reVITALise 2023 Creative Program
The reVITALise program is a series of state-wide collaborative and community-driven demonstration projects to trial creative interventions that support long term best-practice placemaking and attachment to place.
The reVITALise program kicks off with the transformation of four walkways in Sydney’s Inner West and at Central Station with rainbow lighting during Sydney WorldPride Festival 2023. The Rainbow Tunnels celebrate Sydney as one of the world’s most progressive and inclusive cities. The project is also part of TfNSW’s Safer Cities Program which supports trials of place-based approaches to improving women, girls and gender diverse peoples’ safety within public spaces.
Three rainbow tunnels in Sydney’s Inner West
Three pedestrian tunnels in Sydney’s Inner West will be reimagined with rainbow lighting artworks by local LGBTIQA+ artists as part of a broad range of activities for Pride Inner West.
As part of a strategic collaboration with Inner West Council, the installations form part of a myriad of events across three weeks of celebrations throughout the Inner West, including the renaming of Newtown Square to ‘Pride Square’.
Each of the three Rainbow Tunnels has been designed by a different local LGBTIQA+ artist and will celebrate the Inner West community and boost public space experience, sense of pride, and attachment to place. The installations are live until May 2023 and are located at three Inner West locations. Expect to see:
Petersham pedestrian subway tunnel
(accessed via Trafalgar Street and Terminus Street)
Local artist HOSSEI transforms the underpass with his design ‘Stars of Splatters’ featuring expressive neon lighting and bouncing reflective vibrant ‘splatters’ capturing the free spirit of the LGBTIQA+ community.
The Petersham tunnel project will be live until late May.
Ashfield Station pedestrian tunnel
(accessed via Brown Street and Dengate Avenue)
A whimsical, sugary, fluid landscape designed by LGBTIQA+ artists Alexandra Jonscher and Andrew Christie titled ‘Slipstream’ invites audiences to connect with various expressions of LGBTIQA+ identity in a fun, interactive and playful environment.
The Ashfield tunnel project was deinstalled in late April.
Newtown pedestrian tunnel
(accessed via Bedford Street and Trafalgar Street)
Multidisciplinary artist, Kieran Butler’s, poetic meditation titled ‘1000 Kisses’, illuminated on the walls of the tunnel.
The Newtown tunnel project will be live until late May.
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Rainbow Colonnade at Eddy Avenue
To celebrate Sydney WorldPride, the Festival of Place is bringing rainbow lighting to the colonnade along Eddy Avenue. This forms part of the revitalisation of the Central Precinct with the Sydney Terminal Building, Eddy Avenue and Eddy Avenue Plaza becoming a welcoming new day and night destination.
The new rainbow lights adorning the heritage colonnade of Eddy Avenue are for all to enjoy as you explore the city or wander on your journey home. It also celebrates the 15 new pop-up retailers that recently joined six existing businesses along Eddy Avenue to show customers and the wider community what a renewed Central Precinct could look like in the future.
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WorldPride comes to Wynscreen
Alexandra Jonscher and Andrew Christie’s artwork Slipstream extended beyond the walls of the Ashfield pedestrian tunnel and took over Wynscreen (Wynyard Station’s large digital art screen) during Sydney WorldPride 17 March - 5 April 2023.
Wynscreen combines art, culture and technology to create a series of visual experiences as it showcases a diverse range of specially commissioned works by a variety of Australian artists and animators. Join 30,000 passersby per day and be immersed and inspired by the artists fun, whimsical, and animated landscape design, populated by a series of abstract characters that signify different types of LGBTIQA+ expression.
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Find out more from our partners
reVITALise at Glen Innes
In collaboration with the Glen Innes Severn Council, reVITALise will support a creative activation demonstration project within the heart of the Glen Innes community. Through a series of workshops, the project will be locally-led and co-created by participants offering both capability building and knowledge sharing for attendees. More details to come!