Candidates pledge support to Mardi Gras museum
SYDNEY: A proposed Mardi Gras museum and workshop at a key site on Oxford Street has received the support of lord mayoral candidates contesting the City of Sydney local government elections.
City of Sydney earlier this year committed to providing Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) with an exhibition space on Oxford Street for a temporary museum to mark the 35th anniversary of the Sydney Mardi Gras however SGLMG has earmarked the site of the former T2 nightclub at Taylor Square as a potential home for a permanent museum.
The plan has received support from all leading lord mayoral candidates contesting the election on September 8, with incumbent Lord Mayor Clover Moore signalling she too would reconsider a prior commitment to redevelop the T2 site into a bicycle hub. The building was bought by Council in 2010 for a reported $5.5 million following a string of homophobic and unsavoury incidents linked to the former nightclub.
“We have not yet determined the specific permanent uses and we will consult before making a decision,” Moore said.
“The building is due to be under construction for restoration and refit prior to March 2013.”
Labor’s lord mayoral candidate Linda Scott has already promised additional funding for the proposed museum.
“If elected as Lord Mayor I also recognise that establishing the museum will require considerable resources and to this end, I have committed to providing a one-off, $1 million grant of cash and in-kind assistance, to make the museum a reality,” Scott said.
Greens candidate Irene Doutney said she would support the projecrt as well as work with Mardi Gras to find an appropriate site to become a permanent workshop space.
“We think this is an excellent initiative to serve the LGBTIQ community throughout the year and to showcase Sydney’s proud history of activism and community engagement,” Doutney said.
“The Greens are committed to working with SGLMG to secure a suitable space is made available for a permanent workshop. We will pursue the use of large empty properties such as Rosebery Depot.”
Liberal Party candidate Edward Mandla said he would “fully support” the provision of a space for a permanent workshop as an in-kind contribution at no cost to Mardi Gras while he also supported the use of the T2 site as a permanent Mardi Gras museum pending a review of a business plan.
The newly formed Living Sydney party meanwhile would support the museum plans for the T2 site as well as providing a suitable venue for a workshop for only $10 rent per year.
“We believe that such a decision will give Sydney Mardi Gras and the LGBTQI community the opportunity to develop independence without interference,” Living Sydney candidate Angela Vithoulkas said.
SGLMG chair Peter Urmson said it was pleasing to see all candidates recognised the social, cultural and historical significance of Sydney Mardi Gras.
“We are pleased with the broad commitments received ... Particularly commitments for the T2 site as a Mardi Gras Museum, a permanent workshop, and sustainable funding,” he added.
- Tags: Angela Vithoulkas, City of Sydney, Clover Moore, Edward Mandla, Election, Funding, Irene Doutney, LGBTI Community, Linda Scott, Mardi Gras Museum, Peter Urmson, Sponsorship, SX, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Sydney Mardi Gras, Volunteer, Workshop
Comments (4)
I applaud the efforts of the committee working towards establishing a museum in Sydney relating to LGBT history. I am, however, somewhat concerned that this museum doesn't end up being a narrow history of Mardi Gras from the point of view of the current board. The Museum, if it eventuates should explore the breadth of LGBT history in Sydney, which is of course much much broader than the organisational history of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (or its various predecessors, back to the Gay Solidarity Group who organised the 1978 March, Mardi Gras parade etc.)
The history of LGBT Sydney is broad and has many threads as is the history of Mardi Gras itself; it is also one which has at various points been very highly contested - will the current Mardi Gras board like to explore the issues around the recent somewhat divisive name change of the parade?
The Museum, under whatever name (personally I like HomoMuseum, rather than Mardi Gras Museum), offers a great opportunity to display the multifaceted history of LGBT Sydney, with the Mardi Gras of course being very central to that history. Let's not end up with a stale exhibition space which only tells the 'approved' history of Mardi Gras.
It also deserves mentioning that there are a number of collecting institutions around Australia who have been collecting and preserving the LGBT history of Sydney for many many years, foremost of which is the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives ( www.alga.org.au), established in 1978, who amongst other things published a history of the Mardi Gras; other organisations collecting LGBT material relating to Sydney include the Powerhouse Museum, the State Library of NSW and the National Library of Australia. While many of these orgnisations have been collecting, preserving, publishing and exhiting material on LGBT life for many years, they often dont have the exhibition space to display their collections. Ideally this new Museum project should focus on working with public and private collections to display this material, rather than re-creating the wheel and establishing a new collecting institution. This would also free up more space for exhibitions.
Well Chris, let's hope you're one of its antiquities!
Because Stuart , it's not always all about you .
Hmm. Isn't a museum really just a shrine to the establishment? Else why didn't any of the candidates support me?