City Hub 12 October 2017

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city hub 12 OCTOBER 2017

WestCon protestors snubbed

By Jessica De Vera Community groups in the inner-west opposing the WestConnex road development scheme have been denied funding following last Tuesday’s extraordinary meeting at the Inner West Council.

Disruption descended in the meeting when residents grew angry after they waited over three hours to discuss the notified agenda.

“The substantive motions put forward by the Greens were torpedoed by two Mayoral Minutes introduced at the last minute,” said Independent Councillor Pauline Lockie.

Some Councillors believed the Mayor introduced these to take control of the meeting and delay The Greens’ motion.

“Greens’ motions to mount a publicity campaign and to match the City of Sydney funding for a Council coordinator for the Stop WestConnex Campaign were defeated with the combined votes of Liberal and Labor councilors,” said Colin Hesse, Greens Councillor for the Marrickville Ward.

“Residents and community groups have said they feel betrayed by this outcome, and I don’t blame them,” said Cr Lockie.

But a spokesperson for Mayor Darcy Byrne claimed that the Mayor’s intentions were otherwise. “The Mayoral Minute in fact is committed to expanding $860,000 on Council’s WestConnex Unit this year as well as ensuring a dedicated team member with Council’s WestConnex Unit. “[Their] responsibilities will include supporting and assisting the work of the various action groups, acknowledging the proliferation and complexity of issues associated with the WestConnex project, and the need for dedicated local support within the Inner West Council area to focus on issues specific to the M4-M5 link and interchanges.”

Despite this statement, many Councillors and community group’s perspectives of Mayor Byrne’s intentions were altered in light of the events at the extraordinary meeting.

“This council meeting was their first big test,

Construction work continues on the WestConnex road scheme. Photo: Alec Smart

but Cr Darcy Byrne’s Mayoral Minutes showed only big rhetoric and no real opposition to WestConnex,” said Cr Lockie.

“It’s no longer credible for the Mayor to say he opposes WestConnex when he joins with the Liberals to oppose efforts to support the Stop WestConnex campaign,” said Cr Hesse.

Councillors and residents both felt voices were not being heard as a “discussion of the Mayoral Minutes took more than three hours with much of the debate taunting community leaders, campaigners and many who had experienced the huge disruption and impacts of WestConnex,” said Independent Councillor John Stamolis.

Conversely, a spokesperson for Mayor Byrne said, “I appreciate that it can be frustrating to be stuck at Council meeting for hours. However, this is a necessary byproduct of meaningful debates on all issues.”

Some community groups are worried that the Mayor’s intentions are set on matters on a State and Federal level as opposed to local concerns.

Janet Dandy-Ward, Treasurer for the WestConnex Action Group said, “WestConnex Action Group (WAG) feels like Mayor Byrne is offside and has not consulted the community.

“By refusing to support community groups, Mayor Byrne is clearly showing his contempt for the huge majority of residents who voted for active opposition to the destruction that WestConnex is reaping on our community. It is not OK to play political games with these very real and devastating impacts of WestConnex on our community,” she said.

In the meantime, construction of the WestConnex will continue while community groups and Councillors regroup and hope to continue to push the agenda against it.

“Stage 3 of the project that connects Haberfield

to Rozelle and St Peters hasn’t even received planning approval but Labor has already surrendered to the Liberal government,” said Greens Councillor for Balmain Ward, Rochelle Porteous.

“Moving forward, WAG want Mayor Byrne to be on board with the real local issues. So far, he has announced nothing local. All of his announcements are State and Federal issues he has no control over; smokestack filters and same-sex marriage are just two examples,” said Dandy-Ward.

“Sadly, it seems the only genuine local government voice in our area supporting the community is the City of Sydney,” said Cr Hesse.

The City of Sydney will be gathering together with transport experts, health experts and community representatives at a public meeting on Wednesday 11 October to urge the NSW Government to rethink WestConnex.

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ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Group Editor: Alec Smart City News Editor: Alex Eugene Inner West Independent Editor: Jessica De Vera Bondi View Editor: Anita Senaratna Contributors: Alex Eugene, Jessica De Vera, Isabelle Bastian, Anita Senaratna, Alec Smart, Joseph Fenaughty Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Advertising Managers: Robert Tuitama, Karl Krticka Cover Photo: James Bidgood. Willow Tree (Bruce Kirkman) mid 1960s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay & Lesbian Art Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677, Fax: 9212 5633 Website: altmedia.net.au If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au altmediagroup

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BY ANITA SENARATNA A meeting was held in the Bondi Pavilion to discuss its future now it is no longer threatened with commercial development.

As the sun set on Bondi Pavilion, the atmosphere was relaxed as locals and councillors gathered in the theatre on the building’s top floor for the first Bondi Beach Precinct Meeting since the election, chatting amongst themselves as the local dance company rehearsed in the opposite room.

The Pavilion itself was one of the first orders of business at the meeting, led by convenor Lenore Kulakauskas and Secretary Andrew Mathers. Bondi residents at the meeting were the first to hear Waverley Council’s revised plans for the building ahead of the full council meeting the following night.

Labor Mayor John Wakefield and Greens’ Deputy Mayor Dominic Wy Kanak, addressed the committee for the first time since being elected into their new roles, following an election campaign which saw the Liberals lose their majority on the council to Labor and the Greens.

One of the campaign’s defining issues had been community opposition to the Liberals’ proposed $38 million upgrade of Bondi Pavilion, which would have seen the community space on the top floor - including the very theatre where the meeting was held - taken away.

According to Mayor Wakefield, it may be the first time Waverley Council has ever had both a Mayor and a Deputy Mayor from the Bondi Ward. He said under his leadership, this will mean that issues faced by Bondi

Bondi Pavilion remains public access after development ideas shelved. Photo: Anita Senaratna

locals would “no longer be put in the toohard basket” of council policies.

Bondi Ward’s Liberal councillor Leon Goltsman was also present, as was his former colleague Joy Clayton, who was greeted with applause by the committee.

During her time as a Liberal councillor, Ms. Clayton crossed party lines at a council meeting last year and voted to continue debating the controversial upgrade proposed by the previous Liberal-controlled council.

Mayor Wakefield started by outlining more general plans for the area, such as a waste management review, and increased enforcement of Waverley Council’s Local Environment Plan against developments that aren’t in the community’s best interests.

With regards to Bondi Pavilion, he and Cr Wy Kanak announced that the council would be creating a Stakeholder Advisory

Committee made up of up to seven residents and members of the local arts community, who will gather information from the public and determine a “hierarchy of required and desired uses” for the building as a cultural centre and creative hub. The goal of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee will be to take into account the needs of the people who use Bondi Pavilion the most, and whose livelihoods are connected to it.

The plans were well received for the most part by the committee, who asked several questions around the selection process but raised no major objections.

The council will then consider this hierarchy in the new proposal before submitting it for approval, and they hope to start construction in July 2018. Expressions of Interest in the Stakeholder Advisory Committee open on Wednesday. city hub 12 OCTOBER 2017

3

Oxford Street backpacker beef

BY ALEX EUGENE A proposed backpackers’ hostel for Oxford Street in Darlinghurst has locals worried their area would be destroyed by noise and all-night disturbances.

The City of Sydney received an application from a company identified only as “Nukotel” to open the new business on level two of 38-46 Oxford Street, which is near the Oxford Arts Factory venue.

The application, which was on public exhibition until this week, outlines that the hostel would house up to 100 visitors in “capsule” beds.

Jane Anderson, a resident and member of East Sydney Neighbourhood Association, says it would only bring problems to the area.

“It’s sort of like a battery hen setup with 100 beds that are capsules, all crowded in together. There’s no windows or natural light at all.

“One of the scariest things is that it’s in a building that the applicant acknowledges is not meeting fire regulations,” said Ms. Anderson, who pored over the application in detail during the exhibition period.

“It just does not add anything to the area. It’s not a positive addition,” she said.

But local businesses and the council have been uniting for several years now to try and revitalize Oxford Street, which has seen a steady decline in visitors and patronage ever since the controversial Lockout Laws were introduced by the State Liberal Government in 2014.

The Darlinghurst Business Partnership (DBP), a group who work together to promote and advocate for the revitalization of the area, reported on their website that there had been a 31% drop in annual business turnover since the lockout laws.

They also surveyed over 200 businesses in 2015, and concluded that confidence in the business community was “at rock bottom - only 50% of businesses surveyed expected to be still operating in the next 12 months.”

The proposed site of the new backpacker hostel.

Photo: Anita Senaratna

Stephan Gyory, President of the DBP and coowner of The Record Store on Crown Street said that “any well-run business should not pose an issue for residents, and the business will have to abide by standard noise restrictions.”

“Oxford Street is also an official late Night Trading Area under the Local Environment Plan and has had night life for generations, so one would think that residents who live in the area would (one), have either moved here because of the hustle and bustle or (two), they should not have moved here in the first place. I say this as someone who lives immediately next door to a hostel in Potts Point.”

Mr. Gyory said any business attracting tourists to Oxford Street would “fit right in.”

Woollahra Council and the Paddington Business Partnership have also joined forces to create the “Activate Oxford St Project Objective,” touted as an effort to “implement projects and ideas that will help promote Oxford Street as one of Sydney’s most eclectic and vibrant destinations.”

The project was planned through extensive community consultation and input from village planning experts Village Well. The group’s website reported that it wanted to increase visitation to the area extensively over the next ten years.

A report prepared by Activate Oxford Street identified “neighborhood intensification” as a key objective for the plan, stating, “An increase in the number and diversity of housing types within the area would ultimately provide critical mass locally, helping to support the village both economically and socially.”

The Plan of Management submitted by Nukotel in its application says there would be a noise and nuisance register “with the view to reduce any impacts resulting from the operation of the premises.” Guests would also be limited to a maximum stay of 28 days.

A Statement of Environmental Effects was also prepared for Nukotel by town planners, Sutherland and Associates, which stated that the building falls within a zone that allows for tourist and visitor accommodation.

Under the Sydney Local Environment Plan 2012, any business in the zone must “provide a range of retail, business, entertainment and community uses that serve the needs of people who live in, work in and visit the local area...[and] allow appropriate residential uses so as to support the vitality of local centres.”

The local government regulation also states that the zone should encourage employment

opportunities and maximise the use of public transport, walking and cycling.

The DBP said on its website that one of the reasons Oxford Street lacked visitors was “lack of awareness, because Sydney is addicted to promoting that which need not be promoted, you know, bridges, beaches ‘n’ stuff like that, while ignoring all the great, micro-cultures that live just outside the concrete jungle.”

Sutherland and Associates concluded in its Environment Effects report that: “The proposed development provides for visitor and tourist accommodation which is a permissible use within the zone and is compatible with the surrounding land uses. The location of the site includes an eclectic mixture of commercial, retail, entertainment and residential uses and the proposed backpackers accommodation provides temporary and affordable accommodation for visitors who wish to make use of the surrounding facilities and businesses.”

But Jane Anderson said there were better ways of revitalizing the area.

“We all want to see Oxford Street thrive, but I don’t think this would be the way to go about it.

“Office spaces provide good customers for the Oxford Street outlets through the day. They have minimum negative impacts and maximum benefits.

“I’d be extremely disappointed and surprised if council approved its use,” she said.

None of the City of Sydney Councillors were permitted to comment due to regulations surrounding pending applications.

However, Councillor Craig Chung told City Hub that he “will consider all aspects of any DA that comes before Council to ensure we get the best outcome for the whole community.”

Labor Councillor Linda Scott also announced this week that she would introduce a motion at the next council meeting to change noise policies in favour of live music venues.

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Eastern suburbs on the nose

BY JOSEPH FENAUGHTY Police have bowed to community pressure to include testing for Cocaine in roadside drug tests. Previously mobile drug testing vans could only test for ice (methamphetamine), esctacy and cannabis. However by the end of the year the NSW police force could be rolling out a targeted trial of cocaine testing in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

According to the Bureau of Crime Statistics, after City of Sydney, Woollahra and Waverly are the highest council areas for cocaine use, closely followed by Bondi. The NSW police force fell under criticism for previously targeting poorer suburbs in Sydney’s west and only testing for drugs prevalent in lower socioeconomic communities.

It seems the NSW Police have taken notice of these concerns and in this instance they are targeting the much wealthier east. However, the question remains just how effective are mobile drug tests? Well, for starters, they don’t actually test for inebriation in the same way that random drug tests do. Mobile drug testing only has the capability to test whether or not the driver has the drug in their system. The problem here is that drugs like Cannabis can remain in the system of a user for over a week.

Xiaoran Shan from Sniff Off, an organisation started by The Greens to combat drug sniffer dogs, said: “There is no distinction between driving under the influence of an illicit substance versus driving with a substance in your system but not influencing you.

“MDT’s [Mobile Drug Testing] currently only test for the presence of drugs in your system, not for impairment, that is, a level of drugs in your system that would impair your driving.

This is where MDTs differ from roadside testing for drink driving, where you’ll only test

Mobile drug testing unit in operation Photo: HWP203

positive if your BAC is above a certain level. As a result, you can test positive during an MDT even if you smoked a joint a week ago.

“So, MDTs aren’t really about road safety, they’re just punishing people who have used drugs recently and this is especially detrimental in regional NSW or areas where there is limited public transport and people rely on their cars for their jobs and livelihoods.”

There also seems to be a disparity in the methods of punishment meted out to those

who test positive for roadside drug tests, as one person who wished to remain anonymous explained of their experience testing positive.

“I tested positive for having ecstasy in my system. I was tested on a Tuesday and I took the ecstasy pill on the previous Friday night. I wasn’t even going far and would have walked if I thought there was any risk, but I lost my license for one year and was fined $2000. The most ridiculous part is that I have to get a breathalyser fitted to my car, which tests for

alcohol, however I have never been caught drink driving so they obviously don’t know how to handle this kind of situation.”

The laws have already seen a pushback in the Courts when in February this year NSW Police lost a court case against a man who tested positive for cannabis when he was pulled over for a drug test. Lismore magistrate David Helipern ruled that Joseph Carrel was not guilty of drug driving when it was shown that he had not smoked cannabis for nine days prior to being tested.

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Uber drivers revved up

BY ALEC SMART Uber, the rideshare alternative to taxis, will display identification on all their NSW vehicles from November 1 in new industry rules. Until now, Uber cars, driven by private owners, were indistinguishable from other motorists’ vehicles.

However, some Uber drivers claim making them identifiable will lead to harassment in various forms.

A spokesperson from Uber confirmed the change in Law. “As part of ongoing regulatory reforms, the New South Wales Government will require rideshare drivers to display stickers on vehicles from 1st November. We’re working closely with Transport for NSW and drivers to implement the new requirements.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson added, “A focus on customer safety and fare flexibility is at the heart of new rules for the taxi, rideshare and hire car industry to come into effect on 1 November 2017.”

And yet Uber, founded in 2009 and operating in over 500 cities across 82 countries worldwide, will still be prevented from travelling along bus lanes - unlike taxis and hire cars - or forbidden from picking up and dropping off passengers in allocated ranks.

There are no plans to introduce designated Uber collection bays in Sydney, something familiar in other cities around the world, although there are dedicated Uber pitches at Sydney Airport.

Currently, in accordance with the Passenger Transport Act 1994, licenced taxis are the only vehicles that can accept bookings from cab ranks or pick up customers hailing them from the roadside.

The Transport for NSW spokesperson confirmed, “Only licenced taxis can pick up customers from taxi ranks or be hailed in the

From Nov 1 Uber vehicles will need to carry identification. Photo: Alec Smart

street. Existing arrangements will continue with regards to bus lane access for taxis.”

Some Uber drivers claim that making them identifiable will provoke harassment in various forms.

Paul, a former taxi operator who switched to Uber driving, thinks the new identification will cause Uber drivers trouble.

“I believe RMS inspectors and police are likely to target us more. In the city with dropoffs and pick-ups, a lot of places to pull over are illegal. The CBD is full of no stopping zones and there are few legitimate parking

areas to pick up passengers. Now that we have identifying decals, police will likely enforce the law more strictly if they see us stop to pick up a fare.

“Also, patrons who are keen to get home and see an Uber decal will more likely approach and see if we want to do a cash job instead of booking through the app. Even though it is illegal to do that, I suspect it will increase.”

Mark, an Uber driver for two years, is worried that taxi drivers, resentful that their business is decreasing while Uber gains popularity, might express their displeasure.

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“I think we’ll be a bigger target for rogue taxi drivers. I’ve had a few threatening incidents where I’ve been verbally abused or followed by taxi drivers. They were completely random and intimidating.”

Paul concurs, “I think we will be made a target.

Aggressive taxi drivers who see our decals can do damage to our vehicles if they want.”

Alan, who has been driving Uber for three years, already has the company logo displayed in his vehicle window, as he drives occasionally in Queensland, where identification is compulsory.

“I’ve heard of instances where taxis have tried to bully other drivers and police have stepped in. In the taxi industry, their plates got devalued when Uber arrived, and many taxi drivers are very unhappy about that.

“I knew a fellow Uber driver who was parked behind the casino, and three taxis parked around him, in front, behind and to one side, boxing him in. He contacted the police who came and issued tickets to all three taxi drivers who blocked him.

There’s little games like that taking place.”

In April this year, Adelaide City Councillor Phil Martin introduced a motion whereby rideshare companies such as Uber could pick up passengers from designated zones at major events and adjacent to entertainment, dining or nightclub precincts in the city and North Adelaide.

“Anything that makes the pick-up and drop-off experience safer and more convenient can only be a good thing for Adelaide drivers and riders,” an Uber spokesperson responded at the time.

Alan is hopeful. “I think there should be reviews in progress to determine whether Uber drivers can carry TV – transport vehicle – number plates, to enable us to drive in bus lanes that taxis and hire vehicles have access to already.”

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9

Yes we can!

BY ISABELLE BASTIAN Love was in the air last Sunday as events across Sydney celebrated the LGBTQ+ community and pushed for the YES vote.

Sunday morning brought over 6,500 people to Bondi Beach to participate in The Rainbow Walk along the coast to Bronte Beach. The walk’s goal was to “celebrate diversity and equality the best way we know how… with music, art, food, friends, and festivities.”

It did not disappoint. Along the cliffs, 25 musicians sang joyfully and strummed guitars. People young and old, with children, dogs, and even one with a pet weasel, stopped to listen before continuing on. The beautiful cliff top path was spotted with rainbow flag capes and colourful hats and shirts.

Rounding the corner to Tamarama Beach, walkers were met with a bright mural depicting an open can of LOVE gushing a rainbow stream across the length of the Tamarama Surf Live Saving Club’s building.

Within the waves of colours, the word “yes” in languages from around the world floated: yes, oui, si, ne, shi, aye, ya, na’am, a-yo, tak, baleh.

At the front of the building, 30 lifesavers had painted their bodies with rainbow colours. They took photos with walkers and sold baked goods and drinks. All proceeds were donated.

The end of the walk brought even more excitement. Trainer boards had been laid out on the beach in the shape of the rainbow flag. On the grass behind the sand, volunteers were selling sausage rolls and tee shirts. The main event, however, was a giant canvas heart stretched across the ground. Across the centre, it read YES, but the rest of it was filled with personal messages.

As I watched, a little boy carefully painted “Love Is Love” and a five-year-old girl put down her handprint. People were painting in groups and couples wrote their names together. The canvas was covered in hearts of every colour.

Many of the attendees of the walk travelled over

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city hub 12 OCTOBER 2017

to Taylor Square in the afternoon for the Post Your Yes Street Party. With a line up of Alfie Arcuri, Ricki-Lee, Peking Duk, and John Paul Young, the party got started immediately. People filled the square holding high signs reading “Vote YES.” Children were perched on shoulders and dogs were abundant.

The rainbow banners hanging in the square hinted of the history of the area and the strength of the LGBT community. Even the group of Vote NO protesters who showed up on the outskirts were unable to dampen the mood.

Alfie Arcuri began with his new song, imploring the crowd that “with our hearts ignited, we can’t be divided, Love is Love.”

Next up, the young woman who introduced RickiLee shared a funny story with an extremely relevant message. She began by describing how shocked she had been when Ricki-Lee had been eliminated from Australian Idol thirteen years ago. Leaning towards the crowd, she described, “Tears falling freely down my face, I turned to my teenage neighbour and said, ‘How? You voted for her, didn’t you?’ And she looked at me and said, ‘I didn’t. I thought I could rely on everyone else to vote.’”

Although a silly memory, the message rang true to the crowd in Taylor Square.

Many have criticized the vote as likely to draw a greater concentration of older voters who are more familiar with the mail system rather than the younger voters who have had less experience with it. The introducer’s story emphasized the message of the street party that you cannot rely on others to pass the vote. Each and everyone needs to get out and mail his or her own postal survey. Even in communities with a strong Vote YES presence, nothing can be taken for granted.

Ricki Lee sang many of her hits passionately to the crowd including “All We Need is Love.”

Peking Duk continued the celebration with a rousing cheer of “When I say “Vote”, you say “Yes””.

The day ended in style with John Paul Young

Campaigners enjoyed a street party and coastal walk to promote the Yes vote in marriage reform. Photo: Isabelle Bastian

leading the crowd with his classic “Love Is in The Air.” The Rainbow Walk and the Post Your Yes Street Party mark the halfway point of the Postal Survey on Marriage Equality. As of Friday, 6 October, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has received approximately 62.5 per cent of the votes or roughly 10 million forms.

The ABS will publish approximate results each Tuesday until the survey closes. Eligible persons have until 6PM on Friday, 20 October to request a replacement form. All forms must be received by the ABS by 7 November and the results will be released on 15 November.

The Vote Yes Campaign plans to remain very active in the weeks ahead. A speaker at the Post Your Yes Street Party emphasized, “We need to keep this energy going for the next couple of weeks. We need to make sure YES is a success and everybody puts their postal surveys in those little red boxes up the road. We need to make sure that we poll as many people as we can, so if everybody here can text at least five people who they think may not have yet posted their surveys and tell them to post

their surveys today, we can win this, but we need to keep on going and it is just so awesome to have the community all here together.”

So make sure you post your survey!

To connect and celebrate this historic time, you can attend some of the exciting events coming up in the next few weeks.

21 October is the YES rally at 1PM in Belmore Park. Coinciding with rallies around the nation, the event plans to make their voices are heard. They call for “Nothing less than equality, no more delays!”

29 October is Yes Fest! Held at Spotless Stadium.

The festival is described as “A massive festival that brings together the country’s most beloved artists to share their support for marriage equality.” It features Client Liaison, Flight Facilites, Elizabeth Rose, Jimmy Barnes, Kirin J Callinan, Killing Heidi, Megan Washington, The Preatures, Tkay Maidza, and Touch Sensitive. All profits from ticket sales go to Australian Marriage Equality.

Come out in the following weeks! Each and every person’s survey is important, so make sure you post it soon and then get out and celebrate!

Let’s make YES a Success!

city hub 12 OCTOBER 2017

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MEET the locals

Hype you can believe in

BY Anita Senaratna Ununsual and unique items abound at Hypmotive, an artisan community hub based in vibrant Marrickville. For pompom jewellery to tote bags with astronauts on them or prints of labradors, look no further than Hypmotive.

The business is the brainchild of Jake and Renee Russo, who describe the space as “part retail, part gallery and part coffee shop.” The marketplace isn’t limited to locals, though- Hypmotive also has an online store similar to Etsy, with clothes, accessories, homewares and art shipped out to customers directly from the creators themselves.

Back in 2014, the Russos decided that although their lifestyles were “enjoyable”, they wanted to “make a change”. After their first year as a married couple, they took a mini break up the coast in a beach shack, meditating and reassessing their lives.

They eventually decided to move to Sydney, living in Annandale, and had the idea for Hypmotive after moving to Annandale and chatting to stallholders at local markets on weekends.

“We were intrigued by the people at the markets and the stories behind them, their craft and their art, and we wondered what sort of affordable opportunities they had to grow their business outside of the markets,” the pair say on the Hypmotive website.

They knew they’d found the perfect location when they discovered Marrickville in the city’s inner west, which already has a thriving creative scene.

“Here was a place with a lot of history and cultural diversity. It has been known as the manufacturing hub of Sydney, filled with artisans in food and various trades in making product and over the years, the culture has developed making

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city hub 12 OCTOBER 2017

Renee and Jake Russo. Photo: Supplied

Marrickville an incredibly rich artistic community with many studios and workshops throughout the streets – it was just that you had to go on a treasure hunt to discover it for yourself.”

“It was around this time, we thought that maybe a platform to service the creative community was where we could apply our skills to, that would satisfy one of the desires we had come to realise that day at the beach shack, of working in a more heart-led and centred practice with purpose.”

Hypmotive serves as a creative hub open to all members of the community – the space plays host to art exhibitions, talks and activities, making it the perfect place to simply hang out and meet new people.

“We didn’t just want to recreate a retail shop or a gallery or an events space. We wanted

Photo: Supplied

to create a hub. A place where everyone can experience and explore creativity in various forms and where we celebrate people. A place where we get to know more of the story behind the creators and the process. A place to experience and explore tech and traditional art forms. We wanted to create a collective, for it to be eclectic and always interesting. So this is

the Hypmotive hub, where you can shop, meet, hang & discover. It’s your hub.”

So come pick up your own one of a kind piece, support up-and-coming brands and immerse yourself in all that the Sydney creative scene has to offer.

155 Marrickville Road, Marrickville. 0422 765 650. hypmotive.com

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FEATURE

The Unflinching Gaze

By Rita Bratovich Richard Perram is the Director of Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) and curator of its latest exhibition, The Unflinching Gaze: Photomedia & The Male Figure - and he is openly gay. He makes a point of mentioning his sexuality because it’s an important element in understanding the context of the exhibition.

“It’s about how the curator can actually change your perception through their eye,” Perram explains, “I, as a gay man, have curated a show in which…the vast majority of artists in this are either gay or lesbian. There are people like Max Dupain and Olive Cotton and Bill Henson who are all heterosexual, but I am contextualising them within an LGBTIQ environment.”

All artists or custodians had the context of the exhibition explained and only one male artist declined to have his work included.

The show has been in planning for two years and includes an impressive collection of international and Australian works dating from around 1860 through to today. Photos have been loaned from institutions and private collections, with a generous portion coming from Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York.

Finding and borrowing works was one thing; bringing them into the country was another.

Customs wants to see photos of artworks before giving permission for their import.After complying with this requirement, Perram received an email questioning one of the items. He then had to write to the 80 year old artist living in San Francisco and say:“We know it’s not a real sheep in the picture, that it’s a toy stuffed sheep, but you’ve gotta tell us it is.” Further issues with customs prompted the gallery to engage solicitors who approached the classifications board.The board advised BRAG that they could bring any work they wanted into the country - even if it was a “prohibited import”.

Brad Pitt (still) 2004 Courtesy the artist and the Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, New York.

Photo: Robert Wilson

As for local reactions, the mayor and council have been very supportive and there has been no indication of any negative sentiments from the public. Bathurst has a small, reserved LGBTIQ community, but Perram hopes the exhibition will appeal to a wider audience.

“Some of the images will be confronting, I think, for some people, but we have enough warnings around the place, just to alert people.” Perram isn’t merely referring to nudity or sexually explicit images.The collection includes photos of three men who were imprisoned - and died - in Auschwitz because of their homosexuality; a photo of two young gay men hanged in Iran; images depicting the current persecution of homosexuals in Azerbaijan and

Chechnya;William Yang’s poignant journaling of the AIDS crisis; and images dealing with the gay hate crimes of the 1980s.

However, the exhibition also deals with less disturbing material and behind some of the historical photographs are fascinating stories. One portrait from an Australian archive is that of bushranger Andrew George Scott, better known as Captain Moonlite. He is generally acknowledged as having been in a homosexual relationship with fellow gang member, James Nesbitt. Nesbitt died in a shoot out with troopers and Captain Moonlite was caught and condemned to be hanged.

Moonlite’s final request was that he be buried beside Nesbitt. The request was denied but in 1995 a private group of citizens raised money to have Moonlite’s body disinterred from Rookwood Cemetery and reburied beside Nesbitt’s in Gundagai.

On display also will be rare images from a set of snapshots discovered at a New York flea market which were the basis for the revelatory book, Casa Susanna (2005). Casa Susanna was a resort operating in the Catskills in upstate New York during the 1950s and 60s which hosted (strictly) heterosexual men who wanted to dress and live briefly as women. The photos are highly posed with the most striking thing about the participants being not so much how convincing they are, but their evident conviction.

Fame - behind and in front of the camera - is a major theme in the exhibition with works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Bill Henson, Eadweard Muybridge, Max Dupain,Andy Warhol, Jean Genet, Deborah Kelly and many more significant figures in the art form. Dianora Niccolini is, at age 81, now being retrospectively regarded as a pioneer in photography of the male body. Her work will be seen for the first time outside the USA. Peter Berlin was an iconic gay muse in the 1960s.

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The lean, blonde-haired homoerotic pin-up boy was photographed by Mapplethorpe and Warhol and drawn by Tom Of Finland, and he is still mesmerising to look at.

Mick Jagger is the subject of a silkscreen photo reproduction by Andy Warhol and Brad Pitt stands blue-lit in the rain in white socks and boxers in a still from a Robert Wilson short film.

There are over 200 pieces in the exhibition, predominantly photos and film, and the display includes three digital projections, 17 monitors and two silk screens.

In conjunction with the event, BRAG and University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) will host two forums, one in Bathurst and one at UTS. The forums will deal with queer art, representations, collecting, curation, culture and interpretation.

There will also be a discussion on transgender identity in art, with the three participants all being transgender.

The Unflinching Gaze is an extraordinary collection of images representing the male figure in a wide range of contexts and, as such, shows society, culture and humanity in all its nuanced manifestations.

It will only be held at Bathurst and only for a limited time and it’s definitely worth a trip over the mountains to experience this queer and thrilling event.

The Unflinching Gaze: photo media and the male figure: Oct 14-Dec 3. Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, 70-78 Keppel St, Bathurst. FREE. Info: www.bathurstart.com.au Forums: Oct 14. BRAG, 70-78 Keppel St, Bathurst.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT What Rhymes with Cars and Girls

What Rhymes with Cars and Girls was Tim Rogers’ (You Am I) first solo album. It holds a warm place in the heart for many. It’s a conversation between two lovers about the tricky business of love. Lyrically beautiful, it contains some stunning visual poetry, scattered liberally over the eleven tracks.When playwright Aiden Fennessy approached Rogers with the idea of turning it into a musical, his answer was simply,‘No’. Fennessy prevailed and the spirit of the album is the inspiration, as well as the soundtrack, for this love story.

Two lovers are brought together by a pizza delivery gone wrong.They’re on opposite sides of a class divide. Jonno a ‘Westie’, lost in his late twenties, rebuilding his rusty V8.Tash in a band, the daughter of a north-shore barrister – an idea she loathes.This is the nostalgic story of that old flame we all have and the soundtrack that goes with it. Set in a humid, suburban, Sydney, summer, under the flight path – and with Tim Rogers as musical director plus frontman for the four-piece band.

“It’s a very intimate portrait of a relationship,” says Johnny Carr, who plays Jonno.“Every good relationship has a bit of drama. Nothing goes smoothly and this is no exception - it picks you up and drops you down.”

A big highlight for Carr is the sense of informal play between the two lovers, the band and of course the audience. “You really want the audience to be in on it, watching us get together and fall apart. It’s about bringing them in.” Then of course there’s the music.

“It is so beautiful that it carries a lot of the show but also underscores the moments very beautifully.” (GW) Until Oct 14. Riverside Theatres, Cnr Church and Market Streets, Parramatta. $48-62.Tickets & Info: www.riversideparramatta.com.au or Ph: 02 8839 3399

The Gloveman When the actors arrived to start rehearsing on CJ Naylor’s new play, The Gloveman, director Michael Block told them to put away their scripts. He had developed a new technique in which the actors learn all the stage directions first, then gradually add their lines as they repeat each sequence over and over. For the actors, it’s a fresh and challenging approach. For the audience it gives the performance a simultaneous sense of stability and spontaneity.

In the intimate space of Blood Moon Theatre, with sparse production elements, Block’s technique is very effective.

The play is ostensibly about English minor league football goalkeeper Royce (Chris Argirousis) whose

city hub 12 OCTOBER 2017

Chris Argirousis, Brinley Meyer, Chris Miller.

Photo: Phyllis Wong Photography

him so he can use her as collateral.

Instead, Hugh discovers he has a heart.

Matt Blake plays Royce’s hapless buddy, Col; Ben Dewstow is the arch rival who receives an ego piercing enlightening and Janine Penfold is the trouble-making reporter.

It’s well-written with a balance of

Monopoly

Jasper Garner Gore, Alison Lee Rubie, Benjamin Kuryo, Diego AR Melo & Emilia Stubbs Grigoriou. Photo: Rob Studdert

Inspired by a real game of Monopoly between the cast and crew of The Shape of Things, award-winning playwright Steven Hopley has written Monopoly, a new comedy perfect for every millennial who’s too focused on their smashed avocado toast.

Examining the struggle that is Sydney’s property market, the play focuses on a game of monopoly between five friends that turns dramatic at the suggestion of playing with real money.

“The idea of money and real estate is very on-the-moment. It’s a nightmare for a young person living in Sydney,” says

REVIEW: STC’s Dinner Snobbish upper-class English hostess Paige (Caroline Brazier) wants to serve up some interesting fare for her guests, including murder, after a series of get-the-guests games in which all are complicit.

The ostensible excuse for this extravagant dinner party is the launch of husband Lars’ (Sean O’Shea) book called Beyond Belief, which she hasn’t read but we are led to believe is new age pop philosophy.

A great fan of the book is Wynne (Rebecca Massey), a lover of Lars in their university days who has recently become single and has swallowed Lars’ views hook line and sinker. Wynne seriously upsets Paige’s seating arrangements when she turns up alone.

The other invitees are a scientist

a&e

16

gambling problem forces him to accept money to throw a match.

But “the football side of it is really the backdrop” according to Brinley Meyer who plays Royce’s sister, Edith. “It’s such an intimate play - it’s really about the story of these people and their lives and their dreams…”

Edith is in her late 20s, naive and impeded - more mentally than physically - by a bone defect that causes her to limp. Nevertheless, she fantasises about becoming a film star.

Her brother, Royce is, presumedly, on the way to achieving his dream of being a football hero. In reality, Royce is beholden to match-fixing fiend, Hugh (Chris Miller), who cajoles Edith into running away with

16 STAGE 17 Sounds 18 SCENE 19 SCREEN

Hal (Brandon Burke) and his youthful wife Sian (Claire Lovering), a glamorous newsreader.

Working-class Mike (Aleks Mikić) turns up as an unexpected visitor and upsets the self-satisfied equilibrium of this bourgeois group.

Although Paige is the chief instigator, this gathering manages to destroy any vestiges of friendship through their mutually exchanged insults, many of which had the audience laughing uproariously during the show.

The quiet presence of the unforgettable Bruce Spence in the role of the waiter, which must be one of the easiest roles he’s ever been asked to perform. Nonetheless, he plays a crucial role in bringing this sharp-tongued satire of the British

Caroline Brazier.

Photo: James Green

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

pathos and humour. In spite of the seeming hopelessness, as Meyer assures “The play is very well resolved…you come away feeling good and satisfied.” (RB) Until 14. Blood Moon Theatre, The World Bar, 24 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross. $27.33–$37.83.Tickets & Info: www.eventbrite.com.au

playwright and co-producer, Steven Hopley.“Even everybody in the cast and crew has had issues with real estate themselves.”

In an interesting twist, the play will be performed across the Inner West, North Shore, South West and Eastern Suburbs, turning the spaces into a real life game of monopoly.

“I hope anyone who’s ever played a game of Monopoly or another board game with friends will find it funny,” says Hopley.“It’s about the haves and the have nots. Come and barrack for your team!” (ES) Oct 12-21. Various Venues. $25.

Tickets & Info: www.ticketebo.com.au/monopoly upper crust to a surprising - and bloody - denouement.

Director Imara Savage has extracted maximum bile from her charges, while composer Max Lyandvert manages to provide an ironic comment through his score and designer Elizabeth Gadsby has created a subtle but effective interior for this excoriating work.

It is difficult to fault the production, but I do wonder why it is being staged in favour of, say, a classic David Williamson (forget the dispute between him and the STC), or another home-grown work.We give few enough opportunities to our own playwrights and should consider them before mounting productions from elsewhere, in my humble opinion. (ID) Until Oct 28. Drama Theatre Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $61-$102+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.sydneytheatre.com.au or Ph: (02) 9250 1777

Contributors: Alannah Maher, Alicia Sim, Athina Mallis, Barbara Karpinski, Caitlin Burns, Chantal Walsh, Craig Coventry, Daniel Jaramillo, Emily Shen, Georgia Fullerton, Greg Webster, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, James Harkness, Joseph Rana, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Peter Urquhart, Rita Bratovich, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Zeiya Speede, Jade Morellini, Alex Eugene, Manuel Gonzalez, Tommy Boutros, Riley Hooper & Taylor Martin.

MIRACLE CITY

Missy Higgins as Bonnie May, Gus Murray as Ricky, Kellie Rode as Lora Lee. Photo: Linnet Foto

Aria award winning singer-songwriter Missy Higgins makes her musical theatre debut in the return of what has been heralded as one of Australia’s most acclaimed musicals.

Miracle City was written by Australian playwright Nick Enright with a musical score

by Max Lambert, who also serves as musical director on this production. The story is set in the 1990s in Tennessee, America and surrounds the Truswell’s, The story is loosely based on Jim and Tammy Bakker, televangelists in the 1990s who actually built a theme park called Heritage USA.

Sydney based actress Jessica Vickers who plays the role of Loretta, the eldest child in the Truswell family, says this musical contains light drama with lots of comedic moments.

“This show is a real spectacular. It’s set in Tennessee so the music is gospel meets country.

It’s razzamatazz, sort of 90s colour, mixed with those wholesome southern values”.

So why has Miracle City been described by many as being ‘an undiscovered gem of Australian musical theatre’?

“Its high quality writing and the story resonates with us,” enthused Vickers. “The music is extremely powerful and there’s no way audiences could leave without being moved. It’s also something quite unique in its form especially for a musical, as it’s in one act – there is no intermission”.

Missy Higgins plays the role of a born-again Christian with a rough past who is taken in by the Truswell family because of her vocal talent.

“It’s surreal working with Missy and I have always been a huge fan of hers! She’s so lovely and it’s so inspiring to see her stepping out of her comfort zone. She is brilliant and has already blown me away with her material and she sounds amazing!”(MMo) Oct 12-29.The Studio, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $59-$79+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com or Ph. 9250 7777

Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE Sydney

By Jamie Apps

Paul Winn Band: A dark horse of the Australian blues scene, not often in the limelight, but then chiming in with work of exceptional quality. The band’s new album Live at Lazybones is no exception & will be officially launched at the venue of its birth tonight.

Thu, Oct 12, Lazybones Lounge Soul Messengers: The Sydney soul revivalists will be launching their new record Vision And Faith tomorrow night. Soul Messengers perform regularly around Sydney and have played over 90 original shows since 2014. Over the last 12 months, the band has changed personnel, with new players Dave Kirby (drums) and Hadi Ansell (bass) joining Richard Aljinovic (vocals, songwriter) and Simon Morel (guitar) but they are still a phenomenal sounding outfit.

Fri, Oct 13, Gary Owen Hotel Hands Like Houses: Are taking their new single Drift out for a spin tomorrow night. With over 100k record sales, 14 full US and eight UK tours on the books, Hands Like Houses have just experienced the most successful 18 months of their career. With their new single the band are set to keep the momentum rolling.

Fri, Oct 13, Metro Theatre Hands Like Houses

Jan Preston: The knockout boogie pianist with the rich resonant voice who has

captured audiences with her originality, her energy, and her sparkling charm and gentle wit, launches her new CD Play It Again Jan this weekend.

Sat, Oct 14, Seymour Centre Ivan Ooze: Originally slated to release an EP this coming Summer, Ooze has taken it back to where it all began and instead offers us a 21 track mixtape, The Social Alien 2: Memoirs from the Milky Way, to follow up the first Social Alien mixtape which announced him to the world.

Sat, Oct 14, The Chippendale Hotel Fred Smith: Renowned Australian singer-songwriter Fred Smith’s new album Great is a rollicking hayride through American history, politics and pathologies. One of the few Australian songwriters who has both a US Marine Corps medal and a US merchant mariner’s license, Smith’s musical musings come with a lot of knowledge and experience.

Sun, Oct 15, Petersham Bowling Club Daniel Alejandro: Following the international release of his debut album El Amor, Daniel Alejandro is returning to his hometown Bondi for an intimate one-night- only concert performance Songs of Rhythm & Romance on Tuesday Tue, Oct 17, Bondi Pavilion Theatre The Dillinger Escape Plan: Don’t cry because The Dillinger Escape Plan are calling it a day; smile because they’ve somehow managed to stay alive this long and that you’ll get one last chance to witness them live midweek.

Wed, Oct 18, Bald Faced Stag

By Jamie Apps Over the course of their 25 year career together the punk rockers from Gainesville have seen the music industry evolve, crowd dynamics change and has even “survived all of our first marriages” according to Vinnie Fiorello.

Fiorello spoke with City Hub ahead of the bands return to Australia in celebration of their new EP, Sound The Alarm.

After two and half decades together Less Than Jake remain as passionate as ever about creating music. They credit this to their loyal fans around the world.

“The passion of fans fills the proverbial tank and let’s us continue on. None of us take that lightly because the minute the fans stop being passionate about Less Than Jake is the minute that it would be time for us to leave.” said Fiorello.

Evolution was a big theme of our conversation with Fiorello both in regards to the band themselves but also when looking at the music industry as a whole.

In regards to the band Fiorello says they’ve essentially come full

Birdland

Exploring the lifestyle of fame and celebrities, Birdland showcases the harsh reality behind stardom and the struggles musicians often encounter due to their reputation.

Written in 2014, Birdland follows the emotional and mental unravelling of Rockstar, Paul as his latest European tour comes to a close. Director Anthony Skuse said, “In Birdland, there is no indication of what type of musician Paul is. The world of the rock star, along with fame and celebrity, are metaphors for capitalism and neo-liberalism... The central character has commodified every aspect of his life, from his relationships to his own talent.”

Skuse wanted to highlight the critique of capitalism, which is prominent throughout the play.

“The play moves with the speed and fluidity of an Elizabethan tragedy. Paul’s relationship with his manager echoes Faustus’ relationship to Mephostophilis; by the end of the play Paul also realises that ‘hell hath no limits … for where we are is hell’… the script asks for an open, abstract space and I have been looking at images of deserted, nineteenth century theatres in Russia. They are great images of opulence with decay,” Skuse said.

Audience members will find themselves drawn into the ups and downs of Pauls life, with broader

Photo: Chris Lundie

ideas beneath the surface that they can engage with for a deeper appreciation.

“Scenes will seem very straight forward on the page and the complexities only reveal themselves once you have actors on the floor… Simon Stephens’s writing is incredibly satisfying to work on, it is amazing and it’s performed by a great ensemble of actors. Every performance is unique because of the symbiosis between audience and performer,” Skuse concluded. (JM) Until Nov 4, 542 New Theatre, King St, Newtown. $20-$35.Tickets & Info: www.newtheatre.org.au

Less Than Jake

Photo: jodiphotography.co.uk

circle in terms of how they write music, “We started out writing very collaboratively then went into a period where everyone was finding their own voices as musicians but now it’s back to that collaborative approach. I think that Sound The Alarm shows

The Barr Brothers - Queens of the Breakers

that our band is comfortable in our skin and able to write collectively.”

Looking at the more grand level of the music industry in general the biggest change Fiorello says he has witnessed is the way in which music is consumed now.

The Barr Brothers album Queens of the Breakers is a mixed bag of feels. The band spans genres and emotion, moving seemingly without direction around a space that is gentle on the ears, tickling the listener’s curiosity.

Genres are blended in this musical space, creativity and soul take centre pulling chunks into themselves in a continuous motion. In the space one bleeds into another, becomes another defying the listeners ability to pull them apart. They are all part of an intention, absorbed by the band and reproduced intangibly.

Overall the energy has a folk tinge, an accepting vibe that brings the others together, calling out to fellow souls both creative and vulnerable.

This album is a subtle communion between their listener and their surroundings, connecting them to themselves and all others past and present. (SP) WWW1/2

“Before people would buy a full length record and listen to that right through, even if they might not have liked it all at first they were going to listen to the entirety because they spent hard earned money on it. Now people digest music in little bits from streaming so if it doesn’t hit right away then maybe it wont get a second chance.”

The change in consumption habits has seemingly also bled over into the live show experience with crowds less willing to simply experience the moment rather than capturing the show on their phones.

“We’re always trying to push everyone to stay aware and with us in the moment. You don’t have to have your phone out for the entire show, it’s annoying.” Fiorello appealed to fans coming to the Sydney show, “Live music is meant be participated in, it’s not meant to be a spectator sport, you’re supposed to get in there, feel it and let yourself go in the moment.”

Oct 25. Metro Theatre, 624 George St, Sydney. $69.35+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.livenation.com.au

Lenka - Attune

Just by glancing at the artwork for Lenka’s fifth studio album you will transported to the tranquil, breezy world of the tracks contained within.

Throughout the 12 track offering Lenka has created a mesmerising blend of gentle folk-pop, soulful jazz and the occasional pop ballad. These tracks would make for a brilliant wind-down soundtrack following a stressful work week.

Thematically Lenka sticks to more universal concepts of life, love and death which fits with the musicality of these songs fantastically. However because these are very top level pop they may not have a resounding impact on listeners hearts and souls. (JA) WWW city hub 12 OCTOBER 2017

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THE NAKED CITY

FESTIVAL FATIGUE! holders would have the option of going au naturel themselves and raincoats would be banned.

VOLUME Another Art Book Fair

THE ‘REAL’ SUBSONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL: There’s already a doof doof music fest with the same name in rural NSW but can their bottom end match the ultra low frequency delights of the Sydney Town Hall’s incredible pipe organ? It’s rumoured that the lowest bass notes can blow out the windows and it’s time that theory was put to the test.With a specially composed piece, audience members would be encouraged to bring all manner of fragile glass items and enjoy the mass shattering.

Safety glasses would be provided.

With Coffin Ed Wow, when it comes to ‘festivals’, Sydney is right up there with the leading cities in the world for the sheer number of such events that we stage.There have been endless music and film festivals, food festivals, art festivals, community festivals, multicultural festivals and even a ‘Festival Of Light’ – although the latter was in fact a conservative Christian lobby group led by Fred Nile in the 70s that targeted the gay community and other so called moral issues.

It was at times more a ‘festival of hate’ than any kind of celebration and has since been rebranded FamilyVoice Australia so as not to be confused with other ‘Festivals Of Lights’ such as Vivid. Forgive the digression but it’s one way of highlighting how the ‘festival’ title takes many shapeshifting forms.

The question that does arise is, are there just too many festivals soaking up our hard earned dollars on the Sydney calendar? For my own part I know of a number of cultural obsessives who insist on attending every local film festival from the Sydney Film Festival through to the

dozens of smaller ethnic events – so much so that they now continually see subtitles in their sleep.

Whilst we have yet to embrace some of the world’s weirder festival concepts like the Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea, which is low on cultural content but big on mud, the door is certainly open. One way of combating increasing ‘FAD’, or ‘Festival Addiction Disorder’ would be to offer alternative events that were both easy on the pocket and provided an anarchic counterplay to the usual festival focus.

Whilst I’m not suggesting that we all wallow in mud like a bunch of swine in the Domain to the accompaniment of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, here are just a few potential ideas that we could certainly entertain.

THE COCKATOO ISLAND CLOTHING OPTIONAL FESTIVAL OF BODY ART: Apart from the Biennale nothing has really worked on Cockatoo Island when it comes to festivals but the promise of nude psychedelic body painting would surely draw ferry loads of punters to Sydney’s own Alcatraz. An adults only event, ticket

THE TWENTY FOUR HOUR FESTIVAL OF ABSOLUTE SILENCE: Everybody would love to escape the constant barrage of traffic noise, construction noise, noisy neighbours and other ambient ear bashing – if only for a short period. A giant sound proofed dome in the Domain would provide that opportunity with ticket holders able to enjoy total silence for a period up to 24 hours. Bouncers would be employed to throw out anybody who answered a mobile, broke into laughter or made any noise whatsoever (flatulence included!).

THE SYDNEY GRIDLOCK FILM FESTIVAL: There are many older Sydneysiders who cherish the memories of the old drive in cinemas and no doubt many younger folk who would love to have that experience. With peak hour Sydney traffic in virtual gridlock, a series of screens would be positioned along major traffic arteries and feature films could be screened regularly between 4pm and 6pm. If the traffic did move you could pick up the action again at the next big screen as everything ground to yet another indefinite standstill. Roving vendors on roller skates would provide choc tops and popcorn.

Are you an aspiring writer? or love cartoons and picture books? If that’s you then, the Another Art Book Fair at the Artspace in Sydney is the place to be. In it’s second running the fair is attracting thousands of people with over 77 international and local publishers exhibiting their works over three days. Over the course of the three days the fair will include workshops, talks and plenty of literary activities to participate in.

Artspace has a proud 20 year history in publishing so it was only a matter of time for the organisation to begin its own art book fair. As distribution is rapidly changing due to online consumerism, a fair is a natural way for people to come together in one space to celebrate and personalise their love of books, prints, objects and collectables.

Communications coordinator

at Artspace JD Reforma spoke to City Hub about one of the highlight activities at Another Art Book Fair, “The Book Machine is an event that was set up by a publishing house in Paris called One Star Press. It’s an initiative that engages local designers with a hundred visiting participants who are willing to volunteer over the course of five days to help produce 200 artist books and the content is completely up to the participants.”

As Another Art Book Fair only occurs once every two years you won’t want to miss out on this year’s fair as your imagination will surely be tested, and with so much work on display there is something for everyone. (DJ) Oct 13-15. Artspace Sydney at The Gunnery, 43-51 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo. Info: www.vaabf.com

DELPHI BANK 24TH GREEK FILM FESTIVAL The Greek Film Festival returns for its 24th presentation, not only to entertain and challenge avid movie-goers, but primarily to celebrate Greek culture.

Described as a ‘Greek-Turkish Romeo and Juliet’, George Kordellas’ brilliant Roza of Smyrna opens the festival and cinema-goers have a diverse program of quality comedies, dramas and documentaries to choose from.

Film enthusiasts may also opt to attend the Australian Greek and International Short Film Festivals which explore relationships within the family and community.

Arthur Angel who is of Greek heritage and grew up in Sydney is an actor has directed and starred in a short film called Boy Saviour, which is essentially a sizzle reel for a television series which he is currently working on. His short will have a North American premiere in Texas at the Austin International Film Festival.

“This is basically an Australian Greek perspective on what it is to grow up in this country. The essential character Michael is a paramedic and I’m exploring him as a boy in an adult world who is experiencing a traumatic situation. This is a weird one - it’s not 18

city hub 12 OCTOBER 2017

Roza Of Smyrna

the boxes. It’s fantastic – I’m glad to be part of that. A lot of the people that will go watch this short will be either Greek Australians and non-Greek Australians, but the subject matter I’m sure, there will be many who will ‘get it’ and resonate with it”.

Angel is adamant that movie-goers should attend the Australian Greek and International short film programs at the film festival.

“To go sit down and watch eight shorts is like a lovely little adventure because you have no idea what you’re going to get. Half the time you’re pleasantly surprised and the other half you may be disappointed, but it doesn’t matter – it’s like a small tasting plate.What it encourages is discussion and I think it’s quite lovely in that respect”. (MMo) Until 22. Palace Norton Street, 99 Norton Street, Leichardt. $20 -$80 (5 film pass).

Tickets & Info: www.greekfilmfestival.com.au

a conventional short film. The best way I can describe it is it’s a meditation, almost dreamlike”.

Angel says it was a real honour that his short was selected for screening at the Greek Film Festival.

“I would have been disappointed if it wasn’t chosen as it ticked all

International Greek Short Film Festival screens:

Wednesday Oct 11 at 9:15pm

Australian Greek Short Film Festival screens:

Wednesday Oct 18 at 9:15pm

Yerma

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are always set in a distant future the themes they tackle are often much more pertinent to modern day. Blade Runner 2049 is no different as the central theme here is the impending doom humanity faces as we approach a technological singularity.

Villeneuve alongside cinematographer Roger Deakins has created a remarkable visual masterpiece which draws the viewer along for the lengthy 163 minute cerebral journey.

(JA)

Mob: 0418 426 422

Creating a sequel to one of the most highly regarded sci-fi films of all time is an incredibly daunting task but thankfully Denis Villeneuve has created a film that respects the cultural impact of Blade Runner.

Blade Runner 2049 takes place 30 years after it’s predecessor. Thankfully rather than simply replicating the themes and style of the original it instead draws from the lore in order to expand on the mythos of the Blade Runner universe.

Whilst sci-fi films

7 Days QUICK SERVICE SYDNEY’S CHEAPEST RUBBISH REMOVAL

and despondence, as an explosion of emotions and actions progressively erupt.

Conventional ideology about womanhood is questioned in this radical and shattering production which consists of seemingly endless short scenes in many different time frames.

Billie Piper is triumphantly spellbinding as the nameless 33 year-old woman unable to conceive, the ferocity of her performance accelerating as the cracks in her marriage are unveiled.

Audiences will be mesmerised and emotionally fatigued by this funny, heart-wrenching and ultimately devastating tale of disillusion, depression and the breakdown of communication and wedded bliss.

(MMo) WWWW1/2

All Areas Free Quotes

National Theatre Live has captured a performance of this award-winning English stage production at the Old Vic Theatre in London and transformed it into an affordable cinematic event for a whole new generation of theatre-goers.

Described as a masterpiece, this tragedy was written in 1934 by the Spanish dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca and has been adapted into a dynamic version for modern audiences.

The story surrounds a woman’s desperate need to have a baby and how her obsession leads to financial destitution, divorce and her own demise.

Simplistic but effective staging which has six actors performing in a large carpeted glass cage resonates barrenness, isolation

Blade Runner 2049

061ICT1203

Billie Piper

Forget IT! Forget Annabelle: Creation! This is a real horror story.

The story of the world’s oceans; how we and countless other living creatures in the food web depend on it, and how in less than fifty years half of its marine life has been lost.

Over-fishing, illegal fishing, wasteful and short-sighted practices, the careless disposal of fishing nets and the demon plastic (it

is estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish) all play a part.

Amongst the gloom however, there is hope.

But time is running out.

Director Karina Holden presents an often visually stunning documentary told through the eyes of some of those dedicated to preserving the oceans and its wildlife. (CCov) WWWW

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