City Hub 8 December 2016

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Newfound activist sows seeds of hope for Sydney’s trees

BY M ICHAEL FORNO John Bellamy is more likely found in the theatre than in the streets, but in the last year he has turned into a fulltime activist.

Mr Bellamy was a musical composer and occasional usher at the Sydney Opera House before a negative experience with Sydney’s public transport ignited a streak of activism.

“It all started when my bus was cancelled to the city and I realised it would take twenty minutes longer catching the slowest light rail in the world, and catch it with three hundred and thirty other people. I thought, that’s really dumb,” he said.

“I’m a solutions kind of guy so I came up with a solution to save $2bn by putting the rail underground and electrifying buses.

Unfortunately the minister didn’t want to know about it. I thought nothing more of it until I saw a massive Morton Bay fig tree like the one we see here today torn down in front of my eyes in January this year,” he told City Hub .

It was then that Mr Bellamy started his own environmental activist group called Save the Trees and Animals Campaign. Now in its second month of existence the group held its first rally on Sunday at Belmore Park, opposite Central Station. In spite of the small turnout the attendees and speakers were enthusiastic in their support to save Sydney’s trees and animals.

Emma Maiden of Unions New South Wales spoke at the event.

“Despite the turnout I hope you don’t see this as indicative of community sentiment,” she said.

Support for the new group is shared by other well-established action groups across Sydney.

John Bellamy takes his own stand to save Sydney’s trees and animals (left), a small but passionate group gather at Belmore Park (top), Andrew Chuter addres

Andrew Chuter is a representative of No WestConnex: Public Transport not Motorways.

He told City Hub that his group’s opposition to WestConnex was directly related to the saving of Sydney’s trees.

“Just two months ago Westconnex bulldozed two hectares of critically endangered Cooks River ironbark forest in Kingsgrove. That two hectares is now a carpark and turning circle for construction vehicles,” he said.

Mr Chuter insisted to the few assembled that they remain hopeful about the future.

“You can fight back. When we heard tree clearing was coming to Sydney Park we banded together and set up a camp in the corner of Sydney Park. We linked arms around the area they fenced off and the police had to drag us off one by one,” he said.

The message of grassroots action and community solidarity was echoed in Mr Bellamy’s speech.

“The only thing that can save Sydney’s tress and animals is you. We believe that as early as tonight, and over these Christmas holidays, the government intends to kill a further 1,500 Sydney trees, including the ones behind you here on Eddy Avenue. The only thing that will stop this is people power. This is the only way we will save our trees and save our animals.”

Mr Bellamy is confident that the group’s message will resonate with the community.

“We’re not going to shut up until Mike Baird gets the message. What starts with a few people, becomes a flood. Unless you take action, nothing changes. You can never give up.”

The group is scheduled to fight the continued felling of tress across Sydney well into the new year.

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By Charli Shield From 1 January 2017 the NSW Government will reform its Smart and Skilled eligibility requirements to allow refugees and asylum seekers access to vocational education and training for free.

Smart and Skilled gives eligible students access to government-subsidised training for qualifications on the NSW skills list.

Previously, those seeking asylum and refugees on temporary protection visas were required to pay international student fees to attend TAFE and university.

The change comes as part of a $27 million skills and training package for asylum seekers and refugees announced by the NSW Government.

All refugees who commence study from 2017, including those on bridging visas, temporary humanitarian concern visas, and temporary humanitarian stay visas, will be able to access fee-free training for qualifications up to Certificate IV level.

Last year the Abbott Government announced it would resettle 12,000 Syrian refugees on top of its existing intake. NSW was to receive half of this figure over two years and has so far resettled almost 3700.

Tim O’Conner, acting CEO of Refugee Council Australia, said the changes to Smart and Skilled were critical for the successful integration of refugees into Australian society.

“We applaud the announcement that the Baird government will allow free access to education for refugees and people seeking asylum.

“We know from our many conversations

Refugees will soon be offered fee free tuition at TAFEs across NSW. Photo: Rob Homer

with people who are new to Australia that access to education is the key to employment. It’s also the key to making new networks and friends, and ultimately to successful integration.

“This is an important step to help people rebuild their lives and contribute to their new homes, which will ultimately be of benefit to all of us in the Australian community,” he said.

Ruth Cohen from the Sydney Alliance, a key advocate for NSW tertiary concessions for refugees, described the announcement as “the most marvelous win-win situation”.

“When we talk to people they tend to express two main things. Firstly, they are very keen on education. Secondly, they want to be self-sufficient.

“These changes are a real opportunity for them to be able to achieve both, and to be able to participate in society. It will give

people an enormous boost to their own personal focus,” she said.

Ciantial Bigornia, an asylum seeker organising assistant from the Sydney Alliance, also noted that giving newcomers opportunities to educate themselves would “do wonders for their mental health”.

“A lot of people seeking asylum have come to Australia with qualifications that aren’t recognised here. Now they will have the opportunity to study alongside other Australians, as well as the opportunity to give back to society.”

“There are roughly 8000 refugees and asylum seekers living in NSW, that’s potentially another 8000 who can contribute to the economy, and learn skills to help other Australians,” she said.

The State Government is expected to resettle the remaining 2300 Syrian refugees in NSW by mid-2017. city hub 8 DECEMBER 2016

3

Wayside Chapel mural whitewashed

BY ELIOT BARHAM An Aboriginal flag has replaced a mural at the Wayside Chapel that celebrated the indigenous social justice movement, but experts say the new painting may breach copyright.

The wall featured portraits of indigenous activists Eddie Mabo, Mum Shirl, Faith Bandler, Charles Perkins and Vincent Lingiari, but was destroyed by the Wayside Chapel who wrongly claim proper permission was not sort by the families.

Now, in somewhat of an ironic twist, a legal expert contacted by City Hub says the aboriginal flag is under copyright, leaving the organisation open to legal action unless proper permission was sought.

“It will come as a surprise to many, but the aboriginal flag is protected under copyright law,” said Melbourne lawyer, copyright expert and author of ‘Owning It: A Creative’s Guide to Copyright, Contracts and the Law’ Sharon Givoni.

“So long as the work is original and in material form- then it’s generally protected under copyright. The ultimate effect of this means you’re not able to reproduce something without permission,” she said.

Since 1997, Harold Thomas has been the legal owner of the copyright in the design of the Aboriginal flag.

Wayside Chapel would not comment on the mural, however a breach would mean the organisation destroyed the copyright of Etienne Cohen and Edward Paul Davis, the two original artists, and replaced it with a work that breaches the copyright and provisions of the Aboriginal flag.

In a strange move for the organisation, Wayside had their own Aboriginal Project Officer, William Gordon, paint the flag, despite his LinkedIn profile suggesting no previous work as an artist.

Following a successful career as a professional footballer with the ACT Brumbies and the Sydney Rabbitohs, Mr Gordon has worked for the Wayside Chapel, assisting them with their work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Wayside’s William Gordon painting the flag last week.

Photo: David Keig

In a statement for the organisation, he said: “The flag we’ve put up on the wall of The Wayside Chapel Bondi is a symbol of us moving forward, not only from the old mural, but towards the redevelopment of the new building.”

Mr Gordon described the flag as the start of “bigger things to come”, and promised a “much larger” piece of art for the new Wayside space.

“We’ll be bringing lots of different people and storylines together, and acknowledging these communities coming together,” he said.

But the removal of the original mural has still left many of its supporters disappointed and unconvinced.

“The painting of an Aboriginal flag where the mural used to be is adding insult to injury” said communications strategist David Keig, a supporter of the old mural.

“It smacks of cynical tokenism and is a shallow PR stunt.

It shows so little respect to the Indigenous community that it leaves me almost speechless,” he said.

Greens councillor Dominic Wy Kanak tried to maintain a more positive tone, saying the incident provides an opportunity to inspire young indigenous kids. “Let this be an inspiration to the youth. Don’t get sad, don’t get angry, get inspired!”

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WestConnex no show ‘cowardly’ says Greens MP

BY WENDY BACON Sydney Motorway Corporation (SMC) executives failed to turn up at a public meeting in Newtown on the evening of Tuesday 6 December. Their absence left a packed hall of residents angry that their questions about the impact of WestConnex on inner Sydney remain unanswered.

SMC had agreed to attend the meeting to answer residents’ questions, but left it until 4pm on the day of the meeting to let organisers know that they would not attend.

Jenny Leong, Greens MP for Newtown, was invited to speak. She told the meeting that on hearing about the cancellation she contacted SMC’s Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement. She was told that SMC were not prepared to expose their executives to protest. She later posted on Facebook, ‘This is disgusting, shameful and cowardly’, and urged residents to let Premier Mike Baird and SMC know their reaction.

WestConnex executives have not made any appearances in Newtown since the CEO of SMC, Dennis Cliche, addressed an information evening at the Enmore Theatre in early 2015.

Hundreds of residents unanimously rejected WestConnex on that occasion.

This meeting followed a march of thousands of residents from the centre of Newtown to Sydney Park, where the second stage of WestConnex is taking effect. It involves building a tunnel from Kingsgrove to St Peters and will emerge into a massive interchange, delivering more than 73,000 extra cars into the surrounding suburbs each day.

Earlier this year, WestCONnex Action Group (WAG) and Save Newtown delivered thousands of detailed submissions opposing this second stage of WestConnex. Despite overwhelming opposition, Stage 2 was

Greens MP Jenny Leong and residents not happy with Westconnex ‘no show’ in Newtown.

Source Lorrie Graham9

approved, allowing demolitions and tunnelling to begin last week. WAG have continued to protest, and sent a letter to NSW Planning complaining about breaches in approval conditions this week.

Over recent months, the Sydney Motorway Corporation has been drilling in suburbs from St Peters to Leichhardt, including near a heritage precinct in North Newtown. The drilling is to establish a route for Stage 3.

The Baird government has announced that a planned interchange at Camperdown has been removed, leaving no exit between St Peters and Rozelle, but has refused to announce the location of planned ventilation stacks and tunnelling sites. SMC were were expected to provide some information about these at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Save Newtown spokesperson Lorrie Graham

told City Hub, “I feel that Mike Baird and WestConnex are treating the community of Newtown with utter contempt. All people wanted last night were some answers to pretty basic questions - what will WestConnex do to our home and community, and they couldn’t even show up for that. The anger just grew, so the community will be out demonstrating with a much greater resolve.”

The absence of SMC left UTS transport planner and expert in traffic modelling, Dr Michelle Zeibots to explain to the audience why she and other independent experts believe that rather than solving traffic congestion, WestConnex will make traffic congestion worse, especially around tunnel portals.

Last Thursday, Premier Mike Baird met with Greens M Ps Jenny Leong and Jamie Parker and representatives of WestCONnex

Action Group and No WestConnex Public Transport. The meeting followed a peaceful occupation of N SW parliament house that called on the government to halt and review WestConnex.

The group presented Baird with An Open Letter on WestCONnex and asked him to act on it by halting work on the St Peters Interchange and conducting an urgent review into the project.

3000 residents have joined Greens MP and some Labor MPs, City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and other City of Sydney Councillors in signing the letter.

Baird told them that he would respond to the open letter but has not done so yet.

The group also raised concerns with the flaws in the WestConnex business case and evidence that the case had not been developed on the actual costs of WestConnex.

They also raised issues of probity and corruption, based on the major scandals now engulfing major WestConnex contractors CIMIC (Leightons) and Samsung, and the lack of transparency surrounding the awarding of these contracts.

According to a joint WAG and No WestConnex Public Transport report of the meeting, Baird did not defend the lack of transparency in the project, instead arguing that it was necessary to attract private investors to WestConnex.

This may explain why SMC seems to be under no pressure to supply information to the community about aspects of the publicly funded $17 billion project.

Another meeting has been called by the action groups in Balmain on Thursday. It remains to be seen if SMC will show up and answer some of the questions they failed to answer in Newtown.

Inner West schools reach for the skies

By Angira Bharadwaj The Greater Sydney Commission’s development plans for the inner west indicate a move to ‘skyscraper schools’ in an effort to meet growing demand.

Schools in the suburbs of Petersham, Summer Hill and Ashfield are currently at capacity and face a significant increase in demand.

The commission’s draft plans were released on 21 November and reveal that the majority of new enrolments in these suburbs will be accommodated by existing infrastructure.

Jo Haylen, Member for Summer Hill, says the proposal of increasing the size of schools, including adding new stories, is concerning.

“The community is understandably worried about moves towards skyscraper schools. More and more kids will be living in apartments. Will they have to study and play in high-rise schools as well?” she said.

Ms Haylen is also concerned about the commission potentially incentivising the construction of schools by developers.

“I do not have the confidence that schools built by developers in mixed-use developments will be the best designed learning environments for our kids. The government must come clean now about what their real plans are here.

“The Government’s debacle in Ultimo shows they’re not committed to proper planning. Schools will potentially have to close for long periods during construction. Where do our kids go then?” she said.

Shadow Minister for Education, Jihad Dib says the government has failed to deliver much-needed

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city hub 8 DECEMBER 2016

Inner west school may soon be reaching for the sky. Photo Aanchal Bharadwaj

new classrooms to Sydney’s growing regions.

“The Government has fallen so far behind in delivering new classrooms in the booming regions of Sydney that at the current rate it will take at least 45 years to get to where we need to be in 15 years.

“Children are being crammed into overcrowded classrooms like battery hens. It’s a far from conducive environment for learning,” he said.

Mr Dib says the government has a poor track record where Sydney’s educational infrastructure is concerned.

“Communities in Wentworth Point are in their sixth year of being promised a school with not one sod of land turned.

“Green Square will become Australia’s most densely populated region and there’s still no plan for a school. I worry for communities in Sydney’s

booming inner west and Bankstown-Sydenham corridor,’ he said.

Mr Dib added that the government needs to be more proactive in acquiring the land to build schools.

“Waiting until the last minute and then saying building ‘high-rise schools’ is the only option is just not good enough.

“I don’t want to see schools having to set up rosters for use of the playground or ‘no running’ rules because this government hasn’t properly planned,” he said.

However, a spokesperson for the Greater Sydney Commissions says the draft plans should be viewed as a starting point for discussion.

“The Greater Sydney Commission has an open mind on the height of school buildings.

What is more important is the quality of the education at the school and whether it is meeting the needs of the local community.

“The draft Central District Plan has been prepared following extensive consultation with state and local government, peak bodies, community groups and individuals,” a spokesperson said.

The commission has also asked the community for further feedback: “We’ll be listening to the community and peak bodies and encourage everyone to participate in person or engage via our website.”

The formal exhibition period for the draft Central District Plan will be running until 31 March 2017 and submissions can be lodged at www.greater.sydney.

city hub 8 DECEMBER 2016

7

TAFE bureaucrats threaten library

By Nina Kempster A proposed corporate takeover of Ultimo TAFE’s library has caused an uproar in the student community, with considerable backlash over a lack of consultation with staff and students.

On 16 November a meeting was held to inform staff members of the proposed changes.

The plans involve relocating facilities from the second level of the library to the first and ground floor levels by March 2017. The second level would then be occupied by TAFE corporate offices.

Public Service Union representative Nathan Bradshaw told City Hub about the planned takeover.

“They told us they were going to start making way for the offices in the next couple of weeks, and there will be significant loss of student space and facilities. But the student information day was timed a day after term ended, on 24 November so that most of the students wouldn’t be there, having left campus after finishing their exams,” he said.

The union members worked with students to help them lodge formal complaints, until the students took over themselves creating a Save the Ultimo Library petition. So far it has garnered over 550 signatures. Students have also organised on-campus protests attracting up to 100 people despite the information being released after the end of term.

Library staff member Leon Parissi spoke to City Hub. “We were told that by March 2017 we would have to relocate, that this space would instead be used for the corporate offices of TAFE NSW. But now they keep saying it was only ever proposed, that it was never a firm plan.

Students are reacting to their fees being hiked

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city hub 8 DECEMBER 2016

NSW TAFE students save their library.

Source NSW TAFE

up and the lack of consultation, which was minimal towards both staff and students. I don’t think they expected students to react as they did,” she said.

The library is currently used by 28,000 staff and students making it the biggest library on campus.

Leanne Porter is one of the concerned students who uses the library several times a week. She aired her grievance on the petition’s website.

“Our fees go towards paying for this library and we need to be able to access the books, computers and study areas. The corporate staff already have their own space in

Photo: Pixabay

another building. Why do they want to take the little space we have, and that we pay for?

This proposal just seems to be totally selfish and anti-student,” she said.

Mr Bradshaw believes the actions of the students have delayed the proposal thus far.

“As it stands now, they’ve admitted that there wasn’t enough consultation, they’ve called it off, and they’re going to start consultation next term in March 2017. But without the students reacting as they did, they would have been moving the facilities around already. TAFE is being forced to compete with private institutions that don’t provide the student facilities that TAFE does,” he said The NSW State Government’s Smart and Skilled reforms are also being blamed for placing increasing pressure on TAFE to become commercialised due to a lack of government funding. Documentation recently obtained by the NSW Opposition shows that the NSW treasury cut $250 million from the public vocational educator in April 2015, referring to the money as “excess cash”.

The education and trading provider has seen significant drops in enrolment since 2012.

A Save Ultimo TAFE Library spokesperson told City Hub that, “while we are grateful that TAFE Corporate management has responded to our campaign by postponing their decision until next year, the student campaign to save our library is prepared to continue if TAFE makes the wrong decision following the promised student consultation next term.”

FEATURE

Gift Guide for Christmas, 2016!

By Jemma Clarke

For the Tech Heads: A Virtual Realty Headset - There is a range of VR headsets available on the market as the technology increases and the games become more substantial and mind-blowing. One of the more expensive headsets, The Oculus Rift (www.oculus. com/rift) valued at $649, can be powered by your Xbox One and will also require a computer with Windows 10. It has 42 unique games and is surely a gift for someone who wants to see some captivating and breathtaking imagery. The mid-range headset, Samsung Gear VR valued at $169, is the first truly transportable VR headset that runs off your Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S7 or S7 Edge. The specs may not be as good as the Oculus Rift but it certainly transports you to another world full of games and places unknown.

On the lower end of the scale is the VR headset from Cotton On (www.cottonon.com.au) valued at $24.95 which lets you watch 3D movies, play 3D games and explore virtual worlds.

A Smart Watch – The latest smart watches offer a way to keep you motivated especially when it comes to the Apple Watch Series 2 starting from $529 which you can grab from Harvey Norman. It allows you to stay connected and track activity while staying in style. For more of a mid to low range watch go with the Unisurf U1 Smart Watch (www.unisurf.com.au) valued at $96, which allows for data transfer between devices and tracks sleep and activity while notifying you of your targets and progress.

For the Mums: A Bambino Box – For those of you who have not heard of subscription boxes, Bambino Box is one specifically designed by mums for mums offering a unique box of goodies for you and your kiddies and it’s delivered straight to your door every month. Starting from $21.95 a month you can opt for 3 months at $65 to 12 months for $250.

It gives you the opportunity to stay updated on the latest baby products.

Check out www.bambinobox.com.au A Crafty Workshop – There are a range of workshops led by Sydney artist Melissa Carey that will offer unique experiences and skills instead of a product this Christmas. “[Mummies] get time out for themselves to be creative, learn new skills and make something handmade. Melissa offers candle making, lace dream catching or rope dying as well as a few more cool ones including personal workshops. Gift cards are available through her website www.melissacarey.com.au For the Fitness Fiends: The Fitbit range is a popular choice this year among those who want to focus on exercise and personal development. Add and challenge friends,

Scratching your head trying to decide what gifts to grab this Christmas? Let us help you through the silly season by showcasing the coolest presents for everyone.

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For the Eco Friendly: Lush Cosmetics are all handmade cosmetics ranging from face masks, soaps and bath bombs to moisturisers, lip balms and perfumes. They fight to stop animal testing and inequality while protecting animal welfare and our environment. Check out any of their stores, including the newest Sydney store in the QVB, to pick up some great gift sets which start from just $14.95. www.lush.com.au Icecream – Do you know someone who looovess ice-cream? Ben & Jerry’s are taking Australia by storm and they are a company that is tackling some big environmental and social issues such as climate change and marriage equality. Grab a gift card, top it up and let that ice-cream lover indulge with some of the most delicious flavours in the world. www.benandjerry.com.au For the Kids: 9D Action Cinema located in Harbourside Shopping Centre, Darling Harbour will provide your children with an amazing entertainment experience that goes beyond 3D visuals. Buy them a ticket or 2 starting from $7 (for children under 5), $12 for students and $15 for adults and let them feel what they watch. The 9D experience will have them jump into a world where they can feel the weather and move in motion. www.9dactioncinemas.com.au Harbourside Shopping Centre, Darling Harbour also has a range of fashion, beauty and food outlets that have plenty of gift and catering ideas for your Christmas. These include stores such as Tarocash, EB Games, Lovisa, Cotton On, Darling Nails, Ruby Shoes & The Fudge Shop. www.harbourside.com.au

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Review: Montague Basement’s Macbeth

Deborah Galanos and Nicholas Papademetrio

In the leading roles are Robert Boddington (Macbeth), whose relationship with wife Lady Macbeth (Hannah Cox) is played passionately and authentically.

The gothic Act 4 Scene 1 is most memorable; a topless woman smeared with tar-like black goo is wheeled out inside a cauldron/barrel, the mad hag chants captivating incantations; the famous “double double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble”.There’s imagination shown in this A hag lies face down in a puddle of blood, adaptation, directed and designed by Saro Lustybleeding from a messy wound, blood splattering Cavallari and produced by Imogen Gardam.This her garment and smeared on the floor.The stark young, new and quirky take on an old classic is white plastic sheeting lining the walls comes in artistic and aesthetically done. handy when wine is tossed over the shoulder from With its up-and-coming, fresh faced, young cast, the banquet table. Montague Basement’s this production is especially enjoyable for those production of Macbeth will bring out the OCD in who are familiar with The Bard. Macbeth shares a you as you watch cast members sidestepping the Shakespeare-based double bill with Montague sticky blood puddles (and with the spills to be Basement’s contemporary take on The Taming of cleaned up – please!). the Shrew. (MS) For two hours non-stop, this bold interpretation Until Dec 10, performance days/times vary. of the Shakespearean tragedy only has seven actors. PACT Centre for Emerging Artists, There is one witch instead of a coven of three.

107 Railway Parade, Erskineville.

Delightful wood block percussion and thunderclap $21.89-$27.12.Tickets & info: sound effects indicate the act and scene changes. www.montaguebasement.com

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

a&e

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city hub 8 DECEMBER 2016

Christmas is coming, and whilst the past year has been a bit of a mixed bag, the Rockwiz team is aiming to put a smile on our collective faces with their Christmas(ish) show. The Rockwiz Orkestra plus guests will serve up seasonal songs while the effervescent Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis ask the curly questions.

For Nankervis, the Rockwiz concept was a winner from its inception. Recalling the early shows featuring the likes of Paul Kelly, Renee Geyer, Joe Camilleri, and Christine Anu, he points out that the show was hugely popular with the artists themselves: “They really liked doing the show because they realised that we took the music pretty seriously.”

While cast and crew have been together from the beginning, the undeniable mystery ingredient is the contestants. “They’re often the stars of the show because not being performers, they don’t behave in a usual way,” explained Nankervis. “When you get Barry, the bearded Bob Dylan fan from Hornsby, we don’t know how he’s going to react, and I love that. I think that’s a really crucial part of the show’s success.”

Nankervis stresses that it is the Christmas“ish” show, with a comedic twist on events that have shaped the year as well as paying tribute to some of our fallen idols. “There’s a Prince song and a magnificent tribute to Bowie, which we’re pretty excited about. It’s been a bit of a sad year so the plan is to finish with a few laughs.” (GW) Dec 10, 8pm. Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown. $96-$122.

Tickets & info: www.ticketek.com.au or call Enmore Theatre on (02) 9550 3666

Tri-Beckett: Three Short Plays by Samuel Beckett

able to get all up and personal with this absolutely incredible play,” said Quero.

“It is such an intelligent, nuanced and brutally honest deconstruction of relationships.The lies we tell ourselves and the ones we love, and what the Sydney locals are reprising one of the most cost of those lies really are.” famous and enthralling plays ever written, as Quero says this play is still important in society as independent theatre company Theatron Group Albee shines a light on what we most wish to keep takes on Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia in the dark:“In a world of social media where we Woolf? For those who aren’t familiar, the play get to edit our lives on a daily basis, and where we revolves around bitter couple George and Martha, witness only the edited version of others lives, who have young couple Honey and Nick over for seeing a play that dismantles all the construction we drinks after a staff party at the college where the protect ourselves with is incredibly cathartic.” two men work.The night turns into anarchy as This production is the first reprise of Who’s Afraid Martha and George snipe and each other while since Edward Albee’s death in September. (AMal) Honey and Nick try to decipher their complicated Until Dec 17, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 5pm. relationship.

The Greek Theatre, Bldg 36, Addison Road Actress Adele Quero, who plays Honey, said she Community Centre, 142 Addison Road, had never read or seen Who’s Afraid until being cast. Marrickville. $25-$35.

“I’d heard of it obviously, and I have loved being Tickets & info: www.trybooking.com

12 STAGE 13 Sounds 14 SCENE 15 SCREEN

Rockwiz Live!

The Christmas (ish) Show

In a creative exchange initiative with the North Sydney Library, Ninefold and Glorious Thing Theatre Co. (Meatafour) reignite their collaborative partnership with a showing of TriBeckett:Three Short Plays by Samuel Beckett at the historical Don Bank Museum.

In Footfalls, a lone figure paces back and forth in an endless conversation with a memory of her mother. Act Without Words II draws on Beckett’s dark humour as two tragic figures are goaded out of old sacks to stumble through their pointless existence. Not I, one of Beckett’s most challenging plays illuminating only the performer’s mouth, unleashes the fierce stream of consciousness of a woman who has been mute for most of her life.

Ninefold is Sydney’s only contemporary theatre ensemble working with the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, resulting in unimaginably rich performances drawing from the infamous methods of theatre director Tadashi Suzuki. Glorious Thing Theatre Co. is the presenting name for Erica J Brennan as a director, actor, writer and producer. Brennan’s work is typified

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

by a unique and ambitious style playing between magical naturalism and just plain magic.

“Beckett’s short plays are like paintings brought to life.They demand attention and it’s practically criminal they aren’t performed more often,” said Brennan, who both co-directs and acts in this production. (ES)

Until Dec 11, 8pm/6pm.The Don Bank Museum, 6 Napier St, North Sydney. $28.

Tickets & info: www.ninefoldensemble.com

Contributors: Carmen Cita, Craig Coventry, Greg Webster, Alicia Sim, Peter Urquhart, James Harkness, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Athina Mallis, Leigh Livingstone, Joseph Rana, Shon Ho, Jacqui Rothwell, Emily Shen, Andrew Hodgson, Irina Dunn, Caitlin Burns, Zeiya Speede, Rita Bratovich, Chantal Walsh, Raffaele Piccolo, Barbara Karpinski, Taylah Felice, Georgia Fullerton, Bobby Stephenson, Olga Azar, Kaiti Haviland, Daniel Jaramillo, Nina Beeston.

Photo: Sanja Simic

Route Dash Niner: Part 1

“We have received a promising signal from the corner of the universe that demands investigation.

We have formed an elite team of explorers who have volunteered to make the dangerous journey to the furthest depths of the galaxy in order to answer the signal’s call. We do not know what we will find, only that we must find it.”

Re:group performance collective present a sci-fi performance epic in two parts. Route Dash Niner: Part 1 comes to Sydney for one night only.

This unorthodox production sees us join the crew at the first conference for mission R-9, an unprecedented venture into deep space.

“We wanted to make a science-fiction film live on stage, with all the on-set tricks laid bare.

Performers jerking in their seats as their ship enters an asteroid belt, putting wire in our hair as we enter zero gravity, that sort of thing,” explains Jackson Davis, performer and devisor from

re:group. “And any truly important interstellar mission needs a launch, to explain the journey’s motivations, and commemorate the lives of those brave enough to go out there.”

Re:group themselves are an emerging group of artists and University of Wollongong graduates who explore and create new works from scratch.

In the creation and performance of this show Davis is joined by James Harding, Mark Rogers, Steve Wilson-Alexander and Carly Young.

Route Dash Niner will be their first performance presented in two parts, and this Sydney showing will be the final presentation of the ‘launch that stopped a nation’ before Part 2 comes to the public some six months from now. (AM) Dec 13, 8pm. Giant Dwarf Theatre, 199 Cleveland Street, Redfern. $15-$25.

Tickets: www.giantdwarf.com.au Info: www.regroupperformancecollective.org

Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE Sydney

By Jamie Apps

Boyce Avenue: A Florida-based band that consists of three brothers – Alejandro, Fabian, and Daniel Manzano – who quickly became one of the most popular and viewed bands on Youtube.

Tonight they return to Sydney for the first time since 2015 and are looking forward to meeting fans whilst enjoying our beautiful summer sunshine.

Thu, Dec 8, Enmore Theatre Lady Sings It Better: Have cooked up a tasty Christmas feast stuffed full of the most festive (and occasionally filthy) carols they could find to help you get your Yule on! Equal parts naughty and nice, their musical smorgasbord will dish up some well-loved childhood favourites along with delightfully questionable Christmas cheer such as the little known hits ‘Back Door Santa’ and ‘Leroy the Redneck Reindeer’.

Fri, Dec 9, Django Bar Tiwi Sistagirls: Hailing from Bathurst Island are a community of around 40 sistagirls – Aboriginal trans women – who support each other to sustain their tradition-rich culture in spite of discrimination and isolation from services.Tomorrow night they will host a fundraising dance party to help them get to Mardi Gras next year.Topping the bill are the Dreamtime Divas, composed of Dunghutti Queen Nova Gina and Kamilaroi Queen Lasey Dunaman, who will be travelling from the mid-north coast to deliver a high glamour performance with an empowering message.

Fri, Dec 9, Hermann’s Bar Andrew Robson: The Child Ballads is a new project from award-winning saxophonist and composer Andrew

Robson. Based on ballad texts from FJ Child’s iconic collection,The Child Ballads brings to life ancient folk tales of love, lust, treachery and murder.Andrew Robson breathes new life into the lyrics of eight English and Scottish folk ballads.

Sat, Dec 10, Seymour Centre Sound Lounge Celebrate Darling Harbour 2016: To mark completion of the three year, $1.5 billion development of the International Convention Centre (ICC Sydney) and revitalisation of Darling Harbour’s public domain, a free family concert headlined by Grammy award-winner Kimbra will be held this weekend.

Sun, Dec 11,Tumbalong Park Lianne La Havas: Stepping away from her duties supporting Coldplay during their current stadium tour around the country, English singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas will host one special headline performance for her devoted fans.

Mon, Dec 12, Oxford Art Factory Vancouver Sleep Clinic: Tim Bettinson, the creative force behind Vancouver Sleep Clinic, is a 21-year-old singer, songwriter and producer from Brisbane who has been hailed as the new teen wonder of Australian indie folktronic/R&B. Tue, Dec 13, Newtown Social Club Noël! Noël!: If any single concert sums up the spirit of the Brandenburg, it is the Noël! Noël! concerts with the acclaimed Brandenburg Choir.This week Paul Dyer will conduct a special performance with his own unique twist thanks to New Zealand’s stunning soprano Madison Nonoa.

Wed, Dec 14, City Recital Hall

Craig Robinson & The Nasty Delicious In his first ever Australian tour, Craig Robinson will be heading down under to captivate audiences with his band, The Nasty Delicious.

Known best for his role as Darryl Philbin in the Emmy Award-winning show, The Office (US), Robinson has also starred in hit films Hot Tub Time Machine, This Is The End, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Pineapple Express.

Comprised of Robinson and his brother Chris Rob on vocals, David Sampson on vocals and guitar, Asa Watkins on drums, Ethan Farmer and Brian Cockerham on bass, Winston Byrd on trumpet, and Lakecia Benjamin and Reggie Hines on saxophone, the band has appeared on The Office, Last Comic Standing and The Montreal Comedy Festival.

Touring with his seven-man band on a comedic-musical adventure, Robinson has made his mark in the comedy circuit both as a solo act and with the full band, tying together his lyrical comedy genius with his incredible keyboard skills.

This tour down under promises to showcase the full set of Robinson’s unique talents alongside the band’s creative fusion

of electric funk, Latin jazz, hard rock and soul – so come along for a night highlighting the perfect blend of stand up and musical comedy! (ES) Dec 14, 8pm. The Metro Theatre, 624 George St, Sydney. $71.90-$158.20.

Tickets & info: www.metrotheatre.com.au

Deep Sea Arcade

By Jamie Apps After four long years hidden in the darkness, Deep Sea Arcade are set to return in momentous fashion with their sophomore album, Learning To Fly. During their time out of the spotlight Nic McKenzie assures fans that they weren’t simply holiday, but rather they were “working hard writing around 50 to 60 songs” for the new record.

You might ask ‘why write so many songs?’ As Nic explained, it was because they “wanted to go in a slightly different direction to the first album; so that means it can take awhile because you might need to write that many songs before you find the right ones.”

Hearing a band say this can be concerning to fans, but Nic stresses that this record is still Deep Sea as you know it: “We’ve still got all of the elements we loved from Outlands but this time we’ve got the

production chops to fully realise them now.”

Obviously this suggests that throughout the four year hiatus the group grew and evolved as music producers, which was likely due in part to their side projects writing and composing film scores.

“Deep Sea has become more cinematic, there’s a much more electronic palette now and we’ve really gotten into keyboard and synth sounds.We haven’t abandoned guitar sounds altogether though, we’ve just focused on the other elements more this time around because we’re more confident with our skills...”

To celebrate the completion and imminent release of Learning To Fly, the group are hitting the road with a stop in Sydney tonight.

“We’re so excited about that [the Sydney show], we’ve got a full live band with us for this tour and all of the rehearsals are sounding really

Kingfisha – Offered It Up With the release of their second album, Brisbane band Kingfisha have constructed something that has a solid foundation in their reggae roots but draws upon contemporary influences for that added level of flair.

Obviously, having built their name on a reggae sound, the group wasn’t going to get away from this and as such this is the foundation layer upon which all 10 tracks on the record are built. It is however the craftsmanship that is then played onto this that has each song paving it’s own unique sound with influences from electronic bass music, jazz, pop and even rock all seeping in throughout.

Due to this ability to blend such a diverse array of sounds into the record it’s hard to truly say what the defining factor is here, but you simply cannot deny the overall quality of this record. (JA) WWW1/2

good,” Nic beamed, before joking that fans can expect to see “heaps of pyrotechnics”.

Looking ahead to the future, Nic see’s Deep Sea Arcade heading back into the studio to work on a few of the remaining tracks that didn’t quite make the cut this time around with the hopes that with new influences and inspirations these older songs may have a new life brought into them.

Dec 8, 8pm. Oxford Art Factory, 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. $15.

Tickets & info: www.oxfordartfactory.com

Jack River – Highway Songs No. 2 The Highway is a lonely place, and that sense of loneliness comes through the five tracks of HIghway Songs No. 2. Strong and so short that the listener must play it a few times to take it in.

A dreamy group of self aware ‘love songs gone wrong’, this brief album is a perfect accompaniment for a drive down a long road without any trees, cows or even other people.

Quirky and perceptive, these tracks are full of the other woman – she is so present in the mind that she strips the self away from the voice, leaving it bodiless, hanging over the top of a roadside stop, narrating the scene.The listener will want to crank this airy voice in the car when they are feeling especially invisible.

Electric and on the move, these highway songs add a bit of energy to a long monotonous drive. (SP) WWW city hub 8 DECEMBER 2016

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THE NAKED CITY

POO, POLES AND PRIORITIES! With Coffin Ed You might have recently read a call to the City Of Sydney to provide more 24 hour toilets to cater for both the homeless and punters out for a late night on the town. It’s not the first time this issue has been raised and you may remember the concept of “pissoirs”, emerging hydraulically from the pavement, that was mooted for Kings Cross and environs some years ago. However, the problem this time around is not so much number ones, but number twos.

Apparently residents in the city and inner city have complained of the increasing sighting of fecal remains, attributed to humans rather than dogs, possums and other species. Despite this ad hoc scatological survey, the Council has rejected a recent call by Labor councillor Linda Scott to provide more 24-hour conveniences.

Meanwhile you might have noticed the small army of cleaners who diligently attend to the city’s light poles, fastidiously removing any traces of sticky tape used by the pole posterers and even applying toothbrush style devices to leave them totally pristine. Immaculate at least for a couple of days, until the posterers reappear and there’s a poster on every pole from Kings Cross to Town Hall.

The same absurd scenario is repeated au nauseam and the annual bill must surely run to hundreds of thousands. Common sense suggests that the Council actually rent out the space on the poles to the poster people

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and reap a sizeable benefit. The pole posters themselves are more colourful than unsightly and do a lot to brighten up a number of otherwise drab thoroughfares like William Street.

The money saved by dispensing with the toothbrush brigade and the renting out of poles could be put towards supplying more round the clock thunder boxes (if you will excuse the colloquialism). Once again imagination and creativity could come to the forefront, with Sydney providing a series of tourist friendly outdoor crappers.

The classic ramshackle Australian outback dunny is an icon and Hyde Park could easily house a whole series of them, blasting out a non-stop loop of Slim Newtown’s ‘Redback On A Toilet Seat’ and providing a priceless photo opp for thousands of international visitors. Down in Belmore Park, a multicultural theme could be adopted, with the Council importing funky and almost folkloric latrines from all over the globe – like the Tunisian model pictured above.

Finally in this app mad world, the door is open for an enterprising start up – A’P’N’P (I.e. “air pee and poo”). City residents could list the use of their toilets, for a reasonable fee, offering a 24-hour service for anybody absolutely desperate to go (toilet paper included). On a busy Saturday night with a turnover of multiple patrons this could easily become quite lucrative and just another manifestation of the so-called sharing society.

In the meantime the only advice I can offer is just watch where you step!

Nic Bezzina – Release The Crowd

Live music photography has become a huge part of our culture, but rarely do the photographers turn the cameras away from the bands performing on stage to capture the energy and passion demonstrated by the crowds. Local photographer Nic Bezzina however is one photographer who has done just that, and in doing so captured an array of stunning images that he has compiled in a book, Release The Crowd, which he will be launching this weekend.

“I’d been shooting music festivals for a few years but I was getting to the stage where I was fed up with being crammed into a little photo pit with up to 40 other photographers all trying to capture essentially the same shots,” explained Nic. “My love of music started when I was in the mosh pits as a fan connecting with music that way. So I figured I’d start concentrating on crowd shots at that point, and soon

found those were the shots I was getting excited about.”

The feeling of excitement in these shots for Nic came from their unpredictability, and because they symbolised the mentality that he felt as a member of these crowds, to simply “throw yourself out there by taking a leap of faith to have fun”.

Publishing the book would not have been possible without the generous support of a crowd funding campaign, which Nic couldn’t be more grateful or happier for – although he is relieved to finally be at the point of launch: “It’s been a very long process because it was all self published, but I am very happy with the outcome and feel the quality of the book really stands up in a crowded market place.” (JA) Dec 10, 4-9pm. Goodspace Gallery, 115-119 Regent St, Chippendale.

Info: www.nicbezzina.com or www.releasethecrowd.com

The Legend of Ben Hall

There’s something quite remarkable about this Australian historical action drama, produced on a small budget and beautifully filmed throughout the picturesque Macedon Ranges in Victoria.The sheer scope of this character driven film is ambitious and deserves much accolade.

Based on a true story, the film is set in 1864 and surrounds Ben Hall, one of the most notorious bushrangers in Australian history.The film details the last nine months of his life, the highway robberies, the connection he had with his gang and how the killing of two policemen made them the most wanted outlaws in the colony with an eventual 3000 pound reward for their capture.

Jack Martin delivers a powerful performance in the titular role, supported by Jamie Coffa and William Lee as fellow bushrangers John Gilbert and John Dunn respectively. Coffa’s portrayal is exuberant and borders on flamboyant and effeminate at times.

Audiences may question whether this characterisation was historically accurate.

The success of this film lies in that it delves deeply into Hall’s character. He was not proud of what he had become, but desperately wanted his estranged son to know that he was his father before he became a criminal.

The arresting finale unveils his disturbing and unjustifiable death.

Ben Hall may have committed 600 highway crimes, but he never took a life, and yet was shot 30 times while unarmed. (MMo) WWW1/2 One exclusive screening to go at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter, Dec 11.Tickets & info: www.hoyts.com.au or www.thelegendofbenhall.com

Like Crazy

This astutely written feel-good dramedy is a surprisingly enjoyable Italian film which should have movie-goers leaving cinemas with huge smiles on their faces.

Set in a progressive psychiatric hospital in the Tuscan Hills of Italy, the story centres on the unlikely friendship which builds between two patients, Beatrice (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) a motor-mouthed and over-bearing fantasiser, and Donatella (Micaela Ramazotti), the younger of the duo who longs to see her son.

They flee the clinic and embark on a road trip exclaiming “We’ll have a crazy good time!”

Their newfound relationship is therapeutic

and both ladies are on personal missions which may restore happiness in their lives.

The comic elements in this film mainly derive from the award-winning performance by Tedeschi, whose on-screen presence will charm audiences and leave them pondering whether Beatrice is a scheming egotistical liar with mental issues or, more desirably, a likeable nutcase.

The mood abruptly changes in the last quarter of the film, where heart wrenching scenes deliver some surprises and shocks as both characters confront the issues in their lives. (MMo) WWW1/2

Bad Santa 2 It has been 13 years since Bad Santa made his first appearance on our cinema screens, and now the franchise has returned with a sequel still portraying much of the same shameful humour as the original.

Bad Santa 2 sees Billy Bob Thorton reprise his role as Willie Tugboat Stoke, the miserable drunk, who tries to have sex with every woman he meets and is now plotting to steal money from a christmas charity. The film certainly does its job in making you laugh at people’s stupidity, but doesn’t quite carry out the entire 90 minutes.

The same old gags keep getting rehashed and it seems to just get dumber and dumber as it plods along to the end. Bad Santa 2 is far from anything that will be talked about in years to come; a sequel that really is just capitalising on the success of its predecessor. (DJ) WW

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HAYMARKET

FLEMINGTON

WED 14TH DECEMBER

FRI 16TH DECEMBER

THUR 15TH DECEMBER

SUN 18TH DECEMBER

10am-6pm: Old To New Mural Painting 10am-6pm: Old To New Mural Painting

FRI 16TH DECEMBER

10am-6pm: Old To New Mural Painting

SAT 17TH DECEMBER

12pm-2pm: Santa Singers

11am-4:30pm: DJ Elf Spinning Christmas Tunes 1pm-1:30pm: Christmas Elves Hip Hop Style Show

10am-6pm: Old To New Mural Painting

1:15pm-3:15pm: Picture With Santa

SUN 18TH DECEMBER

1:15pm-3:15pm: Elf Face Painter

10am-6pm: Old To New Mural Painting

WED 21ST DECEMBER

FRI 23RD DECEMBER

12pm-2pm: Santa Singers

12pm-2pm: Soulfood Acapella Group

FRI 23RD DECEMBER

12pm-2pm: Soulfood Acapella Group 2pm-4pm: Picture With Santa 2pm-4pm: Elf Face Painter

free xmas events

WWW.PADDYSMARKETS.COM.AU city hub 8 DECEMBER 2016 16 PAD0366 - 2016_XMAS_TRADING_TIMES_CITYHUB_EVENTS_261x320_FA.indd 1

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