SquatSpace has been invited to be part of an exhibition at The Performance Space, Sydney.
As part of the current show, There Goes The Neighbourhood, a long awaited Tour will be offered-see details below.
There Goes the Neighbourhood is an exhibition, book and forum for dialogue investigating the politics of urban space.
Drawing on the immediate experiences of Redfern, local and international artists explore the complex life of cities and how gentrification is altering the relationship between democracy and demography around the world.
Artists include: Daniel Boyd, Brenda L Croft, Lisa Kelly, SquatSpace, You Are Here, 16beaver, Temporary Services, Michael Rakowitz, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, Evil Brothers, Miklos Erhardt and Little Warsaw, Jakob Jakobsen, Democracia, BijaRi, and re-enactment of Allan Kaprow's Push and Pull: A Furniture Comedy for Hans Hofmann (co-ordinated by Lucas Ihlein, Nick Keys and Astrid L'Orange).
The Tour of Beauty: Sunday, 31 May, 2009, 1pm-5pm
There are some *strictly limited* places on the Tour of Beauty bus – please book immediately.
Date: Sun 31 from 1pm-5pm. Arrive by 1pm sharp, please!
Where: Meet at entrance to
Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh [see it on
google maps]
Bookings: places are strictly limited, so book in advance by emailing info@squatspace.com
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
In late 2004, the NSW government formed the
Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA), and granted itself sweeping powers to displace residents and pave the way for urban renewal.
The RWA is yet to announce exactly what its plans are, but it is likely they will involve:
- an attempt to reduce the indigenous population on the Block, against the wishes of its current owners, the Aboriginal Housing Company
- the sale of key local community assets, such as the Redfern Public School, Rachel Forster Women's Hospital, and the Redfern Courthouse
- the selective re-writing of heritage laws in order to allow for the private development of these sites
- the reduction of health and community services in the area
- a doubling of the population from 20,000 to 40,000 residents
- a lack of proper community consultation in the planning and implementing of these changes
- a lack of accountability: Frank Sartor (the head of the RWA) answers to the State Minister for Planning (who also happens to be Frank Sartor)
SquatSpace has been meeting with local community representatives in an attempt to understand exactly what the RWA's actions would mean for life in Redfern/Waterloo.
The issues are extremely complex, and not easy to grasp simply by reading news articles or looking at maps. The best way to "get a feel" for the area is to see it with your own eyes, and have a chance to ask questions and raise concerns. This is why we are co-ordinating the bus tours during September and October 2005.
Sites we will visit on the bus tour include:
- The Block, the heart of indigenous housing and culture in Sydney
- The Settlement, Australia's longest running community centre
- Redfern Public School, Redfern Courthouse, Rachel Forster Hospital, all slated for private sale and development
- The public housing towers in Waterloo (pictured above)
- The Danks St gallery precinct (SOCS) - "a little piece of Paddington in Waterloo".
- Redfern Oval (traditional home of the South Sydney Rabbitohs) which the local community wants to have converted into a sports facility for public use.
Further info:
We are indebted to our friends at
REDWatch, who have spent hundreds of hours trawling the media and posting relevant information on their website. In addition, the
Aboriginal Housing Company keeps an updated page.
