Sydney is a city that loves community festivals, outdoor music and performances, and cultural celebrations. Unfortunately most of this is forced indoors due to the lack of permanent infrastructure in town centres and high cost of renting vital facilities such as lighting, power, public bathrooms, sound & staging. When these costs are added to expense and regulatory frameworks that are overlaid on activations it becomes almost impossible for many producers, artists or event organisers to put on community events.
Of course there are still organisations, such as the Sydney Fringe, who are able to activate street parties, and major outdoor concerts in public areas such as the Domain or Opera on the Harbour and we still want and need these massive events, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to have locations across the city that could easily, affordably and quickly be activated. Allowing small community festivals, solo artists, independent companies, youth groups to utilise existing outdoor areas so to reflect the vibrant culture within a community or suburb.
That’s the vision that has been put forward today, led the initiative’s champion Kerri Glasscock, and supported by the Committee for Sydney. The hope is to develop infrastructure (lighting, three phase power, public toilets, staging) and create easier pathways to event approvals to make public, community events not just available, but inviting and encouraging for everyday culture.
For more information on this initiative head to the committee for Sydney’s website here or read the Sydney Morning Herald article here.
