Quirky creatives unite for a free block party celebrating Sydney’s art and design talent
Beatboxers, dancers, DJs, sculptors, photographers and designers will be among more than 350 creatives transforming the laneways of inner-city Chippendale with light, sound and colour at this year’s BEAMS Arts Festival on September 21.
Following on from its inauguration in 2012, the free-entry alfresco festival will see an exciting range of established and up-and-coming Sydney creatives showcasing their talents throughout Chippendale’s Balfour Street and five surrounding laneways.
Designed for all ages, BEAMS will feature video and light projections along laneway walls, interactive workshops, incredible installations, performance art and a line-up of live music acts curated by Sydney sound guru Funkdafied.
One of the laneways will host a long communal dining table, where festivalgoers can enjoy gourmet food and drinks from Sydney Food Trucks, including Cantina Mobil, Agape Organic Food Truck, Tsuru and Bite Size Delights. Local eateries including Missions Restaurant and Zigi’s Wine & Cheese Bar will also have a range of delicious options available during the event.
Other highlights will include an illuminated canopy of colourful umbrellas, breakdancing battles, drumming workshops, artworks from local galleries including White Rabbit, NG Art and MCLEMOI, live graffiti, floating LED displays and a futuristic glow-in-the-dark photo booth, to name but a few.
Creatives selected to participate range from arts and design students to well-established artists who have exhibited internationally, with all works created to the theme of Revitalisation & New World Cities.
The curatorial committee for the festival comprises Professor Lawrence Wallen, head of design at UTS, Damien Gascoigne, associate professor of design animation at UTS, Owen Craven, editor of Artist Profile, and Nicky Ginsberg, festival director, president of Chippendale Creative Precinct and owner of NG Art Gallery.
“The standard of interest and works submitted for this year’s BEAMS Arts Festival was incredibly high –testament to the enormous number of talented and passionate creatives in and around Sydney,” said Nicky.
“This festival is all about celebrating Sydney’s creative arts scene, while supporting local Chippendale creative minds and businesses, making art accessible to everyone. We can’t wait to share the standout pieces and performances at the event with our local community and beyond.”
BEAMS Arts Festival is organised by Chippendale Creative Precinct, a not-for-profit organisation promoting the local area as a vibrant creative hub and arts destination, and supporting the broader Sydney arts community.
The festival is part of the Art & About Sydney 2013 program and is supported by the City Of Sydney, Frasers Property and Sekisui House, and Production Technologies, among others.
For more information on BEAMS Arts Festival, visit www.beamsfestival.com.au or call 02 9318 2992.
SNAPSHOT:
Event: BEAMS Arts Festival 2013
Date: September 21, 5:00pm-10:00pm
Price: Free
Location: Balfour Street, and surrounding laneways, Chippendale NSW 2007
More info: www.beamsfestival.com.au
Here is a wrap up of last year’s event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UfsBGYVq7eY&noredirect=1
