instead of paying a specified amount for a meal, customers can “pay what they feel.” With local art lining the walls and frequent live bongo sessions, this restaurant is just about as Newtown as it gets.

391 King St, Newtown. Ph: 8283 5580

We specialise in cuts and colour, from unicorn rainbow anime styles to classic cuts and subtle colours and everything inbetween.

facebook.com/escapehairnewtown www.instagram.com/escape_hair_newtown

All products vegAn And cruelty free

city hub 8 NOVEMBER 2018

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Opinion

Berejiklian’s silent assassin

By Peter Hehir The biggest killer worldwide is air pollution.

The WHO hosted its first global conference on air pollution and health in Geneva last week, including a high-level action day at which nations and cities are expected to make new commitments to cut air pollution.

This barely caused a ripple here in NSW however. Its business as usual with Glad the Impaler and her RMS crew, who stubbornly refuse to even acknowledge that the unfiltered road tunnels being built by the RMS and the Sydney Motorway Corporation are an issue, let alone a real killer. Not just for those who live adjacent to the portals and downstream of the plumes, but also for the tunnel users, who will be subjected twice daily to lethal levels.

In spite of castigating the Labor Party in Parliament back in 2008 when they refused to filter the Lane Cove Tunnel, our Glad has done the mother of all back flips in relation to filtering WestConnex, the M4-M5 Link, the Iron Cove Tunnel, the Rozelle Interchange with its four stacks and the about to be approved Western Harbour Tunnel.

With tunnel air here in NSW, based on RMS figures from the Lane Cove Tunnel, at 50 times the WHO recognised international guidelines, there is just a deafening silence from the Impaler.

How can this be? How can a government be so callous as to wilfully and blatantly disregard its duty of care? How can they deliberately set about putting in place a chain of events that will result in thousands of premature, painful and preventable deaths?

A recent article in the Guardian confirmed that the simple act of breathing is killing 7 million people a year and harming billions more. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, describes air pollution as the “new tobacco”.

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Glad the Impaler prepares to slay the citizens of NSW. Photo: WikiCommons

“The world has turned the corner on tobacco.

Now it must do the same for the ‘new tobacco’ – the toxic air that billions breathe every day,” said the WHO’s director general. “No one, rich or poor, can escape air pollution. It is a silent public health emergency.”

“Despite this epidemic of needless, preventable deaths and disability, a smog of complacency pervades the planet,” Tedros said in the Guardian article. “This is a defining moment and we must scale up action to urgently respond to this challenge.”

“Children and babies’ developing bodies are most at risk from toxic air”, said Dr Maria Neira, WHO director for public health and the environment, “with 300 million living in places where toxic fumes are six times above international guidelines”.

“Air pollution is affecting all of us but children are the most vulnerable of all,” she said, noting the alarm among child health experts about the links between toxic air and respiratory diseases, cancer and damaged intelligence. “We have to ask what are we doing to our children, and the answer I am afraid is shockingly clear: we are polluting their future, and this is very worrying for all of us.”

Early estimates using improved models indicate a total figure of 9 million deaths from particle pollution. Daniel Krewski at the University of Ottawa, one of the team behind the newer estimate, said: “This suggests that outdoor air pollution is an even more important risk factor for health than previously thought.”

Each passing month sees new studies showing further harms of toxic air, with recent revelations including a “huge reduction” in

intelligence, millions of diabetes cases and the first direct evidence of pollution particles in mothers’ placentas.

The cost of the lost lives and ill health caused is also a colossal economic burden, estimated at $5 trillion USD a year, according to a World Bank report.

A staggering 91% of the world’s population live in areas with air pollution above WHO limits.

Many of these are in 3rd world countries, however proposals like WestConnex ensure that much of the Inner West will be exposed to lethal levels of carcinogenic diesel particulate pollution.

What is not widely known is that the smaller the particle, the greater the danger. PM < 2.5 is an extremely efficient killer as it easily bypasses the body’s defence systems and lodges in a variety of organs.

One important step that the community here has taken is to establish the citizen’s network of pollution monitors. More and more of these devices are being installed here in the Inner West, ensuring that this network will continue to establish an increasingly detailed air pollution baseline.

Neira went on to say that, “Given the overwhelming evidence of harm from air pollution, any politician who failed to tackle air pollution would be judged harshly by future generations – and the law”. “We all know pollution is causing major damage and we all know it is something we can avoid. Now we need to react collectively and in a very dramatic and urgent way.”

“Politicians cannot say in 10 years from now, when citizens will start to take them to court for the harm they have suffered, that they didn’t know.”

The Premier does indeed know! And has been put on notice…

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Wharf Revue 2018

The Wharf Revue is still going strong after 24 shows as Jonathan Biggins and Drew Forsythe exercise their wits on the political tom foolery of the previous year both in Australia and abroad, notably the USA. City Hub asked Jonathan how he kept up the comedy year after year.

“It’s a challenge for many reasons,” he said. “One is maintaining the standard year on year, another is not getting too depressed about the subject matter, and another is finding new genres to use as vehicles for the satire. Sometimes it feels that we’ve covered every possible theatrical type. But

then we find another – this year it’s panto.”

What most inspired him this year in the field of American politics?

I think we can safely say there was nothing inspiring in American politics, but we decided on Trump going on a quest to find out how he could become leader for life. Who does he seek out for advice?

The usual suspects: Berlusconi (Trump’s model in many ways) Putin, Assad and funnily enough, the Queen.

And what most inspired him in the field of Australian politics?

“There was nothing to inspire anyone in the drover’s dog’s breakfast that Australian politics has become. But as the leadership fiasco happened in the second

week of rehearsals, we did some hasty re-writing to accommodate the right wing of the Liberal party drinking the Kool-Aid.” Which characters does he most enjoy playing?

“I quite enjoy playing Tony Abbott as the wicked stepmother. Trump, of course, although it hurts my face to grimace as he does for 20 minutes.”

You’ll have to get your tickets early as this show usually sells out. I have no doubt you will get a year-full of laughs from this wonderful panto production.

(ID) Nov 16-Dec 15.

Roslyn Packer Theatre, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay. $60-$85+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneytheatre.com.au

instigates this chain reaction through what is a little bit of an odd response but quite an innocent one,”says Ayad, explaining that her character decides to follow the offending driver home one day.

Without giving away spoilers, the character returns for a “revelatory moment at the end.”

Ayad believes the play will appeal to anyone who drives,

especially in Sydney.

“Sydney roads are...I think they’re a shared experience among everyone that lives in Sydney because, whether we recognise it or not, they’re pretty uniquely bizarre.” (RB) Nov 13-24. Old 505 Theatre, Eliza St, Newtown. $30-$45+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.old505theatre.com

Blame Traffic

actually kind of fun...there are a few languages that are spoken on stage now,” explains Collins. It’s a demographically diverse cast, adding more range and texture to the various storylines. In terms of production, there will be no simulated driving or kitschy effects. Collins prefers a minimalist approach, where tone is suggested using things such as audio visual cues.

“I quite like that as a design because what it hopefully does is it puts you in an imaginative space,” he says.

Violette Ayad plays one of the key characters: she initiates the narrative with a monologue about being cut off by the same driver every day as she drives home from work.

“In a lot of ways she sort of

Spartacus

The Australian Ballet have unleashed the exciting tale of Spartacus, showcasing the incredible fierceness and agility of Australia’s male ballet dancers.

Spartacus follows the historic story of an enslaved Thracian gladiator who longed for freedom, leading to him becoming a leader in the slave uprising against the Roman Republic. The tragic story explores the struggles Spartacus encounters during enslavement and war, and the passionate love story with his wife.

The story has been reimagined by choreographer, director and former dancer with The Australia Ballet, Lucas Hervies. His version is filled with emotional intricacy, audience awareness and high impact ballet choreography.

Audiences will be captivated by the beauty of ballet, in conjunction with the strength and intensity of the story. (JM) Nov 9-24. Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $35-$276+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.australianballet.com.au

Kevin Jackson. Photo: Jeff Busby

When a car mechanic presented writer Michael Andrew Collins with a rough estimate of $6000 to make his car roadworthy, it gave him the inspiration for a storyline that ultimately formed one of the threads in his new play, Blame Traffic. Based on this and other everyday driving related experiences, Collins has created a montage of fragmented scenes that make up five independent stories which ultimately converge into one overarching narrative.

Also directing the play, Collins has allowed aspects of it to be informed by the actors during rehearsals. “[The actors are] from all other parts of the world, and they’re all getting a chance to bring their own context to it, which is

a&e

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

A Cheery Soul

Patrick White’s highly stylised yet keenly observant play depicting a less than glorious aspect of suburban Australian society received an underwhelming reception when it debuted in 1963. It could be that A Cheery Soul cut too close to the bone, was too morbid, or too cynical in its humour for the selfconscious, conservative population at the time. Since then, however, the play had established itself as a pinnacle in Australian literature, and its themes and satire - still very relevant - have become better understood and appreciated. Sydney Theatre Company is mounting a new production with director Kip Williams at the helm.The much anticipated end of season show will see innovative and dynamic directing from Williams come together with White’s poetic, astute writing in a theatrical perfect storm.

Set in the fictional working class town of Sarsparilla, the story centres on Miss Docker (played by the exceptional Sarah Peirse), a 60 year old, fiercely opinionated, interfering, devout Christian who insinuates herself into people’s lives, causing havoc.

“We’re watching this woman who kind of has nowhere to anchor herself,” says Shari Sebbens who plays Mrs Hibble, the leader of the “old girls”, a kind of elderly Greek chorus. Sebbens, like many other cast members, is playing a character much older than herself.

She can’t explain exactly why Williams has cast that way, but she enjoys the challenge, especially because Williams is encouraging a cheeky, sassy interpretation of her character. It may be all part of surreal world the director is trying to build.

“The way he’s approached it, it’s got a very film noir sense, so from the very outset... you know this is a stylised world, and the audience is being asked to kind of turn their ears and their eyes on...” explains Sebbens. She’s quick to point out, though, that the characters have depth and are not mere caricatures.

Williams will also be employing his signature device of projecting images onto the back wall allowing the actors to have a subconscious voice. Sound is another important element and Williams’ sister, Clemence has composed an original score for the play. As Sebbens describes it, there’s something for all the senses: “It’s going to be a real experience... it has a lot of heart and a lot of big…feeling.” (RB) Until Dec 15. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $65-$108+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.sydneytheatre.com

Contributors: Emily Shen, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Rita Bratovich, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Riley Hooper, Erika Echternach & Lili Sekkai, Joseph Rana, John Moyle, Angela Stevens, Will Fournier, Gabe Merkel & Lanie Tindale.

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REVIEW: Madiba - The Musical

By Lawrence Gibbons Nelson Mandela’s life long struggle for political equality in South Africa made him a towering figure in human history.

His fight against tyranny, oppression and racial discrimination is legendary. For 27 years he was imprisoned for opposing an unjust system of minority white rule.

Upon his release in 1990, he set about working with the ruling government to dismantle apartheid for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Four years after gaining his freedom he was elected the first black President of South Africa. In 2014, when he died at the age of

95, the world mourned the passing of Madiba, the tribal name given to him by his clan.

Madiba - The Musical, is a tribute to Nelson Mandela, written by the French author and composer Jean-Pierre Hadida.

First performed in Paris and then around the French speaking world for the last two years, the current production at the State Theatre is the first time the show has been staged in English. The show will go on to tour Australia and New Zealand.

A musical celebration of one of the most important political figures in the latter half of the 20th century is a tall order to fill.

And while the second half of the show rises to the challenge, the first half is sluggish. The musical score is a pastiche of different musical styles from flat Broadway numbers to explosive South African inspired rhythmic dance compositions. The ensemble cast is superb, the costumes and choreography are stunning. The second half of Madiba comes as a well-earned reward for waiting out the first half of the show.

Until Nov 11. State Theatre, 49 Market St, Sydney. $69-$152+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.madibamusical.com.au

THE NAKED CITY

‘AND THE WINNER IS’ – MELBOURNE! With Coffin Ed There’s an unfortunate irony regarding those archival photos of Sydney that now adorn the outside of many building sites in our CBD. Many of them recall those long gone days when trams rolled merrily up and down our major streets. Juxtaposed of course is the almost stagnant trail of light rail construction that continues with its almost suffocating choke hold on local businesses, pedestrian traffic and the city at large.

Yes back in 1961 we got rid of our trams and in the following decades did a shameful job in pulling down some of Sydney’s finest old theatres like The Regent and The Mayfair. More recently we seem to have done an equally deadly job in killing off Sydney’s night life.

877 kilometres south and Melbourne, once lampooned as a ‘bleak’ city, must surely be laughing. Their trams have been running continually since 1906, many of their fine old theatres like The Forum are still standing and they were recently voted the ‘live music’ capital of the world, with their plethora of city and suburban wide music venues.

Melbourne’s live music and nightlife scene is surely the envy of Sydney and you have to wonder why one city is so successful and the other stuck firmly in the entertainment doldrums. Whilst the lockout laws have played their part it’s just too simplistic to blame the crackdown in Kings Cross and elsewhere for the current malaise.

Maybe we need to look at all the reasons why Melbourne does it so well, whilst Sydney longs for the nostalgia when you could down shots until six in the morning. For starters it’s a lot easier to open a new music venue in Melbourne, rents are more realistic and council compliance not nearly as officious as it is here. There’s a climate that encourages more small business startups, often by people with a genuine love of live music or a nightclub culture.

Here in Sydney it’s often the large corporate hotel chains or colourful Kings Cross identities who have called the ‘shots’, when it comes to both live music and dj oriented clubs. Their prime motivation is selling alcohol as opposed to providing a venue for

REVIEW: A Midnight Visit

Drew Fairley as The Drunk. Photo :Anna Kucera

Visitors to this immersive theatrical experience will immediately sense they are about to embark on a very special and unique journey, as they are transported back to the 19th century and into the literary works of Edgar Allan Poe. Set within an abandoned warehouse in Newtown, nine incredible performers bring classic characters from Poe’s work to life, as visitors warily explore and have the opportunity to interact with these macabre characters.

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Upon arrival, visitors may enjoy a drink at the pop-up bar ‘The Raven’s Rest’ prior to being split into small groups and entering this physical adventure-land, which consists of over 34 intricately designed spaces. Dark and eerie, the sinister background music heightens the experience as Poe’s classic characters.

“Nobody has approached the work of Edgar Allan Poe in this way. To our knowledge no one has attempted to combine immersive theatre with a choose-your-own journey through an enormous space,” explained creative producer Kirsten Siddle.

This insanely mesmerising show explores themes of madness, guilt and death, and is unpredictably funny, sexy and naturally ‘just a bit scary’.

“You can creep, crawl, climb and explore. No two journeys are ever the same so you’ll want to come back multiple times to discover all the things you missed the last time. Come with a curious mind and a brave soul! Do you dare?

After all, fortune favours the bold!” (MMo) Until Dec 9. 655 King St Newtown. $25$65+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.amidnightvisit.com

local live music or any other kind of night time entertainment.

Whilst we have a thriving small bar culture, very few of these bars feature live music whereas Melbourne has both a large number of both small, medium size and 600 plus venues – allowing younger bands and musicians to work their way up an encouraging ladder and play on a regular basis.

It’s also fair to say Melbourne has both the people prepared to put money and the creative zeal into dedicated music and nightlife venues. New venues are cropping up all the time - punter friendly and put together with both style and imagination.

Over the past three to four decades the live music scene in Melbourne has also enjoyed far greater support from local media than has been the case in Sydney. Their three community stations 3PBS, 3RRR and 3CR are pro-active in promoting and supporting local live music, far more so that their Sydney counterparts. Even their mainstream newspapers like The Age and Herald-Sun have a better coverage of Melbourne’s local music scene than Sydney’s SMH and Telegraph.

Lifting the lockout laws might restore some of Sydney’s late night culture but it’s certainly no panacea when it comes to reviving live music or a vibrant club scene. When Sydney decided to trash its trams back in the early 60s, many Melbournians warned us against such a ‘dumb’ move. In a city noted for its rampant opportunism, infrastructure gone mad, real estate greed and Kafkaesque council compliance, there is a lot to learn from the folks in bleak city.

REVIEW: Cork & Canvas A paint brush in one hand, a glass of wine in the other and a blank canvas in front of you. It may not sound like the average night out, but the paint and sip industry which has captured the “fun things you can do with friends and strangers” market in America is already showing signs of fandom here.

It’s a very simple idea: in a shared class each person sits at a long bench and has a table-top easel, blank canvas, paint brushes, four blobs of paint (to begin with) and their BYO nibblies and wine/beer/other.An enthusiastic - and patient instructor stands at the front of the class with an easel and guides the class through each step.

Everyone paints the same image - whatever the theme is for that session.When you book online you can see what the painting will be for that night, and themes range across beach,Venice, nudes, abstract - pretty much all artistic styles and with very easy subjects.They also hold occasional special classes such as their “glow in the dark paint” Halloween class; a Picasso class in which you paint another attendee (your partner, boss, bestie) in the cubism style; and Paint Your Pet class.

There is absolutely no expected level of artistic ability and no judgement - at least not from the

instructors. The only required skill is to still be able to find the canvas with your brush after your (lost count) glass of wine.And while your aspiration to produce a painting in the style of “late modernism” may end up being more like “early kindergarten”, you’ll have loads of fun and a wonderful keepsake of your experience. (RB) Crows Nest and Darlinghurst locations.

From $50. Info & Bookings: www.corkandcanvas.com.au

Fozzy

By Jamie Apps When professional wrestler Chris Jericho first announced he was joining a rock band it was initially met with mixed emotions within both the wrestling and music communities. In the 18 years since their formation the band has cemented themselves as one of the hardest working bands within the rock and roll genre.

Although the initial curiosity surrounding Fozzy was focused on Chris Jericho he wasn’t concerned.

“Every band has some sort of gimmick, whether it’s Kiss with the face-paint or Slipknot wearing masks,” explained Jericho, “Fozzy’s was that we had a pro-wrestler as a singer and people wanted to see if I was legit.”

That initial wave of curiosity brought with it a slew of benefits and negatives.

“In the short term it certainly hindered the band because there were a lot of people who didn’t want to give us the time of day

simply because I was the singer.”

Not one to ever take no for an answer, as evident from his days in the wrestling world where Jericho was often looked at as ‘too small’ to be successful, Fozzy simply worked harder.

“We’ve had to work twice as hard to get people’s respect but that’s also the reason the band is as big and popular as we are, because once you get people’s respect

you’ve got it for life. So it’s worked to our advantage in the long run.”

Another element which has played into the success of Fozzy is the genuine fun and enjoyment the band members all have performing together. Jericho in particular is a well known fan of classic rock and roll groups, so performing as the frontman of his very own band is almost a boyhood dream come to life.

“Our biggest focus is to always make sure people have a great time and leave with a smile on their face because that’s what we do. We play rock and roll with a smile and don’t have a problem with having a little bit of fun on stage because rock and roll should be fun.”

This weekend Fozzy will return to Australia for the first time since 2013, which Jericho described as a “travesty.”

For this upcoming run of shows Jericho said fans can expect a rock and roll show with that old school feel.

“It’s just a good time with great rock and roll by a band who leaves it all on stage every single night. We make sure people have a great time, jump up and down, shout, party, drink beer and show your boobs if you’re a girl or guy. So it’s going to be one of the best shows that you see this year, I guarantee that.”

Nov 10. Manning Bar, Manning House, Manning Rd, Camperdown. $64.60-$76+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.manningbar.com

Casey Golden - ATLAS

Casey Golden’s new London-based band is comprised of Golden on the piano, Alex Munk on the guitar, Henrik Jensen on bass, and Will Glaser on the drums.

The group’s latest album, ATLAS, incorporates themes of group improvisation, 21st century composition and hard rock textures.

With this unique blend of genres, you can listen to a single from ATLAS and feel as if you’ve just heard three different songs.The complexity of each piece shines as it progresses, unfolding its layers of styles.

The Good Fight is notably the best song on the new album, keeping a consistent upbeat tempo with a freestyle feeling. (EE) WWW

Journey’s End

unlucky they are.” The excitement predictably transforms into horror as the reality of war becomes apparent.

This is not your conventional war film – war action is minimal and only thrives in the highly explosive climactic sequence. However, the desired effect is achieved, as audiences are introduced to these wretched characters and realistically witness life in the muddy, rat-infested trenches with the lingering stench of death.

The reliance on cigarettes and mind-easing effect of whiskey compounds to a very realistic cinematic study on the traumatic effects of war.

“We’ll last five minutes if the Germans attack” Set during World War I in northern France, this an officer nervously states as a soldier yells incredibly powerful, meticulously crafted British “They have sent us here to die!” film explores the fears soldiers had to endure while Beautifully filmed and superbly acted only the serving their country in the front-line trenches, as British could produce such a profoundly affecting they anticipated an imminent German offensive. yet darkly mesmerising epic war film, which will A fresh young soldier (Asa Butterfield) has arrived leave shattered audiences pondering over the with unparalleled excitement, as an officer quietly futility and hypocrisy of war. (MMo) WWWW comments “these young soldiers don’t know how

King Lear

It’s impossible to describe Ian McKellen’s performance in the National Theatre’s production of King Lear without using an

exhaustive list of superlatives. Given his status as an actor, you’d expect him to be amazing but he’s beyond that.

This movie is a live production that was filmed especially, and so it allows close ups, varied perspectives and sound quality that only enhances what would have been an incredible theatre experience.

Director, Jonathan Danby has updated the setting to a a 21st century parliamentary/military aesthetic.

Sometimes modernising Shakespeare doesn’t work but in this case it works very well.

While the set is minimal there are some extraordinary effects including an actual shower of water during the tempest scenes. Nor is there any restraint when it comes to bloodier aspects of the play - they’re very effective but shouldn’t scare off the queasy.

Every actor in this show is utterly captivating, with Kirsty Bushell being so deliciously wicked as Regan, you almost wish she had her own spin-off. (RB) WWWW

Suspiria

This highly anticipated remake of the classic 1977 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Dario Argento is not your conventional horror film and may prove to be a disappointment for ardent fans of the horror genre.

Set in Berlin the story centres on a young American dancer who enrols at a reputable dance academy which is plagued by sinister occurrences.

Stylishly filmed and highly crafted, director Luca Guadagnino has perfectly recaptured the atmosphere and mystique of the original, delivering a film with highly effective performances from a talented ensemble cast which includes Dakota Johnson, Mia Goth and notably Tilda Swinton as Madame Blanc.

However, the film’s downfall may result in that it’s too artistic for a horror flick – an extremely intellectual production which may prove to be unsuccessful in reaching its target audience.This is a thinking audience’s film with a pervading perverse strangeness and many incomprehensibly bizarre segments evident which may initially tantalise but ultimately bemuse.

At a running time of 152 minutes and with detracting sub-titles throughout restlessness may set in, as the film substantially works on suspense with only spasmodic horror sequences.

This film may resonate with older discerning movie-goers who expect quality in their film-going experiences, but there’s not enough to maintain younger viewer’s interest throughout. For a more coherent understanding of this perplexing movie, multiple viewings are recommended. (MMo) WWW

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