Crossroads

The 4th Annual Kings Cross Arts Festival is running from 18th October to 1st November 2003 and will feature free outdoor events, theatre productions, music events, visual arts, film, literature and forums.

All events draw on the rich talents of artists living and working in the area. This year's theme is New Spaces, reflecting the current changes the Cross is undergoing.

Enjoy free outdoor events including music in Fitzroy Gardens, Sat Nov 1 from midday – 5pm including the NSW Police Swing Band, Band of Gitlix featuring Maurice D’Abruzzo and ex-Matt Finish drummer John Prior, Indonesian electronic percussion group Anything But Roy and Waiting For Guinness playing a combo of cabaret and stomping polka. There’s also free Beat Poetry by the people for the people in Piccolo Park, cnr Roslyn St and Ward Ave from 4pm on Sun 26 Oct.

Other music events include a concert with Kings Cross local Don Walker From the Bush to the Cross on Sat Oct 18 at 9pm at the Sydney Aussie Rules Club ($25/$20), a on the last day of the Festival, a concert from songwriter/performer Dave McCormack and The Polaroids Sat 1 Nov at 9pm also at the Sydney Aussie Rules Club ($15/$12).

Local DJ Kate Monroe, VJ Myvanwy and bassist Davage from Pre-Shrunk are playing it hard with bass driven house music and live video mixes on Mon 27 Oct, 9pm at SOHO Bar and Lounge, 171 Victoria St, Potts Point, ($10 at door).

The visual arts events include Cross Projections – a slide show from ten local photographers revealing Kings Cross over the years, at The Royal Institute of Architects, 3 Manning St, Potts Point on Tues 21 and Thurs 30 Oct 6.30pm Tix $10.
Twenty five original strips of the popular Living With Adam cartoon strip featured in Sydney Star Observer magazine by writer/cartoonist Jeff Allan will be on exhibition at Bayswater Fitness, 33 Bayswater Rd during the Festival. An annual Art Prize and exhibition will be held at the TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer St, Darlinghurst from 21-Oct – 1 Nov, 12-6pm daily.

The film program includes: Gems from the Underground - a program of short films made by independent filmmakers who came into prominence in the 1960’s including Garry Shead’s Ding a Ding Day and Fanta, Jim Sharman’s Arcade, Cars shot in Taylor Square by Paul Winkler, and Puttin on the Ritz by Antoinette Starkiewitcz from the Yellow House Community. Tues 21 Oct 8pm at Sydney Aussie Rules Club, $12/$10 at door.

John Wilkinson enlists the help of his friends, members of the bands Mental as Anything, The Johnnies, X and other surprise guests as he presents the highlights and lowlights of his 20 year career as one of Australia’s most inventive video clip makers at Cliptomania Party on Thurs 23 Oct, 8pm Sydney Aussie Rules Club $8 at door. Egos, stuff ups and bad behaviour will be revealed along with some of the most iconic film clip making.

Theatre productions at local Kings Cross venues, the Stables and Darlinghurst Theatres feature local actors Bille Brown and Max Cullen performing in their own new works. Bille Brown and Carol Burns play the Australian painter William Dobell and Dame Mary Gilmore respectively in Brown’s new play Bill and Mary which was performed at QTC last year. 4 performances only Suns 19 & 26 Oct, 2pm & 5pm at the Stables, $27/$22. Max Cullen has self-devised a multimedia show based on the life and deadlines of Sydney humourist writer Lennie Lower at the Darlinghurst Theatre Tues 21 – Sat 25 Oct, 8pm, + Sat 25 Oct 4pm, $27/$22.

Kings Cross Crime Stories is a tribute to crime writer Carter Brown hosted by crime fan Robbie McGregor and presented by local crime writers Steve J Spears, Robert G Barrett, Larry Writer, Susan Geason and John Paramour reading extracts from their stories: Sat 25 Oct at 2pm at Sydney Aussie Rules Club. $25/$20. The Devil is a Woman: Mandy Sayer and Louis Nowra evoke the drama and tragedy of the relationship between the Witch of the Cross Rosaleen Norton and the famous conductor/composer Eugene Goosens through diary extracts, poems, letters and fiction. Sydney Aussie Rules Club Sat 1 Nov 2pm $25/$20.