Bankstown: Arts Nights, Culture Alive

Rebecca Varidel
23rd Jan 2024

Bankstown is set to come alive and experience an arts and cultural extravaganza never seen before.

The Art Nights: Culture Alive program, will transform Bankstown into a spectacular hub of music, dance, art and culture over three memorable nights.

An outdoor augmented reality art walk, Hyperreal Amble, will weave its way through the City, connecting Bankstown Arts Centre, Incubate Studios, Paul Keating Park and Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre.

Visitors will be able to meander through the walk and experience site-specific installations and performances by seven Western Sydney-based artists – Garry Trinh, Harry Copas, Kristina Mah, Leyla Oz, Pandakero, Si Yi Shen and Travis De Vries.

The opening night on Saturday 27 January, from 5pm - 10pm, will also feature art markets, live music, creative workshops and the launch of the Blak Flaneur exhibition by Travis De Vries.

The program includes:

Workshops offered by artists Anne Kwasner, Nadia Odlum and Karen Elias at Bankstown Arts Centre; Bankstown Speculative walk-shop facilitated by Western Sydney University at Incubate Artists Studio; Art market stalls from emerging and local artists; Live performances curated by Western Sydney Collective, Beat Kitchen Records; Art Panel with exhibiting artists Travis De Vires, Molly Wagner, Bec Gallo, moderated by Creative Producer Kath Fries; Movie Screenings at Bryan Brown Theatre; Live performance art and video artworks across sites.

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek encouraged everyone to come along and experience what Bankstown’s thriving arts community has to offer.

“This is something we’ve never seen before in our City,” Mayor El-Hayek said.

“Bankstown will come to life with a diverse range of visual art, music and dance, showcasing the incredible talent we have here in Western Sydney.”

Bankstown Arts Centre Director and event curator Rachael Kiang said the program is a fun, sensorial smorgasbord that is multi-artform and multi-layered.

“Everyone can rediscover the wonders of walking as a creative and engaging social experience, beyond the mundane and ordinary,” Ms Kiang said.

The Craft Alive: Craft for Care and Connection night will be held on Thursday 15 February and the Design Alive: Design Beyond Spatial Experience night on Friday 1 March.

More details will be shared on the Bankstown Arts Centre website in the coming weeks.

cb.city/CultureAlive

Pictured artist Harry Copas