Inner West pushing art boundaries with EDGE

Thursday, 5 July 2018

Inner West Council is set to transform the Inner West with the launch of its new cultural program: EDGE. The program will make over local neighbourhoods and precincts with art installations, street art, light projects, music and live performances that celebrate the powerful impact of creatives in our communities.

EDGE was launched on Thursday 5 July at the iconic Enmore Theatre, with artists, performers, technicians and events teams coming together to create concepts for activations throughout 2019.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said EDGE would kick off with a program of music, light and sound installations and community performances in Ashfield in September. “As Mayor I am proud that we’ve made initial funding commitment of $500,000 to initiate EDGE.

“Our aim is not to impose a Council Arts Program, but to develop a rolling series of events, activations, art installations, street art, light projects, music and live performances showcasing our creative enterprises,” he said.

“These events will be held throughout the year at five different precincts in the Inner West.

“Council is in this for the long haul. We want EDGE to build over the years to come,” he added.

“We understand that to achieve our objectives, it has to be a partnership between Council and the existing creative enterprises. It’s not something that we can hope to achieve on our own.

“By working together, we can make the Inner West the independent arts capital of Australia,” said Mayor Byrne.

EDGE Community Installation Launch at Ashfield Town Centre, September 6–9 2018

The first installation will be a Sacred Music Festival in Ashfield, which will celebrate the sacred and the intercultural with a mix of sound and art installations, music, performances and projections.

Buildings will light up with poignant life stories from three generations of Ashfield residents, as the suburb’s laneways host photo art projects and community performances pop up across the area.

EDGE in 2019

Autumn 2019: Iron Cove Bay, the GreenWay and Canal Road’s creative spaces will come alive with sound and light elements exploring environmental themes.

Winter 2019: The industrial heartlands of Sydenham will get darker and more brooding while inviting you to test your mettle inside the suburb’s creative forges. Projections will light the way with art and music performance trails by local creatives through studios, laneways and factories.

September 2019: Discover the hidden backstreets and laneways of Ashfield with a joyful mix of pop-up installations and intimate events with a spotlight on cultural diversity.

November 2019: Leading up to the Newtown Festival, EDGE celebrates art and activism. Real world and virtual tours will map a dynamic mix of social enterprises, street art, makers’ studios and creative revolutionaries on the frontline of social change.

October 2019: Explore matters of the mind and uncover the rich history and heritage of Callan Park with talks and installations by writers, storytellers, thinkers and filmmakers.

Local creatives are invited to register their interest on www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/EDGE and apply for Council grants to help execute their EDGE inspired ideas.

For further information, please contact John Roper on 0435 963 787.