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Regular Columns 3 Photo Queenie Colquhoun

Sydney Icons

Sydney (a) Sider By

Lachlan Colquhoun

L

et’s start with the good news.

The Hollywood Hotel in Surry Hills won’t be demolished, turned into offices or apartments or gutted and re-imagined as a gastro pub.

Brody Petersen and his team have taken over after the death of the former owner, the famous guitar playing thespian Doris Goddard, and have vowed to keep the pub pretty much as it is, and say they’ll even listen to locals and regulars on what they want. $10 million is a lot to pay for a pub and we understand the bidding was competitive, so it’s a great outcome that the money was with someone who actually valued the pub’s heritage and what it stands for, which is a connection between Sydney’s bohemian past and present.

It’s all in keeping with the “Hollywood” vibe of that part of Surry Hills, when the Paramount building opposite was the hub for cinema distribution and theatre managers watched previews in the theatrette, now the Golden Age. Some of them may have even seen Doris as the Danish shot putter Helga in the 1955 British film Geordie, about a hammer throwing Scotsman who competes at the Melbourne Olympics.

All in all, the latest instalment of the Hollywood’s history could be a rare win for the good guys and our city.

Sydney needs more of it. Please, can the Hopetoun Hotel be next?

Is there still time for compromise and good planning? For that to happen all the various command silos in State Government world need to start talking to each other, and letting the rest of us know what’s happening.

T

he Glebe Rowing Club was founded in 1879 and is one of the oldest in Australia, and its members still enjoy the waters of their home at Blackwattle Bay from a – new-ish – club house.

There’s no doubt that as the $750 million Fish Markets project gets underway and finally completed that the club’s activities will be impacted.

When the project is complete it is imagined there will be dozens of ferries and other boats entering and exiting the bay each day. They won’t only take up space, but the wash they create will make serious rowing virtually impossible.

Environmental planning in Sydney is about preserving blue space as well as green, but

it seems the planners haven’t given much consideration to the impact of this when the fish market is up and running in 2024.

Is there still time for compromise and good planning? For that to happen all the various command silos in State Government world need

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to start talking to each other, and letting the rest of us know what’s happening.

And speaking of that, we understand that even though the Government has been touting the relocation of the nearby concrete plant to Glebe Island as a done deal, no approvals for this have actually been completed.

So it could be that the fish markets project is proceeding with these relocation plans still unresolved.

We are eager to hear more, because there are a lot of people in Glebe who don’t see a concrete plant on Glebe Island as such as good idea.

And then there’s the idea of private developments on public land, but we know that doesn’t hold much sway in Sydney…..

F

irst, the building lost its upper windows, and then downstairs the doors were always shut, but for as long as Nick Fotiou was in residence there was still hope that the Olympia Milk Bar at Stanmore might re-open to the joy its of its many fans.

In recent weeks, the Olympia has been finally boarded up, bringing to an end a story which began in 1959 when Nick and his brother John took over the milk bar, right next door to the old Stanmore Twin Cinema.

Now, the wooden hoardings carry tributes from the many people for whom the Olympia was a retro icon, a decaying museum of 50s and 60s Australian pop culture, when milkshakes were spearmint flavoured and came in big metal cups.

The Olympia had legions of fans who all longed for its restoration, but Mr Fotiou wanted to do things his way and rejected all help.

Businesses come and go on Paramatta Road, but the Olympia will be sorely missed. The word is that Mr Fotiou is comfortably ensconced in a nursing home.

We hope that is true, wish him well, and thank him for creating a true landmark and icon on what is otherwise one of Sydney’s most maligned thoroughfares.

So what happens now? The Olympia is on the NSW Heritage Register so let’s hope something can be preserved.

A Morning with Danny Lim By

Queenie Colquhoun

C

ROSSING Cleveland St, Danny turned to me and said, “Watch this.”

Standing on a small traffic island, he began waving to the passing cars and within the space of a minute, just about each one was honking at him madly, waving adoringly and shouting greetings.

About a month ago, I spent the morning with Danny Lim, someone who I would easily call a Sydney icon.

An advocate of peace, love, and smiles, you’ll find Danny standing outside most Sydney train stations, walking down a main street or the CBD wearing a sandwich board with a message of love and peace.

Originally from Malaysia, Danny moved to Australia in 1962 and studied communications before eventually falling into activism in response to anti-Asian discourse in Australia over 20 years ago.

“Just as John Howard came into government, people were blaming Asians, discussing migration and pretty quickly this started the ‘swamped by Asians’ slogan that was used by people like Pauline Hanson… That’s when

I started getting into activism” says Danny.

Danny has met and developed relationships with several community leaders and politicians as well as developing profound relationships with everyday Sydneysiders from discussions on the street.

Deeply concerned and involved in politics, Danny ran for the Federal Senate in 2018. Now, he’s comfortable in his role as a Sydney icon and activist and plans on staying in that role for years to come.

For many years Danny was known to always be accompanied by his dog, Smartie. After Smartie’s recent passing, Danny feels even more compelled to keep doing what he does.

I asked him if he ever takes a day off, to which he told me no. Danny says: “At home, there’s not much there for me. But here I can do good things and live with purpose.”

You can find Danny Lim in several neighbourhoods around Sydney. You can find him on Facebook at facebook. com/dannyandsmarty

ELIZABETH LANE REDFERN BY TIM RITCHIE

ENTER NOW at urbanvillage.com.au

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4 Local News

URBAN VILLAGE PROFILE

Get Your Skates On! Roller Derby is Back!

Meet Yvonne Weldon.

Candidate for City of Sydney Lord Mayor Photo Drew Wheeler

Yvonne Weldon recently announced that she will run as an independent candidate for the City of Sydney Lord Mayor, making her the first Indigenous Australian to do so. Urban Village’s Queenie Colquhoun spoke to Yvonne about her goals and motivation in running for office.

Y

vonne Weldon’s involvement in politics began before she was born.

“My family are the definition of trailblazers and the movement for my people, for all people in this country, this is lifelong and intergenerational,” she says.

“I hope to bring the same audacity, creative energy and fierce optimism to Town Hall that my Great Aunt, Mum Shirl, and Uncle, Paul Coe, brought to their life-long fights to make Sydney a more just, honourable city. I am passionate and committed to serving people, not self.”

Weldon has 30 years’ experience working with key government and Aboriginal organisations, including working in several private and volunteering roles.

These include her experience as the elected Chair of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, as Deputy Chair of the NSW Australia Day Council and as a Board member for both Redfern Jarjum College and Domestic Violence NSW. Reflecting on the recent rough years that Sydneysiders have faced at the hands of COVID-19, bushfires and floods, Weldon wants to work towards a future focusing on jobs, the climate emergency and fairness.

If elected, she says she will create jobs by backing both big and small business, tourism and revitalising the hospitality industry.

www.urbanvillage.com.au

Weldon will also focus on Sydney’s housing affordability crisis. She says: “Sydney’s housing affordability crisis is shutting out the young, the entrepreneurs, and the hardworking people who make our economy and communities tick. We need to build more homes, including more genuinely affordable homes for Sydneysiders.”

Weldon says her core values are transparency and honesty. “I hope to bring improved transparency, real accountability and true consultation. I have extensive experience both in paid and voluntary roles with varied sectors. I will share this expertise to create positive change to this diverse city.”

She discusses a vision for Sydney that prioritises community, culture, and equity, through measures such as affordable housing and career opportunities.

Weldon says: “A Sydney where access to great culture is built into the fabric of the city, with our rich heritage supporting our growing world-class creative industries.”

“I want to rethink how we get around our city, where walking and cycling is far easier, safer and the default choice for able-bodied Sydneysiders.”

The City of Sydney Lord Mayor elections will be held on Saturday 4 September, 2021.

To get involved in Roller Derby, you need to be resilient, and that resilience has been tested in a new way by the COVID-19 pandemic.

By

I

Queenie Colquhoun

N a regular game of Roller Derby, players need to be able withstand great pressure, knocks, and blows as they race around the track.

Off the track, the COVID-19 pandemic has added a new kind of blow with Roller Derby shutting down, leaving players itching to put their skates back on and get rolling.

The Sydney Roller Derby League and all other Roller Derby clubs in Australia are governed by the American League, WFTDA. Many of the policies and COVID restrictions placed on the sport are created by the WFTDA, consequently trickling down into other nations, like Australia, which participate in the sport.

Red Zeppelin, a player for the Sydney Roller Derby League says: “So we pushed and pushed and told them our situation, and we asked them to implement phased steps or whatever it took.”

With it eventually paying off, Australian Roller Derby has only recently managed to get back to doing what they love.

For Derby players, it’s all about their passion and love of the sport. Many resorted to other sports during their break, such as roller hockey and general roller skating.

For many players, the love of Roller Derby also comes from the sense of community that comes with the sport.

Sydney Roller Derby League player Unsteady says, “It’s really inclusive, really encouraging of one another, really

Photos Mark Zouroudis

supportive and there’s a huge array of the types of people and demographics, ages and everyone’s history and orientations.

Everyone’s a human, we’re all just humans here. It’s a really nice way of approaching life in society.”

Red adds: “It’s a really beautiful and competitive sport. It’s also constantly evolving and you’re constantly learning, even if you’ve been playing for ages.”

“And then the people are just incredible, everyone helps to create a really great community. Very accepting, very encouraging and although it’s a competitive sport, there’s a great sense of family.”

Players passion also extends into their pockets. The sport doesn’t have many

sponsors, so players chip in monthly to make everything possible for themselves.

A few teams had sponsors lined up in 2020, which greatly benefitted the league’s travelling teams, but the COVID-19 pandemic has once again created more disruption to these plans.

COVID has benefitted the sport in some ways, however. Having more free time to pursue interests and viral video app Tik Tok trends have launched roller skating into the new ‘it sport’, and Roller Derby has seen this interest flow over to the sport, with try outs and people attending learn to skate sessions almost doubling in size.

Roller Derby players couldn’t be happier with the influx of interest, as Unsteady says: “There’s a genuine sense of ‘I’m sure you will love it if you try it’, which is genuinely quite true. And if you don’t, well then, you’ve lost nothing, and we would have loved to meet you.”

With a new year, new interest and what many would argue is too long of a wait to return to the sport they love the most, Sydney Roller Derby League and many others in Australian Roller Derby are itching to go.

Want to learn more or get involved?

Then head to sydneyrollerderby.com

Feature 5 Pilot support hub for international students launches in Surry Hills

Photos Renata Aldana By

Tess Scholfield-Peters

I

N the peak of the pandemic last year, Australia’s international students were left out in the cold. Excluded from any government benefits and told instead that it was simply time to go home, many students faced unemployment, homelessness, and immense stresses to already precarious mental health. Sadly, as international student and photographer Renata told Urban Village, the reaction from the federal government was unsurprising. International students are used to feeling unwelcome.

“In the pandemic, because I was working mostly in hospitality, I lost everything. I didn’t have any support. I thought of leaving Australia because I didn’t have money to pay the rent, to get food and things like that,” said Renata, who has also built up a career as a freelance photographer while studying graphic design.

Renata relied on the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville for support and food supplies, and was able strike up a deal with her school to periodically exchange videography work in lieu of tuition fees.

“I like to think I was pretty lucky. It’s not fair because we do pay taxes, we do contribute to the country in any way that we can. Our fees are a big contribution to the economy in Australia.”

In 2019, that contribution was around $40 billion.

Our university sector has been decimated by border closures and government funding, which is set to decrease by 8.3% this financial year according to the federal budget. The fact that universities have been left to rely on international students for money instead of the federal government, and these students had to then turn to community groups for support when they needed it most, highlights the continued neglect by those in power, whose priorities lie in buoying their reputation rather than their own people.

The Prime Minister’s solution to ‘just go home’ was an impossibility for the majority of international students. For one, flights were virtually non-existent to many parts of the world, and the cost of humanitarian flights that were running was exorbitant.

More significantly, many families and communities of international students from developing nations pooled together money for loans to facilitate students’ studies here.

Returning home would mean a complete loss of this investment.

“All these young people that you see as international students, we are not all from wealthy families. We come from different developing countries, and we are seeking a better future

“International students have been seen as cash cows, as money. We are actually human beings, and we are pursuing our dreams.

through education. We shouldn’t be taken for granted in this country.”

Renata was one of the six international students to pioneer a regular international student Zoom session in the peak of the pandemic, aimed at fostering support for students in isolation. The pandemic was the catalyst for these students to seek out help and support from other organisations to advocate for their rights and garner a sense of community.

From these regular Zooms came the idea for a physical hub, where international students could meet, share their experiences, and seek support.

While other states have support hubs for their international students via government initiatives, NSW has previously not provided this kind of support, despite hosting the highest number of international students in Australia.

Diana Olmos is a former international student and now works as a community organiser for the Sydney Alliance, a coalition of unions, religious and community groups. The International Student Hub, a new pilot program run for and by international students, has come about because of campaigning by the Sydney Alliance. In partnership with Sydney Community Forum, the campaign was able to secure a grant of $100,000 from City of Sydney to kickstart the pilot.

“In Colombia I studied economics, worked in the social sector and with the United Nations.

I wanted to improve my professional career and realised I needed to learn English. I came to

Australia as an English student and the only job I could get was cleaning while I was studying English,” Diana told Urban Village.

“There is nothing wrong with being a cleaner if you are paid correctly and legally. But I was underpaid for many years, and I didn’t know because no one explained my working rights.”

“My self-esteem was really affected. I used to work professionally back home and here I felt like I was nobody,” said Diana.

“It took me a long time to figure things out.

Australia can be intimidating and very lonely.”

The Hub pilot program will run until the end of the year, with the aim of securing the necessary additional funding to make it permanent. With no other support framework for international students of its kind, this is a vital piece of social infrastructure that state and federal governments should get behind.

“I think things cannot get back to normal because for international students the normal before Covid wasn’t working anyway. Work exploitation has been one of the continuous issues and challenges of international students, that has been happening for years,” said Diana.

“With the reopening of borders, yeah, like, new students can come but under what type of conditions? New people can come, we can ensure that they pay a lot of money to quarantine and to study, but what happens in the journey of the student outside of the classroom?”

It seems that a systemic shift in how we see international students needs to occur for there to be any real change during the pandemic and beyond. The Hub, which facilitates interaction between international students and locals, is the first step towards making space for dialogue, for stories to be shared and for students to be made to feel like they belong here, that they are welcome.

“We need the community to be unified. We need the students to know when they are being mistreated, when they need help, where to go. I think the Hub will give that to the students and give that safety net that international students in Australia really need,” said Renata.

“I just hope if they [students] come that they feel really welcome, and they don’t feel that they are alone here. Because I think the fear of loneliness is the one that is most harmful. When the borders are open, the situation will be much better for the international students if we have the support that we need.”

A great start at International Grammar School

Uniq lang ue ua prog ges ram

IGS offers an innovative, cosmopolitan, secular and co-educational learning environment from Preschool to Year 12.

At IGS, we offer a broad liberal and bilingual education. Unity through Diversity is our motto, and our five core values – diversity, personal achievement, connectedness, vibrancy and authenticity – are at the heart of who we are and what we do.

• Central location near Sydney CBD • Out of hours care • Exciting music and STEAM opportunities We are a passionate learning community and we are equipping our students to be world ready.

Find out more at: igssyd.nsw.edu.au 9219 6700 admissions@igssyd.nsw.edu.au

The pilot International Student Hub is at 72 Mary Street, Surry Hills. For more information about the hub, or if you are keen to support in any way, you can contact Diana at: dolmos@ sydneyalliance.org.au. www.urbanvillage.com.au

6 Feature

Local Companies Big and Small Are Saving Bees

TANYA PLIBERSEK FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY

HERE TO HELP As your local representative, I can assist with enquiries or problems you have with Federal Government departments and services like Centrelink, immigration, superannuation, Child Support payments, Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS), Veterans’ Affairs, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the National Broadband Network (NBN), universities, employment, training, Commonwealth funding and grants.

Photo Tanja Bruckner

In recent years we’ve seen the rise of popularity of the Save the Bees movement. Educating us and changing our preconceived ideas of bees being a stinging insect and transforming this into an understanding of the great environmental benefits that bees bring.

STAYING IN TOUCH To keep up to date with my activities (incuding my mobile offices), issues and events - both locally and nationally, please subscribe to my eNews at tanyaplibersek.com.

1A Great Buckingham St Redfern NSW 2016 Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au 02 9379 0700

www.urbanvillage.com.au

TanyaPlibersek.com

By

Queenie Colquhoun

F

“We installed the beehives because of the worldwide decline in bee numbers. Bees are an integral part of keeping our flora abundant by assisting with pollination.

OR Vicky Brown and Doug Purdie of the Urban Beehive, they saw that Sydney lacked bees, beehives, and beekeepers. Vicky says: “Urban Beehive started to be able to bring pollinators back into the city. I realised when I came and settled in Sydney that there wasn’t really any beekeeping happening. There were no rooftop beehives or garden beehives in any of our established gardens in the city.”

Vicky attributes the rise in her business to a better understanding of bees and environmentalism that exists. “But now with the Save the Bees campaign around the world, with the threats that it brings, and with people becoming more aware of their food and how it’s produced and what they’re eating and where they’re buying it from, there’s been a whole new awareness in beekeeping” says Vicky.

The business has grown massively since its beginnings five years ago, with 100 beehives for residential and businesses, including David Jones, Sydney Centennial Parklands, The Royal Botanical Gardens and Bourke Street Bakery.

According to Vicky, there are several reasons people want beehives, including general interest, green credentials, and the ability to have their own locally produced honey source.

Bourke Street Bakery Owner David McGuiness says: “We installed the beehives

because of the worldwide decline in bee numbers. Bees are an integral part of keeping our flora abundant by assisting with pollination. The hives also have the added benefit of producing honey which we have bottled and sell in our cafes.”

However, it’s not just about the hives.

Vicky says that the best way to support the bees and the pollinators is to plant a garden.

Without creating supportive environments for the bees, they will never be able to thrive in the inner city.

For The Urban Beehive, it’s all about education and helping the bees. “Really we just wanted to educate people. And able to have bees and be able to sell a local product” says Vicky.

Vicky hopes that the business will encourage people to support all bees, especially Native Bees by fostering beehives and putting up the plants and structures necessary to aid these creatures.

The Urban Beehive also offer several beekeeping courses during the warmer months, with applications for Spring courses recently opening. You can check them out here: https://shop. theurbanbeehive.com.au/pages/education You can find out more about the Urban Beehive here: shop.theurbanbeehive.com.au

Feature 7 Photo Pablo Colombi

Couriers Co-operate to Offer Ethical Alternative S

AM Rockwell, founder of Hotline Couriers was a courier rider for six years, where he worked for just about every courier service under the sun.

Dissatisfied with the treatment of courier riders, he decided to start his own company.

Supported by the City of Sydney, Hotline Couriers was established five months ago, and the business has grown rapidly.

Hotline Couriers serves as a co-op courier company, ensuring that each employee is paid a liveable wage, is insured, and receives super contributions, amongst other staff entitlements.

For Sam, Hotline Couriers is a great alternative to current courier service models that currently exist. Sam says: “One of the things that I noticed from my last jobs for courier companies is that a lot of the companies use an outdated model. They’re trying very hard to make profit off the hard work of someone else, and those models mean that you just end up ripping off the guy who is doing the work.”

Run by couriers themselves, and being a co-op, the company wants to provide a great, safe, and happy workplace for couriers, which they believe leads to better service for the customer.

Employees couldn’t be happier with the care that Hotline Couriers provides for them.

Employee Juan Pablo says: “I like working for Hotline because it’s like

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Hotline Couriers are striking a blow against the gig economy, in a cOoperative way By

Queenie Colquhoun

“Most people are pretty keen to support the local co-op and the local business vibe and the ethical aspect.

working for a friend, and you’re not working for a big company, or another company that would take most of the profits. Some companies might take 90% of what the customer pays, but Hotline only takes 10%.”

Diego Lara has recently been working for Hotline Couriers but says already there is a noticeable difference. “Other companies don’t want to pay, pay tax or superannuation, nothing. It’s better with companies like Hotline Couriers, who use your ABN, and give you better pay and respect” says Diego.

So far, the business has been met with open arms by consumers. Sam says, “Most people are pretty keen to support the local co-op and the local business vibe and the ethical aspect.”

The difference between services has been noticeable.

“A lot of my clients noticed that the couriers they were using were super disgruntled and not happy and doing a bad

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job because of it” says Sam. Sam says that clients have noticed a significant difference in service due to their Hotline Couriers being paid well.

Hotline Couriers are currently branching into food delivery services, offering an ethical alternative to what is currently available in the market now.

Hotline Couriers hopes to grow in this sector to ensure ethical delivery spreads throughout the courier business.

Hotline Couriers can be contacted at: hotlinecouriers.com.au

TANYA PLIBERSEK MP

www.urbanvillage.com.au

8 Stage & Screen

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION: SEPTEMBER 4

SEPT

4th

TRANSFORMING SYDNEY

Photo Robert Catto

A Chorus Line Returns to Darlinghurst By

Queenie Colquhoun

A

ARE YOU ENROLLED AND READY TO HAVE YOUR SAY? The local government election will be held on September 4, 2021. Both individuals and businesses can vote in City of Sydney elections.

You may be eligible to vote, but you have to be on the roll – so check and update your enrolment today!

Our city is powering ahead and we are energised about continuing our great work for the city and our community for another term.

FTER four sold out previews Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s production of A Chorus Line was set to have its opening night in May 2020, only to have the show cancelled the day of opening night due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, the show is back, and the cast are ready to give the performance of their lives.

Originally opening on Broadway in 1975, A Chorus Line is the story of 17 Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The story is based off the real-life anecdotes of 24 dancers who were interviewed by the musical’s creator Michael Bennett. Themes of upbringing, coming-of-age, sexuality, careers, and racism are explored.

Tim Draxl, who plays Zach, a theatre director auditioning the 17 talented hopefuls says: “It’s all about acceptance. Acceptance for people of all backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual preferences.

The musical is about seeing people for who they are and what they are, and accepting them for that…”

The show is directed by Amy Campbell, who has won the 2018 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Choreography of a Musical for her work on The Heights. Amy has also been nominated for the same award for her work on ONCE the musical and is

www.urbanvillage.com.au

A Chorus Line will run at Darlinghurst Theatre Company from Sunday 29 August – Saturday 30 October. You can book your ticket at darlinghursttehatre.com/achorusline

Rape Culture under the Spotlight in Griffin Production

By Queenie Colquhoun

WWW.TEAMCLOVER.COM.AU Authorised by Frank Littlewood, 25 Francis Street, East Sydney, NSW 2010

the appointed resident director of the Australian production of Hamilton.

The cast and crew are beyond excited at this second chance for a musical, and for Tim Draxl, A Chorus Line is an incredibly appropriate production to perform in these COVID times.

“I think Chorus Line now more than ever gives people an insight into our industry and the hardships of our industry. Because of COVID and the show is about the difficulties that we face as actors, singers and dancers” says Tim. Reflecting on the turbulence the arts industry has faced due to the coronavirus pandemic and A Chorus Line’s own experience of being shut down the day of opening night, Tim says: “That’s what Chorus Line is all about, facing those kinds of harsh realities.”

The Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s production of A Chorus Line will also be the first professional production in Australia to feature entirely new choreography.

Photo Brett Boardman

Stage & Screen 9

FURNISHING

No time to slow down Lachlan Colquhoun talks with Richard James Allen, whose leading role in a recently released independent film is only a small part of his creative world.

R

ICH A R D James Allen is happy to talk about collaborating on producing feature films, but his preference is to work on films where he can also have a role in front of the camera.

“I will consider producing feature films if they have amazing roles for me in them,” he laughs.

“Otherwise. I question whether I have the time because life is short.”

As a busy creative working across many areas, time is something which for Allen is in short supply.

He can currently be seen acting as the dysfunctional but mysterious and obsessed driving instructor Hans in Parish Malfitano’s debut thriller Bloodshot Heart, a film he also co-produced.

Then there is a feature film script which he hopes to direct, and he is also producing a film by his partner Karen Pearlman. With her, he is a co-director of the Physical TV Company, which “creates drama, documentary and dance films informed by research into the history and the future potential of the cinematic medium.”

There is also his novel, More Lies, which will be published by Queensland’s Interactive Publications, the official launch will be in Newtown in September.

Judging by his work in Bloodshot Heart and his book, Allen clearly likes twisted thrillers with captivity, hostages and kidnapping as key themes.

Here’s the synopsis of his book: “a highly referential comedy thriller about a writer being held hostage in their own apartment and forced to type to hide the manoeuvres of a femme fatale, holding a pearl handled gun, and her brother, a small-time thug with big time ambitions. This wild tale about assassination, lost gold, betrayal, passion and identity theft engages the reader in the many layers of the author’s witty but deceptive journey.”

In Bloodshot Heart, the meek Hans is transformed by the arrival of a beautiful lodger, who reminds him – or does she? – of someone from his past, someone with whom he shared an intimate story.

Energised by the memory and rebelling against the claustrophobia of living with his traditionally minded Italian mother, Hans breaks out and tries an outrageous kidnap scam with two loser brothers which seems to fail miserably. Or does it?

I

N today’s news cycle, stories come and go. Issues are replaced by the next moment of breaking news and some are just not reported on.

That doesn’t mean that the issues stop, however, or that the victims of some events can move on like the news cycle.

Griffin Theatre Companies Wherever She Wanders, written

by Kendall Feaver, explores one of these issues: rape culture in Australian universities.

Urban Village spoke to Julia Robertson, who plays Paige, an 18-year-old who has arrived at her first day of college.

From a small coastal town, Paige has lived a relatively sheltered life, and arrives at university excited to expand her horizons.

The production was originally set to be part of Griffin’s 2020 season but had to be postponed.

The play is set inside one of Australia’s oldest residential colleges where scandal is rare, or

FABRIC

Still from ‘Bloodshot Heart’

Telling more would be to spoil the plot, and after doing the rounds of independent cinemas in June the film is likely to be available on streaming services in Australia. Internationally, it has hit the film circuit with screenings in the US, Brazil, and soon in Italy, whose 1970 cinema is paid homage to in Bloodshot Heart.

“Brazil has been in intense lockdown because of COVID and it was amazing in the q and a with the audience after the screening that many of them identified with Hans’ story as one of liberation,” says Allen.

“His breaking out was a symbol for them, but I would never have seen it like that.”

On the process of making the film, Allen sees it as a template for other independent films to follow – eschewing normal channels and just getting on with production.

Director Maltifano had been obsessed with the idea for some time, and had the chance to do something about his obsession while at the AFTRS. So he made an eight minute “proof of concept” – with Allen in the role of Hans and considered his options.

“We had a choice and I said to Parish ‘if you

rather knowledge of such scandals is rare to the outside world.

The play looks at the characters Nikki and Jo, a journalism student, and a Master in the college respectively, and their approaches and opinions to allegations that surface.

For Julia, much of the beauty of the play comes from equal look at differing perspectives on the issue.

“I think the benefit of having multi-generational perspectives, different ethnic backgrounds and so many balanced perspectives in the text that are so well executed by Kendall, that it’s a really fascinating thing to watch because I think everyone can align with every character at some point” says Julia.

Wherever She Wanders provides a much-needed discussion point to such a prevalent issue that is so often swept under the rug. For the cast and crew, the goal is to continue the discussion once the curtains close.

want we can put this through the funding bodies and by the time it comes out in ten years it will be a totally different script,’” says Allen.

“He was super passionate to make it now, and needed to make it to move on with his life creatively, so we forgot about the funding bodies and just moved forward and made it.

“Every film is a complex series of funding and deals and opportunities and what we did was gather a lot of people around a really strong and rich and individual idea, and that inspired people and gave them an opportunity to do things they wouldn’t otherwise.”

So with all these collaborators and their creative input, how close was the final film to the original idea?

“I have to channel Parish here, but he talks about it as having evolved, but being close to the essential vision,” says Allen.

“When you bring in other people they expand and enhance the vision. The vision gives them something to work with to shape into a coherent whole, and ultimately is think the film is close to where we started but is more expansive than we could have imagined.”

Julia says: “It’s so important that we continue talking about it because this is the kind of subject matter where it is sensitive and people just avoid the discussion altogether, because they’re worried that they’re going to make mistakes when speaking about it.” “…But at the same time, how do you bring things to light and how do you make progress without having those discussions at every given point with different kinds of people and respecting every different perspective on that issue and arriving somewhere that is a step forward.”

Wherever She Wanders explores several issues that surround modern day campus rape culture, such as the division it can create within feminist discourse, the conversation that exists around second wave and third wave feminists, and whether you can balance looking after yourself and looking after your fellow identifying women.

Julia says: “So much of what the play is about is different feminist perspectives, and how to be a good feminist or what is the right feminist and I think we’re only really reaching a point where we can respect other kinds of feminism and disagree on things for the greater good and essentially, there is no one right way to be a feminist, and there needs to be a continuous evolving discussion.”

The play also looks at the role that online activism can play in the debate, and the surrounding intergenerational discourse that can occur through both the benefits and dangers of online activism.

Wherever She Wanders will run from July 16th – August 14th at the SBW Stables Theatre, at 10 Nimrod Street Kings Cross 2010.

You can book your ticket at: griffintheatre.com.au/whats-on/ wherever-she-wanders-2/

CLEARANCE

Fabric importers clearance sale!

Discontinued designer ranges!

Belgian velvets, Italian jacquards, sheers and hundreds of choices.

Prices reduced by

70%!

Fabric Pavilion 1 1/222 Young St, Waterloo, NSW 2017 Mon-Sat 1 1am to 4pm 02-96990036

www.urbanvillage.com.au

10 Music & Gigs

Want inner city music? Take the train to Woy Woy If there was a prize for the most local gigs seen in one year, Keith Claringbold would win by a mile. The bassplayer for the Smart Folk and the Amazing Woolloomoolosers gives us his tips on where to go to see Sydney’s best

I

T ’S a common dream these days. Leave the big city and find somewhere within a two hour or so radius and live the tree/ sea change.

How’s the serenity! You do miss some aspects of the city, like venues with original live music of all types. The pubs and clubs of the regional centres do have music but it tends to be cover bands or music of a more genteel leaning.

You can still go to the city but it’s a long trek on highways and freeways and you might get home at 2am, all being well.

What’s the solution to this dilemma?

If you’re Mark Fraser, Milly Dalton and Adam Brzozowski, residents of the Central Coast with long histories in performing,

promoting and releasing music, you find a café and turn it into one of the best venues in New South Wales.

Launched in December 2020, Link and Pin aka Gabba Gabba Hey, has played host to an eclectic selection of artists from NSW and interstate while also providing more opportunities for Newcastle and Central Coast musicians to play “locally” without the schlep all the way to Sydney.

Gigs take place in the courtyard so that punters are very up close and personal to the acts. The addition of an outside bar and completion of a second toilet, (hooray), have added to the relaxed feel of this space. That relaxed feeling is in abundance here for musicians as well, with the hosts providing

a great atmosphere where issues are quickly recognised and resolved with a minimum of fuss.

While launching a venue anywhere in these Covid times might be seen as risky, Link and Pin have proven that if you’re flexible, you can still stay open while operating in accordance with the many changes in restrictions and their flow on affects. As I write, this weekend they have rejigged their offerings to be all local acts so that the music continues and the residents have the option of seeing talent they might not otherwise encounter.

I highly recommend the short trip up the freeway, or you can even catch the train from Sydney (just over an hour) , which virtually takes you to the door. Link and Pin often has Saturday and Sunday matinee shows and a languid afternoon in the courtyard listening to music is a wonderful way to unwind.

Link and Pin Café is at 18a Railway Street Woy Woy

Photo Keith Claringbold

Keeping our Third Eye on Sydney.

Each month Richard Snowden from Sydney label Third Eye Stimuli Records reports on new releases and events.

Why We’re All For Chet Sounds.

Chet Tucker is a multi-instrumentalist – humble, enigmatic and highly talented. In my opinion he’s the kind of artist that if not seized and celebrated, risks spending his creative golden years residing in the shadows, or someone else’s…

Josh and I didn’t hesitate to offer our support along with a few necessary jabs of encouragement to keep up the momentum.

His contribution to The Uplifting Bell Ends, alongside psychedelic-folk mastermind James French, first landed him on Third Eye’s radar. For supporting evidence give the Bell Ends’ most recent album ‘Super Giant III’ a spin and pay particular attention to the ‘Chet Sounds’ series of tracks. In addition to this his live drumming was, and still is, charismatic and impeccable.

Confidence is key, particularly for a self-produced debut release. The initial songs needed mixing attention, with vocals pushed a little too far back, as generally happens with self-recording artists who aren’t confident in their take. We assured him his vocal tracks were great, simply needing a pinch of mixing magic dust to glue them into the instrumental mix – which was undeniably superb, particularly for a home job.

Chet’s love for wearing both composer and producer hats stems from watching countless music documentaries as a boy. He told us that he bought his first Tascam four track recording machine at the age of 16 after seeing Ween using one in a video.

“I’ve always appreciated the people working behind the scenes and feel like I have a strong connection with producers and engineers and how they bring musical ideas to life. I wanted to do that with my own music.”

Getting to know Chet and seeing him perform live it’s clear he is a man destined for a life of musical exploration.

When he sent through the demo tracks of his debut album,

www.urbanvillage.com.au

It’s hard to describe what stood out most for us when we first listened. Was it the nostalgic chordal movements?

Sophisticated layering and arrangement? Or silk-smooth vintage tones garnishing absolutely every instrument?

Keys, guitar, drumming, all brilliant. That’s just the superficial ear candy, paying attention to the lyrics, his storytelling is raw, honest, sometimes effervescently lighthearted. It’s hard not to relate to the majority of the album’s themes.

After a few months of back and forth, reassurance and shifting release plans we settled on the new mixes, fired them off to our mastering man Owen Penglis to tie them together and agreed on a limited edition cassette run.

‘Off The Beaten Track’, was the first single to drop,

premiering with one of our most-adored platforms, New Commute (USA) and shortly after the video picked up a spin on Rage – not bad for a debut release! Since then we’ve revealed three other tracks from the thirteen destined for his self-titled album (‘Who Hears Colours’, ‘Bleu’ and ‘Strawberry Jam’) with the Chet Sounds word spreading and more publication love.

“While his solo work does share similarities with his other group’s oddball psych excursions, his own project truly celebrates his eye for unpredictably adventurous songwriting.” - Trouble Juice.

If you’re interested in giving the singles a listen or preordering Chet Sounds’ album on cassette (lavished with artwork from our British pal Tomas Walmsley jump over to chetsounds.bandcamp.com.

You’ll hear more from us soon.

Rick Snowden - Third Eye Stimuli Records thirdeyestimuli.bandcamp.com | IG: @third_eye_stimuli

Music & Gigs 11 Lovejoy producer Jack Colquhoun looks forward to the month ahead in the world of dance parties and electronic music

Back on the Dance Floor // Dance, Parties and Electronic

W

HI L E for some, ‘electronic music’ may conjure up images of hoards of young people tripping over police & drug dogs to scramble into a paddock like The Domain or Victoria Park, the easing of restrictions in recent months has allowed for the real gems of the local dance scene to shine again.

Smaller crowds and capacities have seen the return of some of the city’s most beloved dance music crews, and the next month has plenty to offer if tapping your foot is once again done out of joy & not COVIDoriented anxieties.

The largest of these in the next month is perhaps the most ‘does what it says on the box’ name to grace a social feed, Solotel’s 24 HOUR PARTY. There are some fantastic local acts gracing 12 venues over the course of July 3 & 4. This includes acts operating under the umbrellas of FBi Radio, Picnic, Motorik, Heaps Gay, House of Mince & Fruit Bowl, and many more. Best of all? It’s all free.

If something less ‘I’m dancing in a pub’ feeling is more your style,I implore you to try and head along to Lost In Translation.

This one off event hosted by Translate Sound, an Eora-based crew responsible for building the much loved sound system of the same name, should be one not to miss.

A powerful lineup made up of Nectar’s Andy Garvey & DJ Scorpion, alongside

Melbourne label Animalia’s founder Kia, & Canberra’s own Hei Zhi Ma, ‘Lost In Translation’ is hot property. I’ve already got my ticket.

Now while I’ve gone on about smaller crowds & capacities being a positive, to finish off July is the largest gig any of us have seen in more than eighteen months.

Pandaemonium is an event presented by booking agency Bizarro, alongside promoters Heavenly & SHED. While Home The Venue isn’t the most tantalising name on the map, Bizarro boasts that there’ll be a thousand people in attendance, seeing the likes of Jensen Interceptor, Toni Yotzi, Moopie, DJ Life, Crescendoll, Ptwiggs, Niku & many more. It’s already sold out, but with a thousand people going, statistically you’re very likely to be able to cop resale.

It must be said however, that with the changing climate of our city, any or all of these events may be postponed or cancelled.

It’s also meant that events are being organised & announced with far less notice, and so these larger scale productions are thus far the only ones in July.

Keep an ear to the ground for details on events taking place at shorter notice - & be sure to follow everybody on their socials to get the inside scoop on what’s happening.

Until next time, Jack

Lovejoy is the lovechild of Jack Colquhoun and Morgan Huggins – childhood best friends who rediscovered each other through a shared hunger for music and hedonistic hijinks.

From bunkers to warehouses, found spaces to club nights, their shindigs have created an intimate community of dancers that places the music at its centre.

Liz Martin

Kindred Spirits Combine for Vivid S Eliza Hull

Photo Supplied by the Artist

Y DN E Y singer Liz Martin is a prominent Sydney based singer whose day job is in the accessible arts sector, working with people with disabilities.

Martin, who is well known for her collaboration with dance music producer Paul Mac in 2001 on the gold-selling release ‘3000 Feet High’, combines both aspects of her life in a performance scheduled for this year’s Vivid 2021 festival.

In a performance which also epitomises the future direction for artists with disabilities, Martin collaborates with Eliza Hull in an exclusive, intimate performance in the Opera House’s Utzon Room.

Called ‘Into The Space Between The Notes’, the performance sees two of Australia’s most distinctive female talents share the stage with the backing of Eliza Hull’s band.

Based in Castlemaine, Victoria, Hull is a proud disabled artist, having with a neurologicial condition called CharcotMarie-Tooth since she was five years old which creates muscle and sensory loss.

Photo Joy Lai

Although she has lived with the condition for decades, it is only in recent years that she began to proudly identify as a person living with a disability.

Her career has continued to blossom and her songs have been featured on ABC KIDS TV, The Heights and US productions Awkward, Teen Wolf and Saving Hope, while she has toured with artists such as Mia Dyson, Katie Noonan and the Cat Empire.

Hull has performed at Ability Fest, a festival produced by the Dylan Alcott Foundation & Untitled Group which aims to use music as an inclusive platform to normalise disability.

She also curated the recent ‘Accessible All Areas’ at Isol-Aid, the long running event which showcases deaf and disabled musicians from around the world.

The 2020 event was a virtual event due to the pandemic, but Hull said that this presented a way to use technology to improve access and inclusion for people with disability to be part of live music performances.

Hull’s Vivid performance with Liz Martin is a meeting of kindred spirits, and points the way forward for inclusive arts and performance in Australia.

Liz Martin and Eliza Hull will perform ‘Into the Space Between the Notes’ at the Opera House Utzon Room on August 22

www.urbanvillage.com.au

12 Food & Drinks

RE

Cocktail Bar Sparks Sustainability Discussion By

Queenie Colquhoun

T

HE Department of Environment and Energy has revealed that restaurants and industrial companies dispose of 2.2 million tonnes of food every year, with food waste costing $20 billion annually.

New Eveleigh bar Re is determined to fix this and seeks to completely reduce food waste.

Owner Matt Whiley says: “Taking it a step further and thinking about food waste and how we can utilise the vast amounts of food waste we generate all over the world.

Thinking about how we can generate it in

Photo Tom Ferguson

Sydney and the conversation about how we can make the change to reduce it.”

Just about everything in Re is sustainably made. “Pretty much everything you can touch, and feel is built from sustainable materials. That’s from tabletops, the bar top, all the balustrade, the bathroom wall, tiles, they’re all built from recycled milk bottles” says Matt.

The seat leather is also made from pineapple leaves, plywood from eco ply (the most sustainable wood in New Zealand and Australia). The bar also has light fittings made from mushrooms and plate ware from MUD’s recycled clay.

Re is also collaborating with Ketel One Vodka to create a new project, called Never Wasted. The program will bring together 10 Sydney bars to discuss food wastage and create a circular economy to reduce leftovers and surplus food.

Matt says: “What we’re doing is we’re asking everyone to come to a workshop with us at Re and to create a safe environment and speak candidly about their own challenges of food waste and what they might waste inside their venues…”

“And they will be able to pass it on to one of the other 10 bars and create a concentric circular economy, so everyone will get a waste item from another venue, and they’re going to utilise that waste item and put it on the menu.”

The program aims to reduce bar waste within the four weeks by 75%.

The program hopes to continually grow, involving more hospitality venues and creating a larger circular economy and delivering significantly less food waste for all.

For Matt, Re is the beginning of a more sustainable hospitality industry. “To show that to operate in this way you can actually make money and it actually makes you more money because you’re paying less for your produce.”

Re is the beginning of a larger conversation. The idea and initiatives behind the restaurant hope to curb food waste and spark discussion.

Matt says: “We want to actually tackle food waste and be able to give back to the industry in Sydney and create a blueprint of how we can take this to other cities around the world as well.”

Re is located at 2 Locomotive Street Shop 8, Eveleigh, 2015.

You can book here: wearere.com.au

Each month Sophie Otton, proprietor of ‘She Loves You’ bar in Newtown, offers a suggestion on a new drink to try.

R Sophie’s Drink of the Month So welcome to the new generation of Lambrusco, a wine as stimulating as it is celebratory.

www.urbanvillage.com.au

ECENTLY an Italian importer dropped by with a bottle of sparkling Lambrusco for me to try.

As he poured, I watched the pretty magenta liquid bubble friskily up the glass and remembered the last one I tasted. It was cloying and undistinguished. I braced myself and took a sip.

Lambrusco was huge in the 1970s and ‘80s. The bulk of it came from EmiliaRomagna in northern Italy, where regional co-operatives produced rivers of the cheerfully cheap, sweet fizz. So ubiquitous was it that it almost destroyed the region’s standing as a quality producer. That’s a reputation that lingers like a hangover.

But on tasting this particular drop, I was pleasantly surprised by its acidity and dryness. It was appealingly light, almost refreshing, with briary, bitter cherry notes and a degree of savoury complexity. An instant hit.

Lambrusco is named after the grape from which the wine is made. It is a highyielding crop with several key varieties and

about 60 sub-varieties, ideal for churning out high volumes of rustic commercial wine.

When managed conscientiously however, it can be tantalisingly elegant and deliciously complex.

Since the excesses of the ‘80s, small winegrowers around Emilia-Romagna have focused on a more quality-driven, dry style for export, the type of frizzante that the locals have always enjoyed with their food. It’s a staple as important as salumi, Reggiano and tortellini en brodo, and the wine’s fresh acidity cuts through the rich cuisine perfectly.

The ‘Rubino di Cerro’ that I tried (and fell for) is by Venturini Baldini, a notewothy producer of quality Lambrusco since 1976.

Other worthwhile examples are Salamino di Santa Croce from Luciano Saetti and a superb pale pink ‘Radice’ Lambrusco di Sorbara from Cantina Paltrinieri.

So welcome to the new generation of Lambrusco, a wine as stimulating as it is celebratory. It’s spontaneity in a bottle that will get any party started, a welcome change from prosecco, and the perfect sparkler for the cooler months.

Photo (above) Sophie Otton Photo (left) Australian Alternative Wine Show (AAVWS), Mildura

She Loves You is at 530 King Street Newtown For Lambrusco stockists contact Godot Wines 0490 550 656

Food & Drinks 13 RECIPE: Baked Veg Pasta by jimmy wong

@jimmywongeats

W

INTER is well and truly upon us. The air is chilled and the colourful leaves turn to twigs on branches. This season calls for staying indoors, rugging up and comfort food. Hearty soups, slow cooked roasts and pastas are a favourite of mine to cut the chills from these wintery nights. I have a recipe that has become a favourite, largely because it is so simple to make. Please enjoy this, I’m sure it will warm you up.

Recipe Serves 2 Ingredients 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes 1 garlic bulb 1 red onion 3 sage leaf 60 g chopped walnuts 1 tbsp lemon zest 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp sea salt flakes 2 tbsp virgin olive oil 200g soft goats cheese 250g spaghetti pasta 2 tbsp cooking salt Finely grated grand pandano (optional)

Method Heat the oven on fan forced to 180ºc , in a baking dish, place the cherry tomatoes, sliced onion, sage, lemon zest, sea salt and virgin olive oil.

Cut the top off the garlic bulb (exposing just the top of each clove) and place in baking dish along with a drizzle of virgin olive oil over the garlic bulb, Bake for 35-40 mins. At 20 minutes add the walnuts to toast in baking dish.

In a large pot, fill to 3/4 and bring to a boil adding the cooking salt (2 tbsp). Now add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Do not throw the pasta water away.

Take the baking dish out and squeeze out the confit garlic and mash everything together. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add 1/2 the goats cheese and mix in, place pasta in a bowl. Finally sprinkle small pinches of goats cheese on top and grated grand padano if desired and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Photo Jimmy Wong

Photo Anson Smart

Converted to Gin By

I

Queenie Colquhoun

T seems like everything has a Global Calendar date reserved for it these days.

September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. October 25? National Greasy Food Day of course!

World Gin Day falls on June 12, and I must admit, I do think this one deserves its own day. Or at least Four Pillars Gin does after the celebratory gin masterclass I attended at Four Pillars Surry Hills.

Melbourne-born gin company Four Pillars set up their Sydney store and bar in Surry Hills early last year. Located in a gorgeous shop on Crown Street, it’s safe to say that the gin makers have made a big splash in the community.

I’m embarrassed to admit, I’m not the biggest gin fan, and I was certainly unsure of what I was in for when I arrived at the class last Saturday June 12.

I have to say, I think I’ve been converted.

And it’s not just the gin talking.

Four Pillars are as innovative as they are charming. You’ll taste several delicious and daring drinks, from their Olive Leaf Gin and Spice Trade Gin, which I can only describe as explosive.

You’ll also try their innovative Bloody Shiraz Gin. Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin poured over Shiraz grapes seems like an impossible feat – yet for Four Pillars they have certainly pulled it off, making my favourite drink of the session.

Whilst the gin is lovely – and don’t get me wrong, a huge reason to go – it’s the atmosphere that really does it for me.

You get a great feel for the people who are teaching you about gin. They’re passionate, they’re fun and they really do enjoy being there with you. It’s a wonderful presence to be around.

Co-Founder Stuart Gregor who runs the class is delightful. Full of hilarious

anecdotes (some related to gin), you’ll get lost in his stories before his helpful and cheery staff pull you all back to the task at hand – gin!

Gin expert Wes Baimbridge is also a wonderful presence in the class. Not only is he a true gin expert, but he knows how to entertain a crowd. Wes and Stuart together, along with the rest of the Four Pillars employees will whisk you away into a gin inspired daze.

Four Pillars is a world leading gin company, and honestly, I don’t find that surprising at all.

The drinks are fun, creative, and daring – just like those who work there.

And you can go there any time. It doesn’t have to be World Gin Day to enjoy a gin.

Four Pillar Gin Laboratory is at 406 Crown Street Surry Hills ph. 90628430 www.urbanvillage.com.au

14 Arts

Every Colour a Story Angela Stretch picks out some highlights from what is on offer at Sydney galleries.

E

verything influences everything else when creating a true image. We somehow make sense of colour as a perceptual truth. When a colour is absent from a language, it is usually blue. Koori people, ancient Hebrew, Welsh, Vietnamese and in more recent times Japanese, lack a word for blue. There are no known local sources of blue pigment minerals. The Icelandic word for blue and black is the same, one word that fits sea, lava and

LEFT: A multicolour display textile, which is soft and washable. Credit: Huisheng Peng’s group. ABOVE: Bill Culbert, Strait (Yellow Blue Grey Green Blue Orange), 2015, fluorescent light, plastic bottles, 31 x 120 x 12 cm. Credit, Roslyn Oxley Gallery.

raven. Within every colour lies a story that binds an agent of culture.

Colour perception was tested in 2015, when a social media meltdown over the disagreement of how people saw the colour of a dress in a photograph posted on Tumblr. The dispute centred on the uncertainty of the authenticity of colours, which were later confirmed to be blue and black.

The phenomenon prompted the scientific community to investigate insights into human colour vision.

A wearable textile made from cotton integrated with luminescent fibres that can be used like a screen to display simple images has been developed by researchers in China. The electronic fabric is breathable, flexible and can withstand multiple cycles of washing. Published in Nature, glowing points have the potential to be used to enhance communications and researchers anticipate ‘will shape the next generation of electronics.’

Woven fibre materials as a counterpoint lineage is present in the commissioned video work, Labours for colour, by Leyla Stevens. The moving image is screening at the Mosman Art Gallery, in a presentation of Southeast Asian textiles and artefacts, with documentation from the Balinese island Nusa Penida. Upacara: Ceremonial art from South Asia compiles objects from the collection of Dr John Yu AC and Dr George Soutter, and Stevens invites a consideration of the many hands that touch and shape the disparate places and ritualised processes that is undertaken to produce the cepuk style of weaving the island is known for.

Pixel elements work towards creating a whole image to illuminate the fortitude of union. For over 40 years, the Pantone Colour System has been providing a trend forecast.

Ultimate Gray is this year’s foundation displaying: ‘A marriage of colour conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting.

Gunpowder is on the outer with global trends and an environmental alternative to fireworks has us looking upwards to the bright-animated pixel art of drone light shows. Vivid Sydney staged a presentation of 100 flying drones in a silhouette of the Opera House hovering above the Sydney Harbour in 2016, but regulatory barriers and high costs have slowed their use. The devastating Black Summer has added to the momentum for change to the annual New Year’s Eve tradition of sparking-up. Last year a display of 3,051 airborne drones in China set a world record.

The bedazzling choreography was coordinated to fly in preset patterns with the colour of each line of dots changing orientation to 3D effect. President Biden used unmanned aerial vehicles at his victory speech. The pyrotechnics of sight, sound and smell with pollution and debris has perhaps met its match.

‘Light is colour, colour is light. It is a material in the same way as paint in terms of colour.’ Bill Culbert.

Culbert explores moments of illumination, where what we see and we know collide. He engagingly would reinvent new imaginative possibilities for ordinary things, revelations of the secret lives of familiar things.

These objects complicate the distinction between what is lit and what lights. They make a connection between something that is different from everyday life and something that is part of it. His work functions like a continuous experiment in observation, recreating optical discoveries of science as art.

This is the first posthumous exhibition of the New Zealand born artist who died 2019. The exhibition at Roslyn Oxley Gallery reunites us with the demi-john objects of his affection with fluorescent tubes, repurposed and reused materials in poetic compositions that use light and dark by their measured opposites in his sculptural installation work. His work connects the viewer towards an unforgettable resonance of spirit characters providing an unforgettable moment of illumination.

Such philosophical notions of the spirit have been evolved by 19th century Swedish artist Hilma af Klint. Her emblematic paintings unite darkness and light, spirit and matter, male and female. She explored dualities, but unity was her genius.

Producing abstract work from a symbolic lexicon of colour and shapes to make visible her curiosity of the natural sciences, the cosmos and spiritualism. Blue was next to darkness; yellow and roses represented masculinity; spirals for unity; U and W shapes for the spirit world and matter.

In the survey exhibition The Secret Paintings, at AGNSW, 120 works display her belief that her paintings contained messages for humanity communicated to her through visions she received from spirits.

Independent curator, Sue Cramer, brings to our attention achievements in developments of balance between two sexes in The Paintings for the Temple (1906-1915), in which inspired the title of the exhibition. “To our present-day eyes, af Klint’s use of prismatic colour foreshadows our own ideas of the gender spectrum, and the rainbow as an emblem of diversity and inclusion.”

In her sixties, Klint relinquished the analytical language of geometry and occult colours for the insubstantiality of which connects all of nature producing watercolours with the idea that plants have souls. She shared Rudolf Steiner’s view of colour as something that uplifts the human being from the material to the spiritual.

When we understand invisible connections between things and realise this in our consciousness while seeking unity with each and everything we may find truth. What juxtapositions of these artworks instill most are the long forlorn connections among theme, among us, and among our cultures. Finding commonality is an altogether notion different from that of homogeneity.

Bill Culbert Roslyn Oxley Gallery 17 July 2021 Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings AGNSW 19 September 2021 Leyla Stevens: Labours for colour Mosman Art Gallery 29 August 2021 14 August 2021, 2pm: In conversation event with Stevens

Other Mothers I wonder if all the other mothers’ faces pinch too — Do they eye the time to sip respite?

Break out at night to stare longingly in?

Shock dumb limbs to life in bracing waters?

Poetry

I wonder if they feed on their children / feed their children?

If their masks itch and slip in heat, contract in cold; contain the urge, the surge of migratory flight.

If years petrify around their sights — the panic of darting eyes.

If underneath their aims are warped like wings.

BY

MICHELE SEMINAR A Michele Seminara is a poet and editor from Sydney. She has published four poetry collections, her latest being Suburban Fantasy, a feminist exploration of the dark underbelly of suburbia. Michele is curator of the Manly Art Gallery & Museum Poetry Alive Readings, and Managing Editor of online creative arts journal Verity La. You can find more from Michele at her website (micheleseminara.net) and purchase Suburban Fantasy from UWA Publishing. poetrysydney.org

www.urbanvillage.com.au

Arts 15

John Olsen Introspective ‘Goya’s Dog’ at the National Art School By

Lachlan Colquhoun

J

OHN Olsen failed at his first attempt to get into the National Art School.

It was 1945, and the teenage Olsen was taking the school’s entrance exam, along with a large number of recently demobilised soldiers who were trying to get on with their lives post World War 2.

“Since there were no paintings or books in the house my art was about comics,” Olsen explained at the launch of the ‘Goya’s Dog’ exhibition.

“So I thought it would be good to learn how to draw properly, so I applied to the school.”

The exam took the form of a conventional still life drawing, and the examiners produced a banana and an apple, two bottles and a fork for the applicants to draw.

Olsen got to work along with the soldiers, many of them – as he recalls – still with yellow faces from the effects of malaria and the quinine mediation.

“I have to tell you I failed, I came a gutsa,” Olsen said.

It wasn’t long, however, before the school welcomed him. After a few classes at the Julian Ashton School, Olsen entered NAS in 1946 and began a career which has made him perhaps the school’s most famous alumni.

But the association didn’t end there, as he explained.

“Many years passed and I lived in Spain and came back to Australia and painted ‘Spanish Encounter’ (in 1960),” he says.

“And then I was asked to teach at the school.”

Fast forward to 2021, Olsen is 93 years old, a NAS Fellow and is still painting. Old age, he said, is a “wonderful thing”and he is “more entranced with the dark side.”

“Not in a mournful sense, but in a sense of enquiry.”

Some of Olsen’s most recent work is part of the ‘Goya’s Dog’ exhibition, which comprises 60 of his major works,

TOP: Detail from ‘Clarendon’ 1983, John Olsen, Art Gallery of NSW. ABOVE: Detail from ‘Le Soleil’ 1965, John Olsen, from a private collection

sketchbooks and drawings, many of them from private collections which haven’t been seen publicly for many years.

They come not only from his time in Spain in the 1950s, but from sojourns in South Australia – which produced

‘Clarendon’ (the Urban Village cover image) – and from various periods in his life.

There is even a water colour of Olsen’s friend, the celebrated painter Lloyd Rees, in the bath. Painted in 1987, Rees was in his nineties, as Olsen is now.

‘Goya’s Dog’ is a painting Olsen did in 1985, a response to seeing Goya’s ‘The Drowning Dog’ at the Prado Museum in Madrid. It inspired not only the ‘Goya’s Dog – Life Escaping a Void’ painting, but continues to inspire Olsen to this day.

While the Olsen show is an important one for NAS, NAS continues to be important to Olsen.

He is, he said, “very proud of this place” which is precious as the “only art school that teaches a full practice.”

Other art schools, he said, taught about art, but not how to be an artisan.

“An artisan is one who can work with their hands, in co-ordination with the mind,” he said, and this ability was critical in the creation of significant art.

Artists, said Olsen, were all struggling with the limitation of facing the “great encyclopedia of mankind’s marks”, dating from the time of early cave painting.

They should remember, however, that in the event of a “terrible catastrophe” the last thing to be exhumed form civilization would the “final mark” made by artists.

“Forget the avant garde,” said Olsen.

“The primary mark is the essence of what this is about.”

The National Art School presents John Olsen: Goya’s Dog until August 7 at the NAS Gallery.

www.urbanvillage.com.au

16 Columns & Community

WTF is an NFT?

I Australia: The Lucky Wealthy Country.

The second of a three part series by finance contributor Glen Hare

Property vs Shares, PART 2:

A

USTRALIA’S pole position at the very top of global median wealth (per adult) is underpinned, in part, by strong property ownership and the seemingly unstoppable growth in their value. Property investment is undoubtedly considered the safer route toward growing your wealth down under and growth has been strong over the past ten plus years.

Consider our beloved Surry Hills, where the median price for a stand alone home has more than doubled from $900,000 in 2012 to roughly $1,800,000 today - with the story in Redfern, Darlinghurst, Potts

Point and other surrounding, inner city suburbs being almost identical. In fact, Sydney’s property value growth has been so strong over the past twenty-five years, if the same numbers played out over the next, the extrapolated median house value by 2043 would be an eye watering (and fingers crossed, impossible) $6,349,885. It seems impossible, no doubt, but so does the fact in 1977 you could buy a house in Darlinghurst for $35,000.

Of course, property investment is not all double-digit growth and while the tangibility of your investment may provide some peace of mind - it definitely comes at a cost. The upfront capital required for a deposit and ongoing costs accrued in maintenance and agency/bank fees can amount to significant sums. Further, Australian rental yields are notoriously low, meaning you’re unlikely to cover the costs of your investment with the money collected from tenants - if you can find them! As of

now, I would estimate that around thirty per cent of the (brand new) apartments in my Waterloo block are sitting empty. And while our current situation is definitely not the norm, vacancy rates have been growing in the inner city since 2017 - with a massive apartment surplus on the way. As the competition for tenants heats up, some landlords may find themselves in financial strife.

All in all, property has delivered strong returns for investors over the last fifty or so years - with projected population growth lending weight to predictions of a continuing trend. If you have or can save the capital to get started, don’t mind overheads and prefer your assets tangible - property might just be the investment for you!

Pick up the next Urban Village to find out how the property party compares with shares.

Photo Janet Anderson

LOOKING AFTER GERIATRIC PETS By

Dr. Nima Rahmani

www.urbanvillage.com.au

A

FTER the age of eight dogs and cats are considered geriatric.

With this age comes a lot of health problems such as arthritis, dental issues, kidney disease and heart problems, which are important to diagnose and monitor from an early stage so that harm can be minimised.

Chronic kidney failure and kidney problems are difficult to diagnose until the majority (around 75%) of the kidney cells are destroyed. Symptoms include drinking a lot, urinating frequently, loss of appetite and weight loss.

F you are the artist Mike Winkelmann (aka Beeble), you have over 90 million reasons to celebrate the rise and acceptance of “non-fungible tokens” (NFTs) as a way to sell a digital artwork*. Think blockchain, think crypto, think about disruptive technology and then think again.

An NFT is a unique digital asset that exists on a blockchain and cannot be replicated. The current market for NFT’s are collectibles (digital sports cards and artworks). Recently, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey sold an NFT of the first ever tweet for US$2.9M. Hardly a token.

Why are you reading about this in a lawyer’s blog and not in the art, or technology sections? Because what underpins the workings of NFT’s

By

Peter English

Peter English is a Registered Trade Marks Attorney and is the director & founding partner of Surry Partners Lawyers. www.surrypartners.com.au

Kidney problems can be diagnosed through a blood test. Blood tests are incredibly important and instrumental in finding problems before it’s too late, making it important to have regular check-ups with your vet.

Arthritis is most prevalent during winter and colder seasons. Pain comes and goes and is usually found in the legs, particularly the back legs. You can identify potential arthritis in your pet if they are showing signs of wastage, lameness, lack willingness to walk and if they’re not as energetic/interested in playing.

Arthritis can be diagnosed through an examination with your vet and your pet can be given pain relief medication, be put on a weight management plan, or be given certain food and supplements to help with their joint pain.

Dental disease is another common issue for geriatric pets. Symptoms include being sore in the mouth, drooling, dropping food, bad breath, and weight loss. Dental disease needs to be taken seriously because a lot of people think bad breath is normal for pets, but it usually means that there is an infection or gingivitis. Gingivitis can also lead to other issues like kidney disease and heart problems.

So how can you make sure your pet stays healthy as they age?

The secret is catching these issues early. One year of your pet’s life is the equivalent to seven years. If you leave a visit for even two years, that’s a long time to not see a doctor.

As your pet slows down, make sure the vet visits don’t. Early intervention is always the key to a happy, long life.

Dr. Nima Rahmani is at Vets on Crown, 537 Crown Street Surry Hills ph. 91331300

are ‘smart’ contracts which, coupled with the consensus system which facilitates blockchain applications and authenticates ownership, set out the terms of the deal. The contract terms should guarantee that the asset will not be replicated – but it can be tricky.

What about copyright? Normally, purchasing an artwork does not allow the purchaser to replicate it and sell physical or digital editions of it, unless the artist (copyright owner) agrees.

(Not surprisingly, artists rarely, if ever, agree).

A digital asset is a representation of either a physical or virtual asset and it is the creator of that asset, not necessarily the NFT creator, that is the copyright owner. Only the copyright owner can license what is permitted under copyright laws.

NFT’s present some interesting opportunities for sale of a number of physical assets, including real estate. Who will be the first to create segments of the single asset and trade the segments in another market? You could own a fraction of Jack Dorsey’s first tweet.

In June, Tim Berners-Lee, recognised as the “inventor” of the internet, is selling the original source code for the web as an NFT through Sotheby’s auction house. Creators, artists, dealers and collectors should get advice. * In March this year, that artist known a Beeble sold a work titled “Everdays: The First 5000 Days” for $US69.3 (AU$90M)

Cleveland Street Traffic Changes – Update

By Annette Tolhurst

L

ike many in the community I was dismayed to read a report from Transport for NSW on its community consultation regarding the plan to remove four right hand turns from Cleveland Street, along on the border of Redfern East and Surry Hills.

To put it simply, the department listened but did not hear. It’s very clear the TfNSW approach to consultation is one-way and its commitments, via the Minister, to take the informed concerns of local residents seriously were nothing more than lip service.

If it wasn’t more serious it would be a perfect episode of Yes Minister or Utopia.

But it would be a tragedy if a pedestrian or cyclist was injured as a result of TfNSW’s poorly conceived plan to solve a minor safety problem (there were just two related accidents on Cleveland St in the last five years) by pouring 5000 cars a day onto the surrounding streets.

So far the department has put forward nothing that would address the very serious safety concerns raised by people who live and work in the area and know the risks.

They’ve also continued to repeat demonstrably untrue claims about accident numbers as justification.

The 500 members of the Cleveland Street Action Group will be holding the department accountable and hoping the Minister, Andrew Constance, will honour his words to 7News on February 23 when he said “we don’t want to see local streets used as rat runs”.

Business Profiles 17

Partner Content

The Green Room finds new home on Crown Street By

Tess Scholfield-Peters

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HE Green Room has moved into a striking new space at 499 Crown Street, previously The Architect’s Bookshop. The store is a pocket of luxury and style, a welcome fixture to the renowned Sydney strip.

Green Room founders Olly Adam and Maxine Fielding are determined to make the new space a hub for Surry Hills locals, creatives and lovers of design.

The new space is a gamechanger for the duo, who have dedicated themselves to showcasing unique and rarely seen pieces to clients in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. For Olly and Maxine, the space upgrade is more of a testament to the quality of the products on show.

The Green Room is the Australian distributor of The Rug Company, a global luxury rug brand renowned for their unique and impressive roll call of collaborators from the worlds of fashion, interior design, architecture and contemporary art.

Coveted by interior designers across Australia, The Rug Company and their eminent collection is at home in Surry Hills, where so many exciting local and international brands can be experienced in such proximity.

From outside the store Crown Street strollers get a view of the vibrant window display of rugs, cushions and wallhangings

by The Rug Company as well as fragrances & candles by The Perfumer’s Story awardwinning perfume designer Azzi Glasser.

“We are so excited how our new space showcases the sensational products by The Rug Company and The Perfumer’s Story.

It’s so exciting to have so many legendary design collaborators under one roof,” Maxine told Urban Village.

Inside, show-stopping creations hang from the walls on full display: rugs by Kelly Wearstler, Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood all handmade for The Rug Company.

“The Green Room has always been and will always be a creative space. We still live upstairs; the idea is that you are visiting our house. Even though it’s more of a formal shop we feel like we are part of a family here,” said Olly.

The Green Room is passionate about Surry Hills and the creative community of the area. Maxine and Olly regularly record their dance music radio show in the showroom, inviting like-minded locals to mingle amongst their highest quality products designed by the world’s most iconic names in fashion and design.

Photos Nick Brand

Pop into their new store location today, at 499 Crown Street. @thegreenroom.com.au

Sustainability thrives at Salon Stories

Rasoi Indian Lays Down the Challenge By

By

Photo Rob Harley

Queenie Colquhoun

Ashish Rana believes his restaurant offers the best Indian food in Sydney and wants the public to test it and see if he’s right.

R

ANA and his team have recently opened Rasoi Indian Restaurant at Zetland and have hit the ground running.

This is the second Rasoi restaurant to open after the first in Wagga Wagga, which since its opening six years ago has developed a devoted customer base in the regional city.

It has also enabled the Rasoi team to refine and hone their recipes based on customer feedback.

“We want our customers to come and have the best experience possible,” says Rana.

“We welcome feedback, and we’re always looking to see how we can improve ourselves for our customers.”

Ashish comes from a strong chef background, as well as working in hotel management.

In India, he built a wealth of experience over six years working as a chef for some of the country’s best hotel companies.

Ashish’s cousin Jaspal Rawat, the owner of Rasoi Wagga Wagga, also has over a decade of experience, meaning that the two have hit the Sydney restaurant with an impressive arsenal of knowledge and passion.

Rasoi offers a large variety of food, offering a more Australian friendly take on Indian cuisine, which Ashish describes more like the type of Indian food one would find in the UK. Ashish says: “For those new to Indian food, we can suggest certain spice levels, certain dishes for first time customers to try and when they feel settled, they can explore further.”

Rasoi are also happy to go beyond the menu.

“We can go out of the way to do certain things for customers… If there is another dish that the customer wants but isn’t on the menu, if we can do it, we’ll make that for them” says Ashish.

Rasoi Indian Restaurant comprises a passionate team who love their customers and what they do.

Ashish is excited to start launching Weekly Specials within the next month, creating an exciting assortment of meals across a more varied menu.

He is confident that Rasoi Indian will deliver the best Indian cuisine in the area, and perhaps in Sydney, and wants customers to put him to the test.

“We want everyone to know that if you want Indian food, the best you’ll ever get is at Rasoi Indian,” says Ashish.

Rasoi Indian Restaurant 30 Gadigal Avenue Zetland ph. 96622277

Photo Rob Harley

Tess Scholfield-Peters

Salon Stories is the newest hairdresser to take up residence along Crown Street. Owners Talia and Sabrina, having worked around the area for years, decided that going out on their own was the only way to ensure their philosophy towards hair and sustainability could be realised.

T

ALIA came to Australia in 2015 from the UK to travel and ended up staying and working in the hair industry. Sabrina arrived in 2017 from Germany.

“I have curly hair and I always found it hard to get what I wanted. It was hard for me, even as a hairdresser, to find my place here. When we decided on our business model, we based it on people who find it hard to find hairdressers who do their type of hair,” said Talia.

“That’s why we called it Salon Stories. Everyone always has a good five-year story of their hair. It was trying to get them on a journey that I felt like I finally got on.

“Because we’re not from here, the weather, the water, different products, all these things make a difference to your hair. For curly hair, using natural based products makes a huge difference.

“Where we were working before, their ethos wasn’t based around that. It’s hard to find somewhere where what you all believe in is the same. Mine and Sabrina’s business model was really similar, so it was a no brainer.”

Hairdressing is a high-waste industry, with the necessary use of foils, plastic and dye colours. Salon

Stories have made the commitment to use natural, vegan and cruelty free products, and dyes with no ammonia.

“At some point you just need to do your own thing.

I found we couldn’t be ourselves when working for someone else because you have to work with their philosophy,” said Sabrina.

Being an eco-friendly salon is the top priority for the duo, with everything in the salon either made from recycled materials or sourced locally. Their product display shelf is made from old wine boxes, the desk (which they built themselves) is made from used railroad sleepers and the chair footrests are made from Australian wood.

“Everything we’ve done, our heart and soul is in this building,” said Talia.

Talia and Sabrina bring their years of experience, love of hair and ethos of sustainability and natural products to their Crown Street salon. Book in for a free consultation today.

Salon Stories 342a Crown Street @salonstories.hairdressing www.urbanvillage.com.au

18 Community News

Uncovering the Stories of Surry Hills Surry Hills is filled to the brim with the rich and colourful stories of people living in our community. Having stood on the corner of Riley and Arthur Street for almost 110 years, The Girls & Boys Brigade has witnessed many of these stories.

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HOUSANDS of children and youth have spent their childhoods playing dodgeball in our basement, reading books from our small library and sharing jokes with lifelong friends. But behind the laughter that fills the three floors of the Brigade, you may not know of the challenge’s families are overcoming.

“I should know,” says Stefan LamourJansson, Executive Officer of the Brigade.

“I was once one of those children.”

For several years, Stefan’s family went through a period of instability. The Brigade was a safe and fun place for Stefan and his brother to go after school and in the holidays, allowing their mum to work and give them a better life.

We have been a helping hand for other families too.

When single-parent Chiho found out about The Girls & Boys Brigade, she was struggling to balance full-time study to become a nurse and caring for her fiveyear-old daughter Faith. Chiho needed a reliable place for Faith to go after school and couldn’t keep asking friends to take care of her child.

Chiho is grateful for the experiences The Girls & Boys Brigade was able to give Faith.

“I couldn’t drive, so they were able to take Faith to places that I just wasn’t able to,” Chiho says, remembering holiday camps to Jamberoo that Faith attended.

“She got to grow up like other kids.”

At the Brigade, Chiho & Faith found a supportive environment that was like a second family. During her 13 years enrolled in our programs, Faith was encouraged to explore her interest in art and is now hoping to become a tattoo artist. Chiho is currently working full-time as a nurse.

The Girls & Boys Brigade is hoping to uncover more stories of those who have been helped by our programs. We’ve launched the “Friends of The GBB” campaign to reunite with past students. If you and your child attended The Girls & Boys Brigade and want to share your story, reach out to us at friends@girlsandboysbrigade.com.au.

We will also be hosting a reunion night for past students, parents and staff on the 22nd of July. Due to COVID restrictions, an RSVP by email is essential. girlsandboysbrigade.com.au

Friends of The GBB Reunion Evening at 6:30pm, 22nd of July. RSVP Essential.

Email friends@girlsandboysbrigade.com.au or call 02 9319 4509 for further details.

www.urbanvillage.com.au

Postponed until Sept 9

Business Profiles 19

Partner Content

Paint, Drink and Relax at Pinot & Picasso

Therapist is part of the Solution

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CCORDING to Matty Silver, “the brain is our largest sex organ.”

It is the brain, she says, which creates performance anxiety in many young men and unrealistic expectations of sex in the minds of many women.

“For many couples the first year of their sex life is great, but after that they have to work at it,” says Silver.

“It is not spontaneous for many people and they have to be patient and work at it, and where I help them is in getting them to open up and talk about it together.”

In a 12 year career as a relationship counsellor and sex therapist, Silver has seen around 4000 clients and says it is “the best job I’ve ever had.”

“I am Dutch after all, and we love talking about sex,” she jokes.

Silver moved into counselling after a diverse career led her to volunteer at Lifeline as a telephone counsellor, a job she loved.

From there she moved into sex counselling at Impotence Australia, and added to her knowledge and qualifications by completing a Masters of Sexual Health at the University of Sydney.

Silver wrote a longstanding column in the Sydney Morning Herald and has written a book called Sex Downunder, which has a foreword and endorsement from former High Court Judge Michael Kirby.

She is also President of the Australian Society of Sex Educators, Researchers and Therapists.

But while much of her work is sex therapy, and she believes that a good sex life generally means a good

relationship, Matty Silver is also a general relationship counsellor.

“I focus on solutions,” she says.

“That might not be such a great business model, because it means that people’s issues are largely solved, but it’s the best way to approach counselling.”

Recently, for example, one couple were arguing over the issue of tidiness.

One was furious with their partner because their clothes were always kept so messily in their shared wardrobe.

They had a large house with an empty upstairs bedroom, so when Silver suggested that the messy one put their clothes up there and keep them separate, it was a simple solution but also problem solved.

“Other people just go on complaining about each other all the time, telling me what they don’t like about each other,” she says.

“They don’t know to stop it, and many have never considered that it’s a good idea just to let it all go, and I help them along that journey to understand that maybe they don’t need to have it all their own way.”

And the couple with the messiness issue? What happened to them when they moved to separate wardrobes?

“They are much happier now,” says Silver.

“But they come back each week because they just love talking with me.”

Matty Silver Sex Therapist and Relationship Counsellor 202/54 Foveaux Street Surry Hills Ph 0411 131619 www.mattysilver.com.au

Editor Lachlan Colquhoun Words Tess Schofield-Peters, Queenie Colquhoun, Angela Stretch, Sophie Otton,

Emma Stubley, Jimmy Wong, Richard Snowden, Keith Claringbold, Jack Colquhoun, Lachlan Colquhoun

Images Rob Harley, Jimmy Wong Advertising Sacha Newell Design & Layout Jarren Gallway Design Publisher Urban Village Media Pty Ltd | ABN 68 623 934 609 Email info@urbanvillage.com.au Mail PO Box 644 Surry Hills NSW 2010 | ISSN 2208-6242

Urban Village is published by Urban Village Media Pty Ltd with co-operation from the Surry Hills Creative Precinct, Potts Point Partnership and the Darlinghurst Business Partnership. Our purpose is to strengthen relationships and co-operation between the business community, residents, visitors and workers of Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Potts Point and the surrounding neighbourhoods. While all efforts are made to ensure information is accurate, Urban Village Media and our co-operating chamber partners, take no responsibility for errors or omissions.

Photo Thiqa Media

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are refocusing on quality time and looking to relax with interesting new experiences. And this has created an opportunity for Pinot & Picasso.

By

Queenie Colquhoun

H

AVING previously worked in the corporate events industry, Dejana Jokanovic was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

She and her partner Vladimir saw an opportunity in the Pinot & Picasso brand – through its support network and being an entertainment led brand – and leapt at the chance to open one in Surry Hills.

Dejana says: “The main thing for us was

leveraging these post COVID times, when we knew that connection, quality time and quality experiences were more important than ever.”

Pinot & Picasso is all about offering a fantastic night out, offering painting classes with wine and champagne for an evening full of creativity and fun.

Pinot & Picasso Surry Hills have over 100 artworks in their catalogue, giving a wide scope of variety and difficulty level to choose from.

“We want to ensure that customers are having a really fun and joyful experience, which is what definitely happens in our studio. I think the main thing is incorporating art into having a really memorable experience” says Dejana.

Dejana and Vladimir say that opening in Surry Hills was a no brainer. Having spent a large portion of their lives in the area, they’ve built up a wonderful understanding and relationship with the area.

Dejana says: “I also feel that it’s the creative centre of the city. It’s in an awesome location, next to some of the best

restaurants in the area. There was just nowhere else we were going to be.”

Many customers have commented on the great sense of mindfulness that these classes offer.

Dejana notes: “A lot of the feedback we have from our customers is that they find the sessions really relaxing and they find it really mindful.”

Based on this, Pinot & Picasso Surry Hills hopes to soon schedule in mindfulness sessions during the week, building on its popularity since opening.

“Our public sessions have all been sold out every weekend and we’ve seen a huge influx in corporate and business wanting to hold team building sessions” says Dejana.

The business has also become first to host public sessions at the Harbour Bridge Pylon, which has recently reopened.

Pinot & Picasso is located at 35 Foster Street Surry Hills 2010, and you can book your visit at pinotandpicasso.com.au/ surryhills

Creating Individual Looks

D

ESMOND and Molly Jones are a well established hair salon and have been a big part of the Surry Hills hair scene for over 20 years.

With a light-filled new salon space on Bellevue St, Desmond and Molly Jones continue creating individual looks, always focusing on the needs of each client.

Headed up by Leonard Newton and working closely with hair experts, Lez and Jodie, with years of global experience between them all, their knowledge ensures consistency and the attention to detail.

And being a small professional team, they’re dedicated to providing a quality hairdressing experience.

The team focus on understanding the needs of their clientele, their personalities and what they want. DMJ services are varied (as are their hours) and they’re more than happy to chat through bespoke requirements to ensure you have a great experience.

The salon is relaxed and comfortable.

A welcoming environment complete with social distancing, good coffee and wifi in case you need to bring your work with you.

Desmond and Molly Jones currently have a special offer for all new clients.

Mention “Urban” and receive 20% off your first cut and colour.

Offer expires 20 August 2021.

T’s and C’s apply.

Open Tuesday through Saturday.

Late nights Thursday and Friday.

Desmond and Molly Jones look forward to welcoming you to the salon soon!

www.urbanvillage.com.au

maloneysgrocer.com.au COOGEE 214 COOGEE BAY RD | SURRY HILLS 4/490 CROWN ST maloneysgrocer.com.au WOOLLAHRA 68 MONCUR ST COOGEE 214 COOGEE BAY RD | SURRY HILLS 4/490 CROWN ST WOOLLAHRA 68 MONCUR ST