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Friday 18 September 6pm - 9pm

Kensington Street’s Block Party is bound to be a stellar night, when Sydney’s creative talents will pass their palms over Sydney’s newest laneway destination to transform it into a flickering cosmos of art, music, performance and culinary mastery, while our esteemed guests cluster like nebulae in the street. Kensington Street will burn stunningly bright, for the very first time.

Local artisans and crafters will be held in orbit on Kensington Street during this plein-air party, hemmed in by old heritage houses and rising contemporary structures. Art, music, performance and culinary stylings will fuse together with a white-hot energy that’ll outshine all else. From 6-9pm on Friday 18 September, this revitalised urban village will glow and its light expand exponentially into the night sky.

On the UN/Unesco 2015 International Year of Light, Kensington Street boasts a kaleidoscope of art, light and video installations to leave our audience starry-eyed. From a full spectrum of emerging, mid-career and established artists, here’s a glimpse of what the evening holds:

Laura Jade Hindes brings forth Cerebral Nebula (Brain Light), an interactive brain sculpture that lights up in response to brain activity, transmitted via a wireless headset, so “no physical touch [is] required except the power of thoughts.”

But what lies within an artist’s brain? Video installation Infinity will pave a meandering path through the forest residing in Jia Guo’s head, populated with fantastical visuals.

Can we shake ourselves out of the dream? Moonlight Sonata by Julia Featherstone blurs all boundaries between the real and unreal to disrupt Sydney’s dark urban centre with a mysterious desert mirage.

And as these different universes collide on Kensington Street, WAY_FINDR from MOP Projects will dot the laneway with digital checkpoints, laying out a smattering of constellations for visitors to navigate!

light_notations.01, from Chris Bowman and Michael Day, conducts the alchemy of illuminated movement within a dark space, with optical prototypes to refract light and photographs to document them. The duo examine light in flux and in suspension, an insight into the binary forces that exist in our world.

Naomi Chilcott’s Hero(ine) casts a centre-stage spotlight on the women of retro comics characteristically eclipsed by the bravado of their domineering male counterparts. With their fiery glares, Chilcott’s heroines cut through any voyeuristic gaze to strike with incredible power.

These terrace houses that previously sheltered the private lives of factory workers will now showcase Sydney’s vast artistic talent for public viewing.

Formerly the site of lodging houses and Tooth & Co. brewery, Kensington Street has been a soundscape of industrial echoes and men at work in its past. However, our block party will fill it with a different sound - music!

A quality acoustic lineup sees the likes of Kartik Kuna and Joshua Burgh take to the laneway stage, ready to strum the night away with mellow tunes of yesteryear blues.

Tread across Astrid Zeman’s ambient soundscape, sink into the hypnotic theorbo renditions of Dan John Morris.

Jive to the gleaming electronic melodies of Daisy Sherwood-Miller, or sway with Frieda’s Boss, who’ll delve out chilled reggae beats for the whole Rum Bar crowd to enjoy.

Art is spectacle. Art is awe. And our performance artists will extend the night’s festivities to astronomical proportions!

Roll up, roll up to the Sydney University Recreational Circus Arts Society, aptly abbreviated as SURCAS, who will throw the night into a spin with their jugglers and fire twirlers! Be charmed by Kensington Street’s wandering trumpeter and saxophonist, set to serenade every lovely listener.

Classically trained dancers will take to the stage, no, the table tops. A Japanese bondage display will excite the curious: a glimpse into Chippendale’s secreted fetish history.

Opera singer Hester Hannah will conjure up the trauma of a ruined woman in her powerful rendition of Handel’s famous cantata, Lucretia.

With the hushed reverence of a dark auditorium, the blazing torches of a carnival ground and the unadulterated madness of Sydney’s explosive talents, these performances will stun any unsuspecting guest.

In the words of Kara Zmatiq, "embrace your freak and never let anyone hold you back from the queen you know you are."

 

 

Prior to its November launch, Bistrot Gavroche will offer exclusive previews of upcoming dishes, tailored to Kensington Street’s young, cosmopolitan profile and set to charm Sydneysiders with Brasserie Gavroche chef Frederic Colin’s French flair.

Mark and Pla Verhoeven, heading Cafe Glider, will add to the laidback BEAMS atmosphere with the earthy, organic vibes of their coffee shop, complete with a menu sourced from Thai home recipes!

Wander down Spice Alley, where hawker-style eatery Kopi-Tiam will serve up Asian cuisine cooked to perfection: Chinese at Alex Lee Kitchen, Thai/Vietnamese fusions from Bang Luck Thai Street Food, Malaysian spices at Old Jim Kee, and Hong Kong Diner bringing a taste of the Asian metropolis to Sydney’s hidden courtyards.


Photo by Broadsheet

Got a sweet tooth? Dessert by Reynold will be on the scene with some heavenly desserts. Polish up your evening with wine from Single Vineyards, a cocktail or two at the newly lacquered Bar Chinois - breakfast haven by day, Chinoiserie bar by night.

From 6-9pm on Friday 18 September, Kensington Street will pulse and radiate with the diverse energies of Sydney’s lifestyle scene. It’s a testament to the genuine creative talent thriving within this city.  

What lies at the core of Kensington Street’s Block Party, as well as this year’s BEAMS Festival, is "phenomena" - natural forces at work that we observe and often marvel at. But phenomena can only be appreciated if its wonder is shared, so Kensington Street extends an invitation to all - to our VIP guests, come to witness this cultural supernova explode to life and outshine all else!   

Located on the fringe of Central Park, Kensington Street is Sydney’s brand new laneway destination, hidden within Sydney’s vibrant and eclectic Chippendale precinct.

Introducing a food and lifestyle hub, Kensington Street will be home to a stunning selection of food, beverage and specialty merchandise tenancies showcasing a full spectrum of offerings including international cuisine, galleries, small bars and quirky retail!

WHAT:

WHEN:  

WHERE:    

ADMISSION:  

Kensington Street Block Party

Friday 18 September, 6-9PM

Enter Kensington Street via Carlton Street entrance

Strictly invitation only

PLEASE REMEMBER: BRING YOUR INVITATION OR SHOW YOUR
E-INVITATION ON YOUR PHONE TO ENSURE ENTRY.

 
 
 

Nicky Ginsberg
Kensington Street Creative Director

Greencliff
02 8823 8818
info@greencliff.com.au




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