Arts & Entertainment 2008
Femme fatale: when bad girls are good
As curator and author Nerida Campbell tells it, there is nothing quite as good as a bad girl. There is something titillating and exciting about a beautiful woman who is deviant, she says. Certainly Nerida Campbell feels at ease in the company of prostitutes, drug addicts and murderers – she has written Femme Fatale: The Female Criminal, a historical and pop cultural look at women in crime, which has just been launched by the Historic Houses Trust. read more
Exposed: A life behind the camera
When young fashion photographer David Mist packed up and moved from London to Sydney in pursuit of an Australian model, he found what he describes as a backwards society. Sydney was years behind London in fashion, and straight-laced in temperament. “It was all stiff and uptight, with decorum and manners,” David says. But the climate comforted him, and he found himself reluctant to go back to London, even though his Aussie girl had already moved into the arms of another man. With his fresh read more
Artists find common thread
Young Australian designers will soon walk the runway to success with ease after the launch of the new Finders Keepers markets early this December. The new venture will be held in the Carriageworks in Redfern and is an extension of fashion and jewellery designers Sarah Thornton and Brooke Johnston’s earlier Hope Street Markets in Surry Hills. Hope Street Markets, which closed in May, used to donate part of its proceeds to a winter appeal for Sydney’s … read more
Rocking into Sydney
The restless spirit of the 1950s is as vibrant today as ever. From the Living in the Fifties photographic exhibition at the Museum of Sydney in August, to October’s Great Southern Blues and Rockabilly Festival, events that capture the excitement and glamour of 50s nostalgia are increasing in popularity. Many venues, such as the Empire Hotel in Annandale, Bar Broadway and the Botany View Hotel in Newtown, host rockabilly bands and artists regularly, while men and read more
Krumpers take to the street
Arms thrust and cut the air. Feet stomp and create tremors in the concrete. Chests pop abruptly. Krumping is an intense, new style of urban dance to hit Sydney’s streets. It’s raw and explosive and a world away from the mainstream styles of dance seen before. Krumpers embark on a robotic journey of self expression using sharp and sudden trick variations glued together with strong pops and forceful thrusts. Dancers have individual krump names and refer to themselves using only these pseudonyms. read more
Stories of revolution come to life
They were stories Sharhriar Shadab grew up with. The bedtime narratives of the Islamic Revolution would later inspire 25-year-old Shadab to create his animation, Revolutions. A provocative work nominated for the Sydney Underground Film Festival, the scene examines the revolution through the eyes of a young Australian boy visiting his grandmother in Iran. read more
Head on
Just over a year ago, 20 kids from the remote Aboriginal community of Canteen Creek in the Northern Territory visited Sydney for the first time. On their way to a festival in Kempsey, the group from the Owairtilla Community School took a detour south, stopping at Balmoral Beach in Sydney where many caught their first glimpse of the ocean. It was here that photographer Amos Aikman captured the shot that would win him the People’s Choice Award at the 2008 Head On photographic portraiture exhibition. read more
Writers bring fresh ink to industry
The Australian scriptwriting industry is floundering. Australian films only hold four per cent of the movie market, and writers are packing up and heading elsewhere in pursuit of recognition and success. The Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) has developed a program to offset the problem, calling on famous playwrights to pass their knowledge on to talented teenagers. Australian greats such as NSW Premier’s Literary Award winner Debra Oswald and playwrights Michael Gow and Tommy Murphy … read more
For an ad winner, add music
The link between music and advertising has always been strong but the use of mainstream music styles and established songs is a relatively new, and for some, exciting concept. “We know of a number of couples who have gotten married to the I Like You track from the HBF ad. People would call us up and ask for a copy,” says Lindsay Medalia, from 303 Group, the creative brains behind the new HBF ads. read more
Spectacle of dazzling talent read more
Thousands of sequin-studded students gather backstage, their hearts racing with anticipation. These children are about to make their stage debut before a packed Entertainment Centre and millions of television viewers nationwide, in a show that has become a springboard for young performers hoping to make it big in the music industry.
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Early start in the news: Geoff Field
For someone who has been left stranded in the desert, dangled off the top of Centrepoint Tower, placed in a shark -tank with raw meat strapped to his legs and hypnotised to believe he has died – all in the name of work – it’s somewhat remarkable that Geoff Field still loves his job. The well-known newsreader for the Kyle and Jackie O Show on Sydney’s 2DayFM says, “Even on the worst … read more
No last laugh for Sydney
It looks like Sydney can’t take a joke. In recent times, the city’s comedy circuit has become a lot less funny. While some CBD clubs and pubs still hold comedy nights, the places dedicated to providing the best comedy are struggling to keep the laughs flowing. Comedian Kathryn Bendall, from the Roxbury Hotel, says people just don’t go out anymore. “It’s so hard to get an audience here. read more
Pick up a penguin
We all know the old adage, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, but the truth is that publishers’ sales figures suggest we do exactly that. The design of a book cover is a decision that is considered crucial by publishing companies, and its creation involves the input of marketing, sales, publicity, editorial and publishing managers. read more
Comedians stand up to be counted
Comedians, actors, and the brave come together in quick-witted, fast-paced challenges that make them think on their feet to act out scenes that are chosen at random by the audience. The team with the most points and laughs takes home the glory. The game is theatresports and Sydneysiders… read more
The Diverse Museums of Sydney
As a visitor from China, I am always looking for ways to find out more about Australia and its culture. So I decide to take a photographic journey around Sydney’s museums, so I could find out more for me and then share my images with other people, including the people back home. I had heard about the famous Australian Museum, but then I found out that there are other museums that are not nearly so well know - even to Sydneysiders - which are full of fascinating things to see - and quite a lot of surprises.
The street paintings
The narrow, quiet lane that connects St Peters Station with noisy May Street is a graffiti gallery. The walls in May Lane are filled with colourful characters, images and tags. On a sunny day, the lane looks bright and vivid, and passers-by stop to take photographs. Tugi Balog was the first person to see the potential of the May Lane graffiti. He is not a graffiti artist himself but a businessman who is interested in aerosol art and concerned about the need for a safe place for graffiti artists and art. read more
