CREATIVITY
IS
WHERE POSSIBILITY BEGINS
CREATIVE sustainability Creative thinking touches every facet of CarriageWorks’ operations, including how we think about sustainability. The CarriageWorks site was built on a premise of creative sustainability, transformed from an abandoned rail workshop into a hub for contemporary art and culture.
CREATIVE history We’re often asked about the history of our building. The Eveleigh Rail Yards were built between 1880 and 1889, including the now heritage listed CarriageWorks. The striking buildings comprise the largest intact, quality workshop site still standing from Australia’s steam era. During the height of the workshops’ productivity more than 3,000 workers were employed here to build and maintain carriages and wagons for Sydney’s expanding rail network. New carriages built here include the Royal Carriages and Australia’s very first air-conditioned train. From 1973 productivity at the site declined due to its inefficient older buildings, restrictive union practices and increased privatization of construction. The site was eventually closed in 1988. In June 2002 Arts NSW completed the purchase of the Carriage and Blacksmith Workshops at the Eveleigh Rail Yards site. Soon after a construction project on the site commenced under the name of CarriageWorks. CarriageWorks was to become a place for the exploration, development, commissioning and presentation of contemporary work. Adaptive re-use of the workshop site began in 2003 with the housing of numerous contemporary arts companies. CarriageWorks officially opened in 2007. We understand how important place the practice of art. CarriageWorks is a that fosters the development of artistic and celebrates and champions creativity its forms.
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Today, we continue to integrate sustainable thinking in our personal practices, business practices, and delivery processes. We think there’s so many inspired ways to be sustainable, so we are always exploring new ideas, opportunities, technologies and partnerships. Sharing knowledge has the power to change attitudes, communities, and ultimately the world we live in. CarriageWorks’ fresh approach brings people together to trade ideas and inspiration on how to look at the topic of sustainability creatively. CarriageWorks’ Sustainable Works CarriageWorks’ Sustainable Works is a series of free community workshops exploring creative sustainability on the last Saturday of every month. Topics are vast and varied including bush tucker basics, bartering, bike maintenance, bee keeping, revamping your rethreads and much more. Music For Trees We were thrilled to collaborate with sustainable rockers Music For Trees to program the February line-up of our new monthly music series Unplugged + Uncomplicated. Music For Trees is a local non-profit initiative that invites people to plant trees, by enjoying live music. The February gig resulted in 25,000 new trees being planted. Music For Trees will be back to program Unplugged + Uncomplicated in August. TEDxSydney TEDxSydney at CarriageWorks on Saturday 28 May 2011 will feature a selection of Australia’s leading visionaries and storytellers showcasing their Ideas Worth Spreading live to a group of thinkers as well as online to the world at large. TEDxSydney provides free knowledge from inspired thinkers, and a platform for curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.
CREATIVE PLATFORM At CarriageWorks we want to connect creative minds and creative ideas. One of the ways we do this is by providing a platform for artists to connect with each other and the community, to share creative energy and inspiration. Platform Rocks the Block In March, we partnered with the Redfern Community Centre and Family and Culture Day to produce Platform Rocks the Block; a monumental program of Indigenous Hip Hop artists in an afternoon festival of music, dance, culture, family and community at The Block in Redfern. A deadly day was had by all. Unplugged + Uncomplicated On the last Saturday of every month from 12pm-5pm CarriageWorks hosts a spankin’ new music series Unplugged + Uncomplicated. A platform for established and emerging local artists, Unplugged + Uncomplicated has already seen over 25 local Sydney artists take the stage. Come down and support your local talent, upcoming dates are Saturday April 30 and Saturday 30 May.
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT Creativity has spurred great minds to envision amazing things for our world since the beginning of time. At CarriageWorks we’re passionate about providing a space for creative minds to develop, collaborate, grow and flourish. Our creative development efforts are diverse and take in rehearsal space, marketing support, artistic mentoring, internships, producing and production support. Some of our development initiatives for 2011 include: JUMP We’re thrilled to be working with the eight NSW artists selected for the 2011 JUMP National Mentoring Program for Young and Emerging Artists. For the next 10 months we’ll work with the mentees and their mentors to guide and manage their program experience. Check out our blog carriageworks.tumblr.com to follow the road with the mentees. Children’s Cheering Carpet - Saltbush Children’s Cheering Carpet - Saltbush, a theatrical production for children, is an immersive journey through the culture and landscape of Aboriginal Australia. The project is the result of collaboration between acclaimed Italian theatre company TPO; Australian theatre director and performer Jason Cross; Insite Arts; and Indigenous Australian artists. We were pleased to support this production in March. Rosie Catalano EP Launch We were delighted to support the enigmatic singer– songwriter Rosie Catalano for the launch of her debut EP in April. The talented Rosie first wowed our audiences at last year’s Winterland Festival. A Return to the Trees CarriageWorks will support the final development stage of Strings Attached production A Return to the Trees. This production investigates the psychological transformations that society may experience as a consequence of overpopulation, technological advancement and climate change. Elbow Room Award winning Australian theatre company Elbow Room will develop a new work with CarriageWorks this coming June. Elbow Room’s beautiful production A Tiny Chorus was a hit at last year’s Sydney Fringe Festival. Hoipolloi Theatre Company Acclaimed Theatre Company Hoipolloi will work with CarriageWorks on the creative development of a new work in December.