The City of Sydney picks six emerging artists to be tenants in new affordable live-work spaces

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Monica Brooks William St live_work space.jpgA visual artist, a filmmaker and a curator are just some of the creative people selected to be tenants in the City of Sydney’s first ever affordable live-work spaces for emerging artists.

The spaces have been offered to six artists for one year as part of efforts to support culture and creativity at the City’s William Street Creative Hub.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City’s program of affordable creative spaces in William and Oxford Street was giving talented Sydneysiders the opportunity to build thriving businesses and contribute to the city’s growing reputation for culture.

 

Says Lord Clover Moore: “Artists make a valuable and unique contribution to our city. In a global city like Sydney, people working in creative industries face real challenges finding affordable living and working spaces.

 

“The William Street live-work spaces are the City’s latest step in supporting creativity and culture. They build upon the success we’ve had with our creative spaces in Oxford Street, and help grow William Street’s reputation for art and innovation.”

 

The six units at 113-115 William Street in Darlinghurst feature a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and artist-in-residence work space, with a weekly rent of $250 – well below established rental rates for the area.

 

The artists were selected following a call-out for interested parties, run by the City in collaboration with independent arts organisation, Gaffa. Creative spaces will be provided at affordable rates for established and emerging artists and designers to create and live in the inner-city.

 

New William Street tenant and curator Sophie Kitson said she was excited to be part of an initiative that embraces and supports creatives to nurture and grow their businesses.

 

Says Kitson: “It’s so refreshing that the City of Sydney recognises that artists like myself need studio space in which to work, create ideas and art, build our business and develop our careers.

“My property will function predominately as an office/workspace for the development of various curatorial projects.

 

“By residing and working from the one location, I will be able to dedicate my time and energy to writing and creating programs and schedules as well as collecting and acquiring artwork and equipment to install in galleries located in the City of Sydney area.”

 

Selected from 49 applicants, the six artists moving into the premises are: 

    • Sophie Kitson – an emerging curator with a passion for contemporary art theory, biennales, experimental film and music, spatial relations, land art and rocks.  Over the last few years, Sophie has been involved in various architecture, design, public programs and arts projects in Melbourne, Sydney and Italy.

    • Monica Brooks (pictured) & Peter Nelson- multi‐disciplinary artists who together produce innovative projects using improvised music, experimental sound composition, painting, animation, 3D printing and prose. In recent years, Brooks and Nelson have presented their works at Australian and international museums, festivals and residencies.

    • Ramesh Mario Nithyendran – 2D and 3D visual artist whose works include painting, drawing and printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and installation.

    • Linda Dement – an artist and photographer whose works in photography, writing, film and digital arts have been exhibited in galleries and festivals locally and internationally.

    • Amber Boardman – a visual artist whose works explore visual representations of music and emotion fused with animated, digital and handmade elements. Amber has worked with a number of composers and live performers on a series of ‘Visual Concerts’ as well as immersive public art installations.

    • Larin Sullivan – a filmmaker and video artist who began her career in Los Angeles, working on the Sundance Film Festival. Larin works as a producer of short-form documentary and arts-related content and is currently working on an Australian biographical political drama.

 

This won’t be the first time artists have lived at 113-115 William Street. During the Depression of the 1930s, one resident, who described himself as a ‘first class pianist’, was so desperate for work he placed an ad in the Sydney Morning Herald saying he would “take anything” and had a “good Sedan car” and 12 years’ driving experience.

 

The latest group of artists and creatives will join others working in studios, offices, co-working spaces and galleries in the City’s William Street Creative Hub.

 

In June last year seven creatives working in architecture, fashion, design and digital music established their offices on Level 3 at 101-111 William Street, joining flagship commercial tenants Hub Sydney and Cloth Fabric.