February 2024 looms large and Qtopia Sydney’s permanent space at the former Darlinghurst Police Station will open to an international audience – what will become the largest permanent Centre for Queer history and culture in the world.
With almost $4 million dollars in support from the New South Wales government, paired with the contribution of the old Darlinghurst Police Station, Qtopia Sydney has built upon the groundswell of community and corporate support, with a commitment to having education programs in place for schools to take advantage of in the 2024 school year.
With seed funding from the City of Sydney and a $1 million commitment from Founding Partner the Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch Foundation, a further $300,000 has been raised to date, allowing the appointment of several roles, including that of experienced educator Ruth Shipman.
With the incredible support of the NSW Department of Education and the NSW Teacher’s Federation, Ms Shipman is leading the delivery of meaningful educational programs, including pre and post excursion support for teachers, creating an exciting excursion to Qtopia Sydney.
The program will also be transportable for incursions and online delivery, ensuring that students in rural and remote areas, indeed the whole country, can benefit from programs that strike at the heart of community harmony and growth. To ensure that curated material aligns with school curricula and focusses on the pillars of inclusion, diversity and visibility, Queer awareness will be brought to life with the expansion of the curatorial team to include six experienced, professional curators who will deliver world class stories within the inaugural exhibition spaces at 301 Forbes St Darlinghurst, when the centre officially opens in mid-February.
“Led by Dr Liz Bradshaw, a teacher at the National Art School and an established artist with over 30 years sector experience, Qtopia Sydney is now calling for six passionate curators to deliver Queer stories that will inform and excite, remember and celebrate,” said Greg Fisher, CEO of Qtopia Sydney.
“We are now underway and recruitment of LGBTQIA+ curators will be forever ongoing, as we evolve and change most of our exhibitions every three to four months. The key is to have community stories told and re-told by those who live them and understand their complexities.
“To include performative, digital, interactive and traditional mediums, the curators will oversee work on multiple diverse projects that celebrate Queer history and culture,” Fisher said.
“Sydney World Pride 2023 ensured that Sydney was truly a world focal point for the Queer community. The legacy of all that tremendous work, will be the ongoing stories told at a level that will attract both local and international visitors,” he concluded.
If you are a passionate storyteller with vision, ambition and advanced research skills, we extend an invitation to share your knowledge, expertise and talent in a commitment to tell the stories of your community. Expressions of interest from LGBTQIA+ artists across the country are welcomed via qtopiasydney.com.au, with First Nations, non-Anglo, trans and non-binary individuals strongly encouraged to apply, outlining research interests, experience and curatorial approach to LGBTQIA+ stories.
