TANYA PLIBERSEK
Future Made in Australia
The Albanese Government is making the Australian economy more prosperous and resilient. We are putting our Future Made in Australia plan into action, so the nation makes the most of the major economic and industrial opportunities of the energy transition.
The Future Made in Australia is also about supporting emerging technologies in industries like green metals, clean energy manufacturing and low carbon liquid fuels through the creation of an Australia Innovation Fund.
A renewable future
The Albanese Labor government has ticked off a record number of renewable energy projects. And we have record numbers of renewable projects in the assessment pipeline: more than any other kind of project.
In just two years, we have green-lit a record 54 renewable energy projects, enough to power over three million Australian homes.
In just two years, our government has ticked off more renewable energy than would be generated by 8 large nuclear reactors.
Labor is delivering cheaper, cleaner energy right now. Australians and our precious environment cannot risk waiting decades for Peter Dutton’s dodgy nuclear plan.
The Coalition has spent a decade trying to kill off renewables and our transition to net zero. Now Peter Dutton’s reckless plan appears to be deliberately designed to put investment in renewables at risk.
Minimising waste through design and then recycling
Thanks to a $1 billion investment by the federal, state and territory governments, and industry, we’re increasing Australia’s recycling capacity by more than a million tonnes each year.
This includes $60 million for hard to recycle plastics like soft plastics. Under the Recycling Modernisation Fund, we’ve funded 60 additional plastic recycling facilities and sixteen of these have already been delivered.
We’re also backing stronger rules on waste. Environment ministers have agreed packaging will be subject to strict new government rules aimed at cutting waste and boosting recycling, making sure packaging waste is minimised and we’re designing waste out from the start. The rules will include mandatory packaging design standards and targets – including for recycled content and to address the use of harmful chemicals in food packaging.
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY
(See p.12)
HUBARTS: VAUDEVILLIAN PZAZZ
Chicago pleases fans and thrills newcomers.
(See p.18)
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PUBLISHED DATE 11 JULY 2024
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In 2021, Meta signed deals worth millions of dollars to pay some of Australia’s biggest publishers. This was in response to the News Media Bargaining Code, which was introduced to address the power imbalance between digital platforms and news publishers.
Essentially, the Code seeks to ensure that digital platforms remunerate news businesses when the platform generates more value from news content than the business creating the content obtains from its own distribution on the platform.
However, Meta announced earlier this year that they would not renew those commercial deals when they expire.
At the time, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese deplored the decision, saying “We know that it’s absolutely critical that media is able to function properly and be properly funded.”
“Journalism is important and the idea that research and work done by others can be taken free is simply untenable.”
Meta‘s statement that it will not renew its commercial deals with Australian publishers could lead to commercial sanctions under the News Media Bargaining Code. This will have a massive impact on how many news outlets reach their audiences, most of whom rely on social media platforms to get the latest updates.
WHAT EFFECT WILL THIS HAVE ON MEDIA OUTLETS?
While television remains the most popular news source in 2024, its dominance is being challenged by social media.
According to this year’s Digital News Report: Australia, by the University of Canberra’s News and Media Research
Centre (N&MRC), half of Australians are using social media as a source of news. 60 per cent of Gen Z relies on social media as their main source, a 17-percentage point increase since last year.
Instagram is now the top social media platform for news for this generation at 32 per cent.
We need to tackle the toxic business models and secret algorithms of these social media giants
But beyond engagement metrics, the changes are already having very real impacts on some of our biggest media outlets.
Recently, Channel Nine announced mass staff cuts, citing the weak advertising market as the reason, as well as the impending end of the commercial deal with Meta, which saw the media giant lose about $15 million in annual Meta revenue.
In response to the job cuts and evidence from Meta executives at the Parliamentary hearing into social media, the Greens criticised Meta for refusing to pay for news and journalism content.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Deputy Chair of the Joint Select Committee into Social Media and Australian Society, and Greens spokesperson for Communications, said, “Meta is trying to blackmail the Parliament by refusing to rule out banning all news on their platforms Instagram and Facebook, should they be Designated under the News Media Bargaining Code.”
She said it was clear that stronger laws were needed to protect Australians from “the predatory business models of Meta and other social media platforms.”
“I’m concerned these giant tech corporations are ripping off news content, costing Australian jobs and damaging our democracy,” she continued.
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We are witnesses to the causes that matter to our audience.
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Meta announced earlier this year that they would not renew commercial deals with Australian news companies.
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Demand for emergency food relief soars
BY GRACE JOHNSON, SYDNEY BALDWIN
Beloved community organisation
Addi Road has launched an appeal for emergency food relief, with demands skyrocketing by 180 per cent in just the past few months.
The community organisation has noted 2024 as one of the busiest years yet for their Food Justice Program as the cost of living surges.
“Clearly, people are doing it tough,” spokesperson Georgie Oakeshott told City Hub
“It’s busy, there’s a lot of people waiting to go into the pantry,” she continued. “We’ve got the fundraising callout going now because we could be doing so much more.”
The Addi Road Food Pantry, set up like a small supermarket, offers food at a reduced price to people in need, with no proof of income or visa status required.
Once someone spends over $5, they are offered free fruit, vegetables and bread.
At a time when people are going hungry, the amount of edible food going to landfill is shocking
Though the pantry receives generous donations, much of the food is bought by the organisation.
“The more we can fundraise, the more we can do,” Georgie reiterated. “It’s now more important than ever.”
As part of their efforts to fight food
insecurity, Addi Road also rescues 460,000 kgs of edible food per year from going to waste in the landfill. Even with minimal government funding, they are able to feed 425,000 people a year (over 8,500 a week).
Addi Road is a charity working to rescue food and fight hunger. Working with front line partners, they distribute over 20,000 free meals to vulnerable community members.
They are currently rescuing 460,000 kgs of edible food per year from going to waste in the landfill.
“At a time when people are going hungry, the amount of edible food going to landfill is shocking,” said Georgia. Also, now feeding 425,000 people a year, (over 8,500 people a week) Addi Road executes all of this with minimal government funding.
In addition, Addi Road also regularly offers free medical check-ups, legal consults, recycled clothing, toys, books, laundry and hair & beauty services. Those wishing to make a donation can do so on the Addi Road website.
Rosanna Barbero, CEO, Addison Road Community Organisation. Photo: Supplied
CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITIES
Shine
AWARDS CEREMONY & COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Wednesday 18 September 2024
Doltone House Hyde Park, Sydney
City of Sydney to cut ties
BY SYDNEY BALDWIN
The City of Sydney is looking into banning suppliers and investments from companies linked to Israel in a renewed push from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
In their June meeting, council voted on a historic motion that called on the council to prepare a report on their investment policy regarding “companies involved in, or profiting from, any human rights violations including the illegal occupation of the settlements in Palestinian territories and the supply of weapons”.
Now, more than ever,
The report seeks to “ensure that Council is not purchasing from companies involved in weapons on human rights abuses”, including the
97 companies which are currently named by the United Nations as having, “directly or indirectly, enabled, facilitated or profited from the construction and growth of settlements.”
“A
CRUCIAL FIRST STEP”
The motion, supported by Lord Mayor Clover Moore and her team of Independents, passed eight votes to two.
The Lord Mayor said, “Now, more than ever, we must use our voices to call for peace.”
“If the city’s voice in this campaign can put additional pressure towards a ceasefire and an end to the humanitarian crisis, then I think we should carefully review our investments and suppliers.”
Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore, who put forward the motion, described it as “a crucial first step.”
“This council has a strong investments policy that commits us not to invest in activities that involve the abuse of human rights or weapons,” said Cr Ellsmore.
“Boycotts work because they send an important message to governments and companies about our values. And they work because they remove real, tangible, financial support to those perpurtate violence and oppression.”
Liberal Councillor Lyndon Gannon, who opposed the motion, described it as “needlessly divisive”.
“At a time when antisemitism is going through the roof in this country it was an incredibly irresponsible thing to do,” he told City Hub.
“We are a local government, not the UN,” he added.
“When I have Jewish mothers calling me in tears because they’re scared to send their kids to school in uniform for fear of being attacked, I know antisemitism is rife.”
The City of Sydney was one of the first councils to call for a ceasefire in Australia, with a Greens motion put into place in December 2023 in support of a ceasefire and a vote cast in support of peace in October 2023.
In 2023, the City of Sydney undertook an investment policy to
avoid investments that could involve socially harmful activities including the abuse of Human Rights and Labour Rights, bribery, production or supply of armaments and the manufacturing of tobacco, alcohol, or gambling products. City of Sydney is now one of Australia’s largest councils making the effort to move towards divestment of suppliers and company investments that profit from or are complicit with these weapons on human rights abuses by the State of Israel throughout occupied Palestinian Territory.
Greens welcome new social and affordable homes in Eveleigh
Last week the Greens welcomed the announcement that the NSW Labor Government will develop public land at the Carriageworks precinct in Eveleigh to build 500 new homes, half of which will be social and affordable housing.
With median rent in NSW soaring to $700 a week and the national rental vacancy rate hovering at 1.3%, our communities desperately need genuinely affordable alternatives to a private rental market that is failing catastrophically.
But while this is a step in the right direction, NSW Labor needs to do more to meet growing community need. Retaining only half of the new dwellings to be built at Eveleigh as social and affordable housing means that the other 50% will be sold off to private developers - who won’t have any responsibility for ensuring the homes are actually affordable for those who need them.
This Labor Government was elected on an anti-privatisation agenda, and the Greens plan to hold them to this promise.
No government should be giving billionaire developers a blank cheque to turn the housing crisis into even greater profits.
This announcement is part of a broader state government plan to make unused public land available for housing, with the government earmarking 44 sites that will be used to build new homes across the state. The Greens are pushing for every single one of those sites to be dedicated to 100% public housing.
In our inner city area alone, over 700 approved applicants are facing up to 10 years on the waitlist for social housing: to address this enormous need, we must ensure that public land is used to deliver 100% public housing.
In the coming months and years we’ll be working closely with local residents and Homes NSW to ensure that these new homes are built to the highest design standards, are energy efficient, accessible, and well-integrated with local transport.
We’re committed to working across party lines to push NSW Labor to deliver on their promises and fix this housing crisis.
Scan the QR code to add your name to the call for the NSW Government to build more public housing, or sign the petition here: jennyleong.org/save_public_housing
Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown
Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore AO. Photo: James Gourley, AAP Image
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Remain vigilant and seek medical care if you experience any of the following: Ensure you’ve had two doses, available free without Medicare. Visit health.nsw.gov.au/mpox Rash or lesions (particularly on anal or genital areas), headache or body aches, tiredness & fever.
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LGBTQIA+ committee learns NSW Police intentions
BY GRACE JOHNSON
NSW Police could start implementing the recommendations from the Inquiry into LGBTQIA+ hate crimes within a month’s time, according to community members who attended an inaugural consultation with police.
On Tuesday, June 25, the NSW Government and senior NSW Police gathered with LGBTQIA+ community stakeholders and members in Sydney for the first LGBTQIA+ Consultative Committee, held at Qtopia.
Commissioner Justice John Sackar handed down his 19 recommendations over six months ago.
Since then, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has established the Task Force Atlas, an internal group to review the recommendations and respond as appropriate. Little else has been done.
Barry Charles, member of the First Mardi Gras Inc., told City Hub that during the meeting, in response to community inquiry about delays, that NSW Police would be implementing the recommendations shortly.
“Unfortunately, I think the police are waiting for the government itself,” he said in conversation with City Hub “The actual cabinet has not considered all the recommendations, and we were assured by the minister that they would be doing that within about a month’s time.”
“My opinion is that the police shouldn’t be waiting for that, and from what we were told, and in certain areas, they are not waiting for that,” he continued.
“Police have identified the areas in which they are deficient, which were highlighted during the commission, that is in the areas of record keeping, placement of forensic evidence, and they have strongly indicated they are going overtime to totally digitise their record keeping of assaults and traces of homicide.”
City Hub contacted NSW Police for confirmation, who said there was no timeline indicated by police, but “some recommendations align closely with initiatives underway.”
FINDINGS OF THE INQUIRY INTO LGBTQIA+ HATE CRIMES
The report from the Special Commission of ‘Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes’, released in December last year, was the result of an 18-month investigation suspicious deaths or unsolved murders of LGBTQIA+ people between 1970 and 2010.
Out of the 34 deaths investigated, Justice Sackar found there was “objectively reason to suspect that LGBTQIA+ bias was a factor” in 21 deaths, and that “LGBTQIA+ bias was a factor” in four deaths.
He said that the impact of the violence was exacerbated by some police officers whom he described as “indifferent, negligent, dismissive or hostile”.
He emphasised that the response to the deaths often mirrored the “shameful homophobia, transphobia, and prejudice” present in both society and the NSW Police.
WHO ATTENDED THE INAUGURAL MEETING
Among others, LGBTQIA+ community stakeholders present at the meeting included:
• Alex Greenwich MP for Sydney
• First Mardi Gras’ member Barry Charles
• QTOPIA board member and Independent, Garry Wotherspoon
• CEO of Sydney Gay Lesbian Mardi Gras Chief Executive Officer, Gil Beckwith
“We continue to be committed to improve the ways in which the organisation responds to LGBTQIA+ concerns and the involvement of community members in those discussions is vital.”
NSW Minister for Police and Counterterrorism Yasmin Catley acknowledged the enduring suffering of the victims of these hate crimes.
“The LGBTQIA+ Consultative Committee will enable community voices and experiences to help shape the NSW Police Force’s response to the Special Commission of Inquiry,” she said.
“I know that the NSW Police Force, under the leadership of Commissioner Karen Webb, is deeply committed to learning from the past and continuing to strengthen its relationship with the LGBTQIA+ community into the future. I know this work is and will continue to be taken seriously.”
“WE
CAN HAVE A LITTLE CONFIDENCE AT LEAST”
Discussing the inaugural meeting, Charles told City Hub that members of the community were initially cautiousthey had not received information about the terms of the discussion nor a list of the attendees.
• ACON CEO, Nicholas Parkhill
• CEO People with Disability Australia, Sebastian Zagarella
• Family Representative, Steve Johnson
Police have identified the areas in which they are deficient
Other community organisations invited included Trans Justice Project, BlaQ, Equality Australia and The Gender Centre.
Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she supported the establishment of the LGBTQIA+ Consultative Committee to ensure that community members are consulted, as the police force addresses the recommendations laid out by the inquiry.
“While some recommendations align closely with initiatives already underway, Taskforce ATLAS will thoroughly assess the recommendations as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the service and accountability of the NSWPF,” said Webb.
“The police established a task force, yet another task force, and we were concerned that this was just another way of shutting the community up, and not really getting to the real issues,” he said.
“But I think we can have a little confidence at least that we are now looking at a comprehensive process by the police to address all the issues that were in the Special Commission.”
“Some of those were addressing the actual culture in the police attitude to queer people, even after all these years when we’ve achieved law reform, on top of those individual cases that have to be resolved for friends and families of those victims.”
The first meeting focused on setting up the consultative committee and making sure it was totally inclusive, said Charles.
“We are there to oversee the fact that they’re changing the culture so that what happened in the past never happens again.”
The LGBTQIA+ Consultative Committee meetings will be held quarterly, with the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday 9 October 2024.
Alex Greenwich MP (centre), with 78ers Barry Charles (L) and Garry Wotherspoon. Photo: Alex Greenwich, Facebook
University of Sydney cracks down on student protest
GRACE
JOHNSON, SYDNEY BALDWIN
The University of Sydney has imposed tough restrictions on campus protests in a move that has been described as an attack of free speech and suppression of the right to protest.
The new policy was quietly updated by Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott late June. It replaces the former University of Sydney (Campus Access) Rule 2009 with the Campus Access Policy 2024, which requires students to notify the university of any protests or demonstrations at least three days in advance.
Under the new policy, students don’t need approval to do a demonstration if they have notified the university 72 hours in advance. However, they will need approval if they are to use a megaphone, an amplifier, put up a poster, or put up a temporary structure, which includes a table or a booth of some kind.
If students fail to comply, security reserve the right to ask for their names and addresses. If they refuse, security can ban them from campus. If students enter campus after that, security will
contact NSW Police “as soon as possible” and detain offenders.
“ANY FORM OF REAL PROTEST NOW REQUIRES APPROVAL”
Luke Mesterovic, a member of the Student Representative Council (SRC), said the student body “wholly reject” the changes and that “if we don’t protest these changes, we’ve essentially lost our right to protest altogether.”
The university is showing their true colours
Speaking to City Hub , he said, “The changes affect not only students, it affects staff and visitors, members, and the community who often come past and take part in these demonstrations. It also doesn’t just affect left-wing activism. It affects other socialist groups, Christians, Muslims, and clubs and societies that want to set up a booth.”
“All of that is now contingent upon what university security thinks of them,
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and whether they can give 72 hours prior notice. Any form of real protest now requires approval.”
In his email to university staff and students, the vice-councillor asserted that “at its core, this policy upholds our commitment to free speech—while recognising we need to be able to manage our environment for the safety and security of all.”
But Mesterovic highlighted the “hypocrisy” of a university that “prides itself on being a bastion of free speech and liberal values, while carrying out laws and rules as repressive as this.”
When the university shut down the 2-month long encampment, erected in
solidarity with Palestine, some Jewish groups and politicians were critical, saying the university should have done something sooner. There has also been increasing commentary on Jewish students not feeling safe at the university.
In response to this, Mesterovic said, “I personally feel a lot less safe if students, staff and members of the community don’t have the ability to protest the wrong things that university management does.”
“The university is showing their true colours by demonstrating that they don’t like being held to account by the democratic mandate of the students and staff.”
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The University of Sydney. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Calls mount for NSW Premier to implement pill testing
BY ASPEN ABNER
In response to the rise of a deadly drug and a string of overdoses, the Victorian Government announced on Monday, June 24, that they will conduct a pill testing trial for 18 months with plans to make the service permanent. Calls are now mounting for NSW Premier Chris Minns to step up and do the same.
Nitazene is a potent substance 500 times stronger than heroin, according to NSW Health, and is continuously found in illegal drugs across the state.
Yet despite rising pressure on the premier to follow the example of other states and implement pill testing, there was no funding in last week’s budget for the long-awaited Drug Summit.
Pill testing is a harm reduction strategy that allows a person to find out what the pill contains, preventing people from using “unusually strong or contaminated drugs”.
PILL TESTING IS PROVEN TO SAVE LIVES
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced the change after four deaths were reported over the weekend due to suspected drug overdose.
“I want to be really clear here – this doesn’t make drugs legal and it most certainly doesn’t make drugs safe,” Allan said.
“We’re doing this because all the evidence says it works. The evidence tells us it changes behaviour. It’s a simple, commonsense way to save lives.”
“We’ve seen an increasing number of overdoses across the country being caused by the extremely deadly substance nitazene,” said Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and drug law reform and harm reduction spokesperson.
“No matter what you think about drugs, you can’t stop people from taking them. But you can stop people dying from them,” she continued.
The US and UK have seen high numbers of overdoses with substances like fentanyl and nitazene being found in heroin, cocaine, ice, and other illegal drugs.
Pill testing is available in countries around the world, including the UK, Spain, and New Zealand. In Australia,
ACT was the first state to implement pill testing at the Groovin’ the Moo Festival in 2018 and 2019, becoming the first state to introduce a governmentapproved fixed pill testing site. Queensland followed suit earlier in 2024.
According to research, Australians are becoming more in favour of pill testing. The 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey indicated that 57 per cent of Australians supported pill testing and 27 per cent were directly opposed.
“Increasingly, illegal drugs are starting to be found cut with these substances here in Australia too. This should be ringing alarm bells at the highest levels,” continued Faehrmann.
“The majority of the public supports pill testing and it’s proven to save lives. Let’s just get on with it.”
NOT ENOUGH SPENT ON HARM REDUCTION
The last Drug Summit was held 25 years ago by then-Premier Bob Carr in response to families losing loved ones addicted to, and dying from, heroin. The summit resulted a recommendation to establish a medically supervised injecting centre to save lives, which has been operating in Kings Cross since 2001.
Lydia Shelly, the president of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, has also called on Premier Chris Minns and the state
Labor party to honour their election commitment and promise to the people of NSW and announce the date for a 5-day NSW Drug Summit.
“Prior to the election Drug Law Reform was one of Labor’s ‘top priorities’,” said Shelly.
“For the last two elections Labor has promised to hold a drug summit to bring ‘all the policy experts together’. With the Government’s radio silence on this issue, the people of NSW continue to suffer from an outdated, harmful approach to drugs.”
The majority of the public supports pill testing and it’s proven to save lives
Emphasising the need for healthinformed responses, Shelly said, “We are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis where vulnerable people find themselves with very limited options to seek treatment and support for problematic drug use.”
“We know that this group faces needless, expensive and harmful interactions with the criminal justice system - all of which can be disastrous for them, their families and our community.”
“People who face drug dependency should be able to access treatment and support services, not gaol.”
“We know from UNSW’s Policy Modelling Program that Australian governments spend more on law enforcement in illicit drug policy than treatment, prevention and harm reduction combined, with nearly 65% of the funds spent on law enforcement, and less than 2% on harm reduction.”
Minns has previously stated that there is no safety in drug consumption, and he would have already implemented pill testing if it was the solution.
“It’s not simply the case that people are taking compromised drugs and a pill-testing regime would allow a festivalgoer to understand that,” he said in October last year following the deaths of two men who died after attending the Knockout Festival music festival in Western Sydney.
“I’d make the decision yesterday if it was the single decision the government could take to save lives but at the end of the day this is risky, it’s risky if you take ecstasy at a festival.”
IMPACTS OF THE MEDIA ON PILL TESTING DEBATE
City Hub spoke with Katherine Scanlon, a PhD candidate at Victoria University, who is currently researching pill testing and how it is presented in the media and on social media.
“Pill testing is a harm reduction strategy. It doesn’t increase harm, it just helps reduce it,” Scanlon explained. “It’s not new. It’s something that’s been happening globally for many years.”
“We’ve seen that pill testing can help make people not take drugs. It can reduce the amount of drugs people take.”
She emphasised the humanity of people impacted by drug use, saying “we need to keep young people safe. We need to keep them alive so that they can go home to their families.”
On why people oppose pill testing, Scanlon explains the rhetoric of ‘just say no’ to drugs has been around for the last 50 years. “It’s difficult for society to move on from this moral stance, but young people don’t deserve to be harmed or die just because they make one risky decision.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns. Photo: Dan Himbrechts, AAP Image
NSW Government plans 300 homes for Blackwattle Bay
BY GRACE JOHNSON
In what will be “the last piece of the Blackwattle Bay puzzle”, the NSW Government is proposing to alter planning controls at the Sydney Fish Market to add 300 new homes to the area.
If approved, the proposal will see the new residential properties replace some commercial development that had been planned for the site, which currently has an equal split between residential and commercial. The new proposal would alter the land-use controls to allow 70 percent residential and 30 percent commercial.
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the NSW Government is focused on delivering housing and building communities.
“Blackwattle Bay will provide muchneeded housing supply, while unlocking the economic and social potential of the area and creating thousands of jobs,” he said.
“Once complete, the precinct will be connected to a range of local public transport options, public open space
and the iconic new Sydney Fish Market which is expected to welcome over 6 million visitors per year.”
The announcement comes as an effort to tackle the housing crisis, but some are questioning whether local infrastructure would be able to support the injection of 300 new units.
MORE HOUSING WON’T FIX THE HOUSING CRISIS
Member for Balmain Kobi Shetty said the construction of the new homes would have a “negligible impact” on the current housing crisis.
Local residents are rightly concerned about the potential impact of another 300 residential units
“While supply plays a part, the government needs to ensure that people can actually afford to live in some of these new homes,” she told City Hub. “This plan will do nothing to help those who are currently struggling to pay their rent or buy a home.”
Speaking about the impact on locals, she said, “Local residents are rightly concerned about the potential impact of another 300 residential units on local amenity, including traffic congestion and parking, with over 6 million visitors per year expected to visit the new Sydney Fish Market nearby.”
“We need to ensure that any increased density for residential is met with a significant investment in public infrastructure including world class public transport, as well as proper funding for local schools and hospitals,” she continued.
The injection of 300 new homes would see a significant increase in the demand for parks, she said, reiterating calls for
Wentworth Park to cease its use as a greyhound racetrack and be returned to the community.
A previous government plan to build 1150 residential apartments and highrise towers of 45 storeys garnered significant backlash, with community members saying the height would overshadow the bay and would neither complement nor enhance the area.
In an opinion piece by Dr Hannah Middleton, she said the plans would “create an alienating concrete jungle” and that the high-rise developments would “destroy any chance to rejuvenate the Blackwattle Bay Precinct and create spaces that sit well with our quality of life.”
Blackwattle Bay. Photo: Infrastructure NSW
Businesses suffering on Oxford St offered little assurance
BY GRACE JOHNSON
An information session with developers Ashe Morgan has failed to assure the small businesses suffering from delayed construction on Oxford Street.
Roughly one hundred individuals, mostly small business owners, were present at the event on Wednesday night, June 26. Hosted by the Darlinghurst Business Partnership, the session also saw Lord Mayor Clover Moore and other City of Sydney representatives attend.
The representative from Ashe Morgan said construction would be finished by the first half of next year. But small business owners were audibly disgruntled that they had not been updated on the delays, which have now stretched well beyond the expected timeframe.
At the beginning of the meeting, Steph Győry from Darlinghurst Business Partnership said to the room that everyone needed to “come together and focus on the positive. If we continue dragging down Oxford Street, it becomes self-perpetuating”.
The Ashe Morgan representative said, “It’s always darkest before dawn.”
“There’s still a bit more suffering to go but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” he continued.
“And I know you don’t want to hear this, but a lot of money is going into Oxford Street.”
EFFORTS TO REVITALISE OXFORD STREET
The $200 million project aims to create a parallel street behind Oxford Street (Foley Street) in a Melbourne-style laneway that offers outdoor dining and entertainment.
In 2018, in an effort to revitalise the area, City of Sydney began a campaign seeking interest in a 99-year lease for three commercial Oxford Street buildings.
Ashe Morgan, in partnership with developer TOGA Group, signed on 99year leases on the buildings in 2019.
The three properties are situated at the northern end of Oxford Street, numbers 56-76, 82-106 and 110-122, and occupy more than 40 per cent of the street frontage between Oxford Square
and Taylor Square. That’s a combined 14,500 square metres of gross floor area.
The project also includes major commercial office and retail development in the precinct, adding to the heritage sites a stepped-back rooftop extension. This will provide 9200 square metres of commercial space for creative, tech and new businesses, 2300 square metres of retail and a 75-room boutique hotel.
But the presentation showed an artist’s impression of a proposed rooftop bar that was distinctively corporate and lacking in Oxford Street spirit. One member of the audience pointed this out, saying it looked very “straight” and “lacking in diversity”.
Another rightly questioned whether the t0-be tenants, including makeup giant Mecca, restaurant Big Poppa’s and food chain Fishbowl, as well as other highend street labels, would be in line with the iconic strip’s essence.
The Ashe Morgan representative’s response? “We don’t discriminate. Anyone can apply for tenancy.”
No mention was made of prices, whether existing small businesses could be priced out, and how this would affect their foot traffic - Lord Mayor Clover Moore previously attributed the downfall of Oxford Street to the construction of Westfield shopping centres at either end of the strip.
SMALL BUSINESSES AFFECTED
Construction on the Oxford & Foley project recently halted after previous contractors got locked out of the site. The boarded-up blocks have severely impacted the foot traffic and vibrancy of the strip, compounded with the 2014 lockout laws and the pandemic.
The project was originally slated to be completed by mid-2023, in time for the 2024 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. After the Ashe Morgan representative said it will be finished by mid-2025, small businesses present that evening questioned if they’d actually be consulted on the timeline.
Any more disruptions and I don’t think we’ll be here anymore
“With pleasure,” the representative said.
A small business owner replied, “Okay, because I didn’t hear anything from you guys for two years.”
“Construction is not easy,” the representative repeated. “There’s still a bit more suffering to go, but it’s going to be worth it.”
The lord mayor also offered little comfort to the small business owners. She referenced the success of George Street, to which members of the
audience called out, “We don’t want Oxford Street to become George Street.”
In her address, Moore continued to recite a familiar spiel about what has already been done - security guards wearing “PrideVis” vests, free Sunday admission to Qtopia, cycleways, and the recently updated rainbow crossings.
A member of the audience told City Hub, “We don’t need all these rainbow crossings.”
“No one can even sit down in Taylor Square. Now they’re talking about setting up chairs during the day then taking them away at night, what’s that all about?”
Ken Holmes from Aussie Boys, who previously described the whole saga as “disastrous”, told City Hub that the whole meeting was “disappointing” but that he also “wasn’t surprised.”
“I’ve been to about 20 of these meetings in my lifetime” he said, “and nothing ever happens.”
Another member of the audience referenced to City Hub how a court ruled last year that two businesses affected by the construction of the light rail were entitled to damages from Transport NSW, after disruptions along George Street extended beyond the expected timeline.
“If nothing improves, we’ll probably look into that,” they said.
“Any more disruptions and I don’t think we’ll be here anymore.”
Oxford Street at Taylor Square. Photo: ArliftAtoz2205, Shutterstock
The first Special Entertainment Precinct in NSW
BY HOPE PRATT
Enmore Road has been announced as the first permanent Entertainment Precinct in NSW. Following a successful two-year trial, Enmore Road Precinct has improved the area for local businesses and artists alike as a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP).
The Inner West is NSW’s largest creative arts community and features some of Sydney’s most famous bars, venues, breweries, and restaurants. Under SEP provisions, Enmore Road has flourished, breathing new life and vibrancy in the nightlife of the areas and prompting the Inner West’s Council to make the change permanent.
Mayor Darcy Byrne said of the decision, “The Inner West is the beating heart of Sydney’s live music scene and Enmore Road is now a destination for people throughout Sydney.”
“It’s a win for artists, local businesses and the community.”
Deputy Mayor, Chloe Smith shared Byrne’s sentiments stating, “Enmore Road is proof that Special Entertainment Precincts are helping to revive our nighttime economy and live music scene.”
Minister for Music and Night-time
Economy, John Graham also commented on Enmore’s success, saying it “proves Sydney can have both a safe and a vibrant nightlife, catering for a wide range of ages, tastes and budgets.”
“ANOTHER EXCITING STEP”
Under SEP provisions, an additional hour of trading for hospitality venues that host live entertainment is allowed, along with approval for later outdoor dining until 11:00 pm every night.
It’s a win for artists, local businesses and the community
“Later trading on Enmore Road as a reward for hosting gigs has been a boon for our bars, restaurants, pubs and performing artists. As a result, we’ve had several new hospitality venues set up on Enmore Road since the trial began”, commented Byrne.
Additionally, all main street businesses are allowed to host small-scale artistic and cultural events without the need for a Development Application. Governmental policing Inner West complaints has also been reduced to a single agency.
According to Deputy Mayor Smith, the hope is that more precincts will be established in the future and allow for more opportunities for local businesses and artists in other Inner West suburbs.
Following the success of Enmore Road, 18 other councils across NSW are looking to establish their own nightlife centres, including Burwood, the Northern Beaches, Waverley and the City of Sydney.
Earlier in July, the Inner West Council announced they would expand to six new areas were live music and performance can flourish. The new
SEPs will be located in Balmain, Dulwich Hill, Leichhardt, Marrickville North, Marrickville Town Centre, and Rozelle.
Minister Graham, went on to state, “This is another exciting step in rebuilding Sydney’s night-time economy after the era of lockouts and lockdowns.”
“This is part of the government’s wider vibrancy agenda which is about rebuilding the night-time economy block-by-block, neighbourhood-byneighbourhood. The success in Enmore shows that we’re well and truly on the way.”
Wests Tigers confirm Leichhardt Oval as home grounds
BY ASPEN ABNER
Wests Tigers have officially confirmed they will continue to play at Leichhardt Oval for the next three years, another step in securing the beloved oval’s future.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said, “The eighth wonder of the world has been saved and will now continue to be
a spiritual home for Wests Tigers into the future.”
“Tigers fans will be relieved and excited to know that our famous ground will continue to host Wests Tigers games into the future.”
The club will play three NRL matches per season at Leichhardt Oval, as well as a pre-season game for 2025 and 2026.
The status of Leichhardt Oval was previously up in the air as NSW Premier Chris Minns claimed the state was in no financial position to contribute towards the stadium renovation. He had also refused to divert funds allocated for Penrith Stadium.
The Wests Tigers has long voiced concerns about the grounds’ conditions and facilities and had repeatedly threatened to leave the next season if conditions didn’t improve.
$40 MILLION JOINT INVESTMENT
Inner West Council initially donated $10 million towards renovation, but it wouldn’t have been enough without state and federal assistance.
Mayor Byrne expressed his gratitude towards Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson and Chair Barry O’Farrell who helped to secure state and federal Government funding.
In June, the federal government, NSW government, and Inner West Council announced a joint $40 million investment into Sydney’s Leichhardt Oval. This
includes a $20 million contribution from the Albanese government, and $10 million from the state.
The mayor said the upgrade was long overdue.
“Wests Tigers will have a spiritual home there and this will become a hub for female sports right across Sydney,” he said.
The eighth wonder of the world has been saved
“This is such a fantastic thing that the local community will be able to continue to use this institution for many decades to come.”
The renovation draws on the council’s master plan for the oval and will increase seating capacity by 3000 seats, a new northern grandstand, and new female changing rooms.
It will be combined with $40 million from the Inner West Council to upgrade Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre, which is next door to Leichhardt Oval.
Enmore Road has inspired 18 other councils across NSW to establish their own nightlife neighbourhood. Photo: 2SER
Wests Tigers fans at Leichhardt Oval. Photo: Wests Tigers website
BONDI’S WINTER WONDERLAND
BY ASPEN ABNER
The legendary sands of Bondi Beach might not be the first place you’d expect to find a winter wonderland.
However, with the ongoing Bondi Festival, you can find a wave of incredible activities at the world-famous beach that are only available during the winter season.
Classic attractions from previous years such as the beachfront iceskating rink and Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel return in full force, allowing festival goers to experience a version of Bondi Beach only available during the chilliest time of the year.
Though these old favourites are sure to gather crowds, this year’s Festival also offers a number of shows, concerts and special activities across 17 jam-packed days; with events suitable for families and other experiences catering to an adult crowd, this year’s festival has something for everybody.
Tanya Goldberg, who leads the Arts, Culture and Events portfolio at Waverley Council, says that the festival is “a magic time of year when Bondi’s beautiful wintery beachscape is transformed with some of the most dynamic, surprising and inspiring arts experiences on offer.”
Furthermore, Goldberg gave an indication of what audiences can expect from the 2024 Festival: “Always innovating, we have a brand new street party in the heart of Bondi this year, alongside those old favourite attractions and gobsmackingly talented performers across all art forms.”
Read on to get a taste of some of the Festival’s most exciting ticketed events!
BURNOUT PARADISE
From Thursday 11 July to Saturday 13 July, don’t miss Burnout Paradise (our cover photo), which sold out at Melbourne Fringe and RISING. Simply put, it’s a hilarious escalating series of tasks on treadmills. It’s not to test endurance but to celebrate the collective struggle we all can relate to. You’re guaranteed to laugh more than sweat.
WEREWOLVES
These body-positive life drawing classes include themed line-ups featuring guest artists, portraits, and talking heads. Under the guidance of these guest artists, you’re sure to enjoy your time while refining your drawing skills.
BLOOD ON THE CLOCKTOWER
Time will feel like it’s slipping through your fingers when you immerse yourself in Blood on the Clocktower, Sydney’s ultimate social dedication board game on Sunday July 14. This chaotic comedy show has a team of comedians trying to figure out one another’s secret identities, which the audience members know. What follows is a deeply chaotic night of manipulation, as each comic uses their improv abilities to bluff and lie their way to victory.
HELIOS
Starting Thursday, July 11until Sunday, July 14, Werewolves is back and better than ever! Werewolves is an interactive mix of a game and show where you work together with the rest of the audience and game master Nicholas Giles Phillips to discover who amongst you are the murderous werewolves. Put on your detective cap or be ready to hide your tracks at this award-winning show.
GADDY DRAWING CLUB
Selling fast, Gladdy Drawing Club is teaming up with Bondi Festival again on Thursday 11 July and Sunday 14 July.
boasts an award-winning tale from the storytellers Wright & Grainger. From Thursday 11 to 14 July, audiences can enjoy this contemporary retelling of the Ancient Greek tale about the son of the sun god Helios. This modern-day myth winds through rural England and ventures into the everyday living of a towering city in a thoroughly engaging narrative.
SEASIDE SKETCH SESH
No matter your drawing abilities, on Sunday 14 July you can fine-tune your seaside sketching skills with awardwinning artist Cameron Stead. This is a relaxing art class for families or individuals wanting to discover the fundamentals of beach artistry.
ALLY MORGAN
Local musical comedian Ally Morgan is premiering her new show, Hymns
From My 20s, at this year’s festival. Morgan’s combination of storytelling and songwriting gives viewers an amusing retrospective through songs she wrote in her 20s, taking viewers on a journey through her ‘greatest hits’ and her neverbefore heard songs. Tag along and laugh as you relate to the oft-painful learning of life lessons from Thursday 18 to Sunday 20 July.
GOULD
STREET PARTY
Gould Street will be closed off and made into an all-day street party from 11 am to 4 pm! This street will have live music, performances, activities, street trading, food, drinks and overall fun as well as special offers from local businesses and Gould Street fashion houses nearby to celebrate.
THE BONDI SOCIAL
For something different, The Bondi Social also takes place on Saturday 20 July and is a night fully dedicated to helping you get your groove on. Inspired by the 1960s and 70s dance halls and tunes, it’s an ode to a bygone era that’s perfect for those who don’t regularly frequent nightclubs but still enjoy a good dance. There’s even a free dance workshop for those who purchase a ticket to get you warmed up and ready to kill it on the dancefloor.
Werewolves.
Photo: Madison Griffiths
Bond i SocialGECC.
Photo:TheRivoli
Ferris wheel. Photo: Supplied by Bondi Festival
Queer Powerpoint. Photo: Laura du Ve
COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY
The ABC have been running an excellent series titled ‘Stuff The British Stole’, in which Marc Fennel concentrates on museum pieces that the British Empire stole in the colonial era. But there’s something else the British continue to steal – our true identity as a nation, a result of our continued allegiance to their oft-dysfunctional royal family.
We’ve always regarded ourselves as an egalitarian, almost classless society, but the pomp and pageantry of the British monarchy has always had a certain appeal in this country, even though the history behind it is one of ruthless colonisation, the subjugation of non-Anglos and the mass looting of their empire.
Why can’t we be like Barbados who became the world’s newest republic when they happily ditched the British monarchy after 300 years of colonisation in 2021? King Charles attended a ceremony in Bridgetown, making an address where there was no mention of the millions of pounds in reparation
that Barbados should be entitled to after years of British exploitation.
The trashing of the Tories in the recent UK election might give some hope to ‘Republic’, the British republic pressure group working to replace the monarchy with a parliamentary republic who now have 140,000 registered supporters. But they continue to battle against ingrained monarchist sentiment
and a mass media that sees the royals as a valuable cash cow.
Why do the TV stations, both the commercial and the ABC, continue to do it? Because the royal family, with all their minor dramas, family riffs, sex scandals, health problems and assorted dysfunction, have provided a daily soap opera since the birth of television in the 1950s which many still have an appetite for.
Whether we will ever have another referendum to ditch this wretched anachronism is difficult to say. It’s unlikely to ever occur under a Liberal Coalition, although it was Malcolm Turnbull who headed the 1999 Republic referendum Yes campaign.
However, public perceptions do change, and the monarchy might become irrelevant considering nearly a third of all current Australians were born in overseas countries. Yet it’s equally likely that when the more marketable William and Kate take over from Charles and Camilla, the royal media machine will get a major shot in the arm.
In the meantime, join the Australian Republic Movement, turn the six o’clock news off ten minutes before it ends with some trivial piece of bullshit from Buckingham Palace, drag out an old Sex Pistols ‘God Save The Queen’ t-shirt and wear it with pride and sing the praises of Oliver Cromwell to any diehard monarchists you might encounter.
Photo: Jonathan Yeo on Facebook
HubARTS
AUSSIE PUNK
New book Orstralia chronicles
turbulent punk scene (See p.21)
CHICAGO’S STUNNING SYDNEY PRODUCTION
BY RITA BRATOVICH
On the surface, Chicago seems like it’s all sizzle, pop, and melodrama (and it is all that) but underneath the ice is a steady flow of cynicism and social commentary; a Brechtian level psycho-political critique delivered with sexually-charged, self-referential Vaudevillian pzazz.
The current Australian tour of Chicago is playing now in Sydney, and if audience reaction is anything to go by, it’s a winner. With an all-new cast and some tweaks since the 2019 revival, this production feels fresh.
Zoë Ventoura takes on the role of lead vixen, Velma Kelly, playing her as brassy yet vulnerable. Ventoura moves with slick fluidity and sings with conviction. She has several great solos and duos, notably her moment with Mama Morton singing “Class”.
TOSCA A REAL TEARJERKER
Lucy Maunder is delightful as the faux ingenue, Roxie Hart. Maunder’s beautiful blending of villainy and cuteness makes us love, hate, love Roxie. Maunder has several stand-out moments including the eponymous, “Roxie”.
Traditionally depicted as flashy, garish, shady, Billy Flynn is slightly more elegant, though still unscrupulous and sinister in the hands of distinguished theatre veteran Anthony Warlow, who is in fine voice and cuts an imposing figure on stage.
One of the key roles in Chicago is Matron “Mama” Morton, the jail warden with a heart of steel who is both den mother and impresario. It’s a meaty part that requires big personality, and US-born Australian Asabi Goodman bats it into the stands. When she sings “When You’re Good To Mama” she’s basically alone on stage with a spotlight and no other frills or effects, but she serves it up like a roast dinner with all the trimmings.
Comedy favourite and TV celebrity Peter Rowsthorn has the crowd eating out of his hand the minute he walks on stage. As Roxie’s tragically clueless husband Amos Hart, Rowsthorn delivers comic pathos that’s frequently quite moving. His stand out song is the brilliant “Mr Cellophane”, another stripped back solo number that brings down the house.
The company is an extraordinary group of dancers seemingly made of quicksilver. They all do double time in minor, non-speaking parts, and, together with a jazz band
BY IRINA DUNN
Directed by Edward Dick, this staging of Puccini’s much-beloved opera Tosca comes from Opera North.
The magnificent Giselle Allen sings the role of Floria Tosca as she is sprawled in the bedroom of predatory Chief of Police, Scarpia – the Harvey Weinstein of the day. Gevorg Hakobyan realises the evil intent of this nasty character, who likes his victims to beg for mercy.
Tosca has made a deal with Scarpia in order to save the life of her lover, the painter Cavaradossi, sung by Young Woo Kim, whose rich tenor fach was a thrill to listen to, especially in the moving aria “E lucevan le stelle” which he sings as he faces execution.
Tosca doesn’t keep her side of the bargain with Scarpia, and with the audience fully on side, she stabs him to
death!
What follows is for you to find out, but bring some tissues – you’ll need them at the end of this tragic opera, in which Puccini plumbs the depths and heights of emotion in his score.
The orchestra sings under the baton of Johannes Fritzsch, while director Edward Dick succeeds in drawing parallels between Scarpia and today’s sexual predators.
The set design by Tom Scutt was simple and effective, while the atmospheric lighting was designed by Lee Curran and realised by Jason Morphett.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see a terrific visiting production of a legendary opera.
Until August 16 2024 at the Opera House www.sydneyoperahouse.com
that is completely visible on stage, they give a very strong sense of integration to the whole show.
Ann Reinking’s New York production choreography, which is modelled on the original choreography of legendary Bob Fosse, is retained here and performed with elastic sensuality.
This is a stunning production that will please the faithful and thrill newcomers.
Until July 28 2024 at the Capitol Theatre chicagomusical.com.au
ICONIC THEATRE IN VOLUNTARY ADMINISTRATION
BY JOSH KERWICK
Sydney theatre-makers Darlinghurst Theatre Company announced on June 18th that they entered voluntary administration.
BRI Ferrier’s Jonathon Keenan and Peter Krejci have been announced as the Joint & Several Administrators of the theatre company as they seek a means to “save or restructure” the business. They have asked any parties interested in assisting with recapitalisation and restructuring the business to contact the Administrator’s office urgently.
Following the announcement, upcoming events from DTC were cancelled. Ticket holders are encouraged to seek their refunds through a chargeback from their banks.
The announcement came less than two weeks after the company released a post requesting donations, outlining
that only 2% of their funding comes from the government, while ticket sales and donations make up the rest.
They said: “Reaching that 98% has been an uphill battle for us this financial year. We’ve been tirelessly fighting to keep our doors open amidst financial challenges, and now, more than ever, we need your support to ensure the future of DTC’s ambitious legacy.”
Despite the successes of the last year, like creating a four-show season for Sydney World Pride and touring the acclaimed Overflow to Queensland and Victoria, DTC has endured serious financial hardship.
Created in 1993 by Glenn Terry, DTC is currently based in the Eternity Theatre and has long been a premier not-forprofit theatre troupe in Sydney.
The future of DTC is currently unclear. No further details are currently available.
Photo: Jeff Busby
Photo: Opera Australia
CUT CHILLI CONTINUES OLD FITZ STREAK
BY JOHN MOYLE
The roll of hot productions continues at the Old Fitz Theatre when the new comedy 'Cut Chilli' opens in July.
The work is from the pen of Sri Lankan-Australian playwright Chenturan Aran, who has already picked up awards for best new writing and received development work by major Australian theatre companies.
This production of Cut Chilli is under the direction of David Burrowes, co-founder of STUDIO NOCTURNA and produced by New Ghost Theatre Company’s Lucy Clements and Emma Wright.
Cut Chilli tells the little known story of illegal adoptions from the broken island of Sri Lanka at the end of the civil war.
“For me the play started off as a rich metaphor for my experiences as a brown boy in a predominantly white country,” Chenturan Aran, playwright said.
“The unique experience of not being raised by your biological parents in your homeland is one of the rarest experiences you can have as a human being.”
The story is seen through the eyes of Jamie, who believes he was abandoned as a baby in Sri Lanka; at least, that’s the story that his mother Katherine has always told him.
“He’s told his skin colour is irrelevant to his identity and that he seamlessly belongs in the McKenzie family, but he’s constantly reminded by his environment that he’s different,” Aran said.
With the script developed from interviews with adoptees in Australia conducted by Aran, director David Burrowes also sees a lot of humour in the story.
“The play deals with quite serious
issues and asks quite serious questions, but it is also very funny,” Burrowes said.
“But it’s also a bit of a tragedy – these kids were adopted out of Sri Lanka with many of them stolen and adopted by parents who weren’t culturally equipped to prepare for that.”
Cut Chilli has a cast that most theatrical productions can only dream about, headed up by recent NIDA graduate Ariyan Sharma in one of his first roles outside of the school and assisted by theatre and film veteran Susie Lindeman.
Noel Hodda is well known in part due to his many roles on television and film, including All Saints, Blue Heelers and Water Rats.
“Noel is brilliantly funny as Jeff, the politically incorrect uncle with a heart of gold,” Burrowes said.
“We’ve been blessed with an incredible cast, but I am humbled to get to work with Susie and Noel,” Burrowes said.
“I think it speaks to the quality of Chen’s incredible script that we were able to attract them. Susie is going to break people’s hearts as Katherine,” Burrowes said.
Born in Trinidad and Tobago and trained at WAAPA, Cut Chilli is one of Kelsey Jeanell’s first roles on a Sydney stage.
“Ariyan and Kelsey are stage legends in the making, and seeing them all play together has been a joy,” Burrowes said.
Aran shared his excitement to see the production open at the Old Fitz: “The more stories get told, the more artists can experiment in tone and genre. Cut Chilli is an irreverent comedy about a dysfunctional family hiding secrets at the dinner table.”
Playing until 27 July at Old Fitz Theatre
SWIM BY ELLEN VAN NEERVEN
BY JOHN MOYLE
In its first production outside of its Darlinghurst home, Griffin Theatre is staging swim in the intimate space of Track 8 at Carriageworks.
swim is from the pen of award-winning Mununjali writer Ellen van Neerven (Heat and Light) and is their debut work for the stage.
Using water as a metaphor for the gender fluidity of E, the protagonist, they find that they must navigate the space between the male and female change rooms while showing off in front of pool attendants.
When E fronts the blocks, suddenly words from deep within their culture and the water begin to swirl and the lane ahead is not so clear.
“I first started writing the play in 2017 and imagined the character as a young Aboriginal queer person growing up in the outer suburbs of a city,” Ellen van Neerven, playwright said. “Finding the language was very easy – it’s a belonging.”
With a cast of two, it is a big ask for Dani Sibosado and Sandy Greenwood, both Indigenous actors, to front this new text.
This is particularly so for Sibosado (Bran New Dae), who grew up singing in Broome as part of the legendary Pigram Brothers family of performers. This is their first time on the stage in a dramatic role.
“Coming from a musical background and because of the poetic element in the script it is a lot easier for me to get into the rhythm and the few of the scenes,”
Dani Sibosado said.
“It’s a huge piece and I love Ellen’s writing and there is a lot of text, and as
the person carrying the show it feels a bit daunting sometimes. But because of the poetic element it feels more approachable to me.”
The learning curve was also felt by van Neerven when they said: “Writing for the stage is another process altogether.
“I have come at this very new and green, (and) it took years of soaking up experiences and going to shows, reading scripts, working with collaborators on various developments.”
Directing swim is Yorta Yorta woman and Griffin’s associate artistic director Andrea James, who had major success with the company’s production of Suzie Miller’s Jailbaby last year.
“We have a Blak company here, though not everyone is a Blak woman. To be led by Andrea is really beautiful, and Sandy Greenwood, who is onstage with me, and working with an almost all Blak crew means that there is a cultural understanding, particularly with some of the content within the play,” Sibosado said.
“We all come from different places, mobs and families across the country, but we discuss those things and find similarities through that.”
swim promises to be one of the Sydney theatre world’s most anticipated debuts this year, featuring two artists experiencing their firsts on stage, and a new era for Griffin Theatre as it embarks on exploring new spaces around Sydney while their Darlinghurst home undergoes a rebuild.
“I can’t give anymore information away, but I’m excited. It’s going to be huge,” says van Neerven.
Playing until 27 July at Track 8, Carriageworks
Photo: Phil Erbacher
Photo: Brett Boardman
MUCHA’S MASTERPIECES ON DISPLAY
BY JOSH KERWICK
Alphonse Mucha is the foremost figure of the art nouveau movement, and he earned the title of ‘greatest decorative artist in the world’ in his time. Many of his works are well-known to art aficionados, particularly his many paintings of Sarah Bernhardt. Yet, there’s much more to Mucha – a fact that Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau at the Art Gallery of NSW is looking to highlight.
In collaboration with the Mucha Foundation, AGNSW has brought over 200 of the artist’s works to Sydney in Australia’s biggest display of his work.
Foundation Director and the artist’s great-grandson Marcus Mucha had high praise for the show: “From our
point of view, this is the best presentation of Mucha’s works that’s been shown anywhere worldwide. The team at AGNSW have done an incredible job displaying Mucha’s work in this space.”
Chronicling Mucha’s expansive career, the exhibition begins with his early work in Paris, then chronicles his rise to art nouveau prominence, his more spiritual era and his late-life contributions to Czech culture and independence.
The exhibition features iconic pieces like The Seasons series and many lesser known Mucha works, including huge digital projections of The Slav Epic Mucha considered this work to be his most important artistic contribution, but it didn’t gain international recognition for many years.
Marcus explains: “Because of the Iron Curtain, a lot of his work was hidden away from Western art history for a good 50 years.
“Our great privilege is that we get to reintroduce these aspects of his art to audiences around the world. What’s really special about this show is that it’s not just the beautiful decorative artwork in Paris; there’s a deeper exploration of Mucha as a philosopher and utopian.
“My great-grandfather believed that we were all moving towards a better world where we can live in harmony, and you can see that in all of his works,” Marcus said.
FESTIVAL OF DANGEROUS IDEAS 2024
BY JOSH KERWICK
T
he Festival of Dangerous Ideas
has announced the full lineup for the 2024 festival, featuring 87 thought leaders who’ll be discussing a huge range of topics from August 24-25. 16 speakers hail from overseas, including Roxane Gay, Jean Twenge, Masha Gessen and Megan PhelpsRoper among many others.
Festival Director Danielle Harvey spoke to City Hub about the festival’s place in 2024: “In a world of increasing complexity, there’s a risk our old ideas have become stale. FODI offers new ideas – some you’ll agree with vehemently, others you’ll disagree with passionately.
“To test your own ideas and assumptions is the appeal. Some things may affirm how you feel, but it’ll feed your curiosity either way.”
FODI 2024 is bringing attendees a number of other unique experiences, too. Danielle explains: “We’ll have an installation high up on the ceiling made entirely out of sticky tape you can climb through, if you’re brave enough!” Danielle says.
“We have Danny Philippou, one of the directors of Talk To Me, curating an evening of his favourite horror films. Additionally, you can jump into the Last Supper, a crazy dinner party with the festival talent.”
Danielle hopes that the FODI 2024 provides a safe space to engage in unexpected ideas: “Getting out of your social media bubbles and really challenging yourself is essential, and FODI is where you’ll discover a whole range of new thinkers and creatives.”
August 24-25
festivalofdangerousideas.com
Putting together a huge display of works by an artist like Mucha is no easy feat, explains senior curator Jackie Dunn: “It’s quite a challenge. He’s in some respects hugely popular, and in others hugely unknown.
“The pacing is crucial here. We needed an introduction to those earlier works, and then moments to build understanding of his practice,” says Dunn, who co-curated the exhibit with Tomoko Sato.
Dunn spoke to the importance of revisiting Mucha in the modern day: “This is an artist who was neglected for some time, and is again part of our psyche. We understand these images represent the art nouveau moment, and people love knowing how that happened.”
Until September 22 2024 at AGNSW
THIN ICE VR: A UNIQUE EXPERIENCECRAWL
BY MARK MORELLINI
Thin Ice VR is a unique immersive virtual reality film and exhibition about an incredible story of survival.
Winner of Best VR Film at Cannes, this exhibition at the Australian Museum is educational and familyfriendly.
Documentary filmmaker, environmental scientist and adventurer Tim Jarvis takes audiences on a reenactment of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s doomed Trans-Antarctic Expedition aboard the Endurance in 1914.
Despite intense difficulty, Shackleton returned home with all crew members alive.
Jarvis (pictured with Shackleton’s Emperor Penguin) says the Antarctic is a great backdrop to any environmental story, and that the effects of climate change he’s seen in his 13 visits are also reflected in the documentary.
“Shackleton’s survival journey is a lesson in the determination needed to prevail against the odds. A century
ago, Shackleton’s goal was to save his men from the ice; today, the ice needs saving from climate change,” warns Jarvis.
Climate change’s effects are highlighted uniquely through VR, such as showing a glacier in the modern day, and then over the next 20 seconds digitally rebuilding to its size in Shackleton’s time.
“One moment you’re standing in an extremely high crevasse, and in another it shrinks back to ground level, highlighting the urgency needed to tackle climate change,” explained Jarvis.
This mesmerising VR experience is screening in a specially built 25-person theatre. The use of VR goggles and cinema speakers means there’s no ‘best seat’ as everybody has the same vision – an extraordinary achievement in storytelling for all audiences to enjoy. Until 27 September 2024
australian.museum/exhibition/ thin-ice-vr
Photo: Mucha Trust 2024 via AGNSW
Photo: James Alcock
Photo: Jodie Barker
THE RISE AND FALL OF
AUSSIE PUNK
BY JOHN MOYLE
I
n 'Orstralia: A Punk History 1974-1989', writer Tristan Clark attempts" and so on to define the undefinable rise and fall of punk music in Australia.
Across over 130 interviews with members of punk bands, Clark plots the rise of early exponents who would define the genre such as Radio Birdman, The Saints and The Hard-Ons, as well as hundreds of DIY bands that were spawned in garages and pubs across Australia.
Clark is unflinching in recording the highlights of a fast and furious music culture along with its inevitable selfdestruction, all the while placing it against the prevailing culture of the time.
Clark said: “There had been books done on the scene but nothing definitive, and I wanted to bring all that together
and look at each city, rather than through the narrow lens of the punk scene.”
Using direct contacts, social media and friends of friends, Clark built up a huge contact list for bands across the country and has charted them extensively in Orstralia
Punk was as much an attitude as it was another step in music that was more democratic in that it was accessible to almost everyone.
“Complete novices were playing a week after picking up their instruments. At times the image was more important than the music itself,” Clark added.
Orstralia is a well written book, and a valuable addition to the recent wave of music books focusing on more mainstream artists. Out now
VOLUME MUSIC SERIES
TOP 5 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (SO FAR)
BY ALEX DRISCOLL
2
024 has been a vibrant music year so far – let’s take a look at the 5 best albums of the year so far!
5. FRIKO – Where we’ve been, Where we go from here
Like a time capsule from the 90s, Friko’s debut record is a noisy, brutally honest indie rock record that's efficient with its time, only needing 36 minutes to utterly devastate you.
4. DUDE CENTRAL – Where The Butterflies Go
Continuing on the devastating theme, this obscure folk record is about as crushing as they come. Written by its teenage mastermind to process the passing of his mother, its utter simplicity leaves you nowhere to run.
3. SAMLRC – A Lonely Sinner
These days, the best shoegaze and post-rock can be found in a thriving,
transnational scene on the website Bandcamp. A Lonely Sinner is the latest breakthrough from this scene. Surprisingly uplifting, samlrc expertly blends live instruments, samples and vocals like a veteran.
2. KNOCKED LOOSE – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
Setting the metal world alight with their forward-thinking, utterly relentless sound, Knocked Loose have even managed some mainstream crossover appeal with their third album. It's a brutal, engrossing listen.
1. CINDY LEE – Diamond Jubilee
A mysterious record that can only be found on the depths of the internet, it’s hard to pin down what Diamond Jubilee is. This 32-track project from underground hero Patrick Flegel is a lofi time-capsule back to the psychedelic days of 60s pop and rock that needs to be heard to be believed.
BY JOHN MOYLE
The Volume Music Series returns to the New South Wales Art Gallery for its second year, bringing a number of talented local and international artists to Sydney.
Volume has been curated this year to be on the cutting edge of all genres, including a nod to our Indigenous people’s love of country music.
“The ticketed events are in The Tank and we have free events across both buildings,” said Jonathan Wilson, AGNSW curator of music and community.
The range of music and installations is staggering, with headline acts including André 3000, Kim Gordon, Genesis Owusu, Tkay Maidza and Blak Country royalty Frank Yamma and Roger Knox.
André 3000’s two performances of his new ambient jazz album, New Blue Sun,
are already sold out and brewing plenty of excitement.
“When it came out last year, I couldn’t get the idea of him playing in The Tank out of my head. I thought the music could permeate through that space,” Wilson said.
Kim Gordon spent 30 years playing bass with Sonic Youth, and she’ll be presenting new music in two highly anticipated nights across the program.
Two artists who are established in Australia and now making head-roads onto the world stages are Genesis Owusu and Tkay Maidza.
“Tkay is someone I considered last year and there is an opening for younger artists who are getting their global start here in Australia,” Wilson said. “We are at this point with artists like her and Genesis now hitting the world.”
Until July 21 2024, AGNSW
More info at volume.sydney
Photo: Dave Laing
Photo: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Daniel Boud
Photo: Darya Sannikova
THE PROMISED LAND
BY MARK MORELLINI
This historical biography explores a man’s extreme determination to gain acceptance into noble society.
Set in Denmark 1755, Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) has retired after serving 25 years in the army and plans to build a settlement on a barren heath.
However, his antagonist is the evil estate owner Frederik De Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), whose barbaric methods of dealing with problematic staff redefine the word ‘noble’.
Kahlen is told better men have previously attempted to work the land, but he retorts: “God put men on Earth to create civilizations.”
Will he be first to cultivate the land and have settlers inhabit it? And if he
succeeds, will Schinkel eradicate Kahlen once and for all?
The Promised Land is a masterful, sweeping tale of one man’s attempts to overcome a lunatic supported by other men of nobility.
Mikkelsen does career-best work as a man striving to achieve his lifelong dream.
Bennebjerg’s depiction of evil is a realistic standout – audiences will love to hate him.
Meticulous detail in each scene authentically restores the 18th century on-screen; prejudices and horrendous violence on account of class differences included.
This is a powerful movie, inspiring people to stick to their sense of what is right.
1/2 In Cinemas now
BY ASPEN ABNER
Yorgos Lanthimos’ lengthy Kinds of Kindness is classified under the genres of “comedy” and “drama”, but the plot is more sinister than this implies.
This triptych fable has three loosely connected stories and a star-studded cast including Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau and Margaret Qualley.
Each plays a different character in the three tales, and though all of the performances are note-worthy, Jesse Plemons is particularly effective in making the absurd feel realistic.
The sections seem impossible to connect but some elements bind them, including the mysterious RMF. Each story shares themes of love and obsession, each commenting on people’s desperation to be loved and hold on to love.
Despite the title, there’s very little kindness in this film. There are no
BY RITA BRATOVICH
The Saudi Arabian film industry is only fledgling, which is hard to believe given the calibre of films like the beautifully crafted Hajjan
When his brother is killed during a camel race, Matar is unable to part with the camel Hofira, whom his uncle wants to sell. Matar bargains that if he wins a race, they can keep the camel. Somehow, they qualify for the Great Race, and Hofira is soon sold to the greedy Jasser, who will do anything to win. Matar becomes one of his riders.
The film burns slowly at first, thoroughly exploring character relationships. It gains momentum in the middle act before ending with a truly thrilling finale. Action scenes are
balanced with poignant moments and spectacular landscape panoramas.
Each performance is stunning, most notably young Omar Al Alatawi as Matar. Alatawi is a real life jockey and inexperienced actor who capably handles very emotional scenes.
Abdulmohsen al Nemer is excellent as Jasser, making him complex instead of cliched. Alshaima’a Tayeb is equally powerful and impressive as Sara, Jasser’s wife, and the film’s other secret female character leaves her mark too.
Hopefully the Saudi film industry will continue delivering high quality films like Hajjan
1/2
comfortable happy endings, each story seeming like a bad dream with no satisfying conclusion.
The film’s deadpan twists are captivating, and I often found myself laughing no matter how disturbed I was just seconds before.
Lanthimos offers visceral visuals that complement the varied plotlines and shifting acting roles. Some will find this film disturbing – many scenes are downright difficult to watch – yet it all comments on the unspeakable acts humans will commit for love.
1/2
In cinemas now
HAJJAN KINDS OF KINDNESS
EDWARD YANG: DESIRE LINES
BY HOPE PRATT
The newly restored films of Edward Yang will be shown for free at the Art Gallery of NSW Cinema on Wednesdays and Sundays until August 11.
In Australia’s first full retrospective of Yang’s work, all seven of his films will be screened in a dedicated season at AGNSW, including previously unavailable works A Confucian Confusion and Mahjong
Born in Shanghai and raised in Taipei, Yang was passionate about cinema from a young age but first pursued a career as a software engineer. But after watching Werner Herzog’s Aguirre, the Wrath of God, his passion for film was reignited.
Yang returned to Taiwan in 1981 and helped create one of the 20th century’s great cinematic waves in the Taiwan New Cinema movement. In the backdrop of booming urban scapes of late 20thcentury Taipei, his films examine a society in flux with humour and heart. Yang’s work reaches a depth of storytelling that blends the intimate with the expansive, featuring precise composition of realist aesthetics with intimate character studies that range from coming of age to romance to satire. Don’t miss out on this rare – and free – opportunity to witness the work of a cinematic grandmaster.
Until August 11
More info at www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Photo: AGNSW via Janus Films
Photo: Original Spin
Photo: Rialto Distribution
Photo: Searchlight Pictures
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