CARRIAGEWORKS ANNOUNCES ANNUAL PROGRAM, AND NEW SEASONAL PROGRAMMING APPROACH 

Sydney, Australia: Carriageworks, one of Australia’s most significant contemporary creative industry hubs and located on Gadigal land, has today announced a massive annual program and revealed the introduction of seven programming streams as part of a new vision for the Redfern-based precinct.

A crucial part of Sydney’s cultural landscape, Carriageworks is renowned for hosting a diverse array of works and events and the new program structure represents a transformative phase in the venue’s history. The annual program, from May 2024 into 2025, centres around Sounds, Stages, Moves, Makers, Food, Creative Marketplace and Major Events seasons, and features the work of First Nations people in every area of the program.

As Carriageworks presents its more seasonal approach to its programming, which ranges from internationally recognised major events to the provision of space for the development and realisation of new works of art, it aims to attract new audiences and communities to the precinct.

Carriageworks CEO, Fergus Linehan, said:

“If Carriageworks is to truly thrive, it needs to be more than a building, it needs to be an idea that is built on an alliance of not just a single community but multiple communities of interest. We want to build a community that is big enough and diverse enough to match this beautiful epic building.”

Carriageworks Board Chair, Michael Gonski, said:

“We’re entering an exciting new chapter for Carriageworks, tapping into the vast potential of the precinct with expanded programming that will better serve our diverse audience. Success of our strategy will be if our Board members are begging Fergus for a ticket to the program as they are in such high demand!”

Carriageworks Sounds

Through the Carriageworks Sounds program, Carriageworks will become a more regular destination for a full spectrum music lovers. Forthcoming shows include a mini residency with Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and performances by Australia’s 2024 Eurovision entry Electric Fields, as well as Yves Tumor, Emma Donovan and a newly announced show with West Australian psychedelic rock band, Pond – all part of this year’s Vivid Sydney. This year will see the reintroduction of Carriageworks’ largest performance space, Bay 22-24, as a music venue with Australian international success story X CLUB. already well on the way to selling out.

Later in the year, for the first time, resident company Sydney Chamber Opera and Opera Australia will join forces, to present the world premiere of a new full-length Australian opera, Gilgamesh by composer Jack Symonds, from 26 September – 5 October. Looking ahead to January 2025, Carriageworks will present a special new music season across the precinct, with full details to be announced later in the year.

Carriageworks Stages

Carriageworks Stages, a program of storytelling and spoken word inviting audiences to a range of electrifying stage works throughout the year, will open with Collaborator – A Work In Progress, by the enigmatic and brilliant comedian Daniel Kitson, from 30 May – 8 June. In July, Carriageworks will play host to numerous internationally renowned works, including a limited run of the multi-award winning Counting and Cracking by Belvoir St Theatre from 28 June – 21 July, the premiere of Mununjali poet Ellen van Neerven’s achingly honest and beautiful swim presented by Griffin Theatre Company from 10-27 July, and Cut the Sky, an acclaimed collision of dance, video, poetry, and song, presented by resident company Marrugeku from 4-13 July. While Erth’s immersive Dinosaur Zoo will entertain and educate the whole family from 16-21 July.

Carriageworks Food

A cornerstone of the Carriageworks Food stream, the Carriageworks Farmers Markets will continue to be open every Saturday from 8am-1pm year-round, accompanied by a range of seasonal food programs throughout the year, featuring live cooking demonstrations, hands-on workshops and food talks. The much-loved Carriageworks Night Markets will also return for one night only on 2 August, with an impressive lineup of over 50 of Sydney’s best bars and restaurants.

As part of Vivid Sydney, Ngemba Weilwan culinary expert Sharon Winsor returns to explore the beauty of Australian native food, botanicals and culture with the Warakirri Dining Experience from 31 May – 1 June, and Carriageworks will partner with social enterprise Plate It Forward to see Coyoacán Social take up residence at the precinct during the festival to raise funds for local community kitchens. Plate It Forward will return during the season of Counting and Cracking with a pop-up Sri Lankan dining experience by Colombo Social.

Australia’s biggest cheese festival MOULD (26-28 July), Pinot Palooza (4-5 October), and the Good Food & Wine Christmas Market (22-24 November) also join the program of food events at Carriageworks celebrating sustainable practices and diverse culinary creativity.

Carriageworks Moves

Carriageworks Moves marks the beginning of summer with a joyous collection of dance, cirque and cabaret across November and December. From mid-November, a Secret Garden will bloom deep within Carriageworks with the most beautiful Speigeltent of them all – “The Famous” – as its centrepiece. The full details and program for the Secret Garden will be announced later in the year.

Carriageworks was originally conceived as a centre for contemporary circus arts, and the precinct will come full circle as three of the country’s most internationally respected companies fly, flip and tumble through the space. Gravity & Other Myths will push their physical limits in raw and frantic performances of the multi award-winning A Simple Space from 5-9 November, Circa will delight families with whimsical tales from the animal kingdom in Carnival of the Animals from 20-31 December and the young artists of Australia’s circus school the Flying Fruit Fly Circus will wow audiences with their mesmerising aerial acts and daredevil acrobatics from 23 November – 1 December.

In dance, First Nations dance company Jannawi Dance Clan will present the female-led immersive performance Garrigarrang Badu, the first-ever full-length dance work in Dharug language, in a co-presentation with Sydney Festival in January 2025. Australian choreographer Nick Power will pay tribute to hip hop’s origins with Deejay x Dancer from 14-16 November, NAISDA’s remarkable showcase of young First Nations talent will take to the stage from 21-24 November, and Sydney Dance Company return with their emerging choreographer program New Breed from 4-14 December.

Carriageworks Major Events

Carriageworks Major Events, internationally recognised events that call Carriageworks home, will return throughout the year, including Australian Fashion Week (13-17 May), Sydney Writers Festival (22-26 May), the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (24-25 August) and Sydney Contemporary (5-8 September).

Carriageworks Creative Marketplace

Carriageworks continues its commitment to being a place for artists, designers, architects and makers to connect with independently minded customers through the Carriageworks Creative Marketplace. Carriageworks will host the festival-style Finders Keepers Market from 2-5 May and 15-17 November, and the Southeast Aboriginal Arts Market will bring together Aboriginal artists across creative disciplines from 23-24 November. Additional events celebrating the myriad mediums through which people experience creativity, such as ceramics, jewellery and tattoos, will be announced later in the year.

Carriageworks Makers

Carriageworks Makers recognises the precinct as a place of making as well as presenting, proudly including Carriageworks’ Solid Ground initiative in partnership with Blacktown Arts Centre, which is now in its 9th year of providing education and employment pathways for First Nations young people. The stream also encompasses The Clothing Store Artist Studios, a program launched in 2017 to provide artists working at the forefront of contemporary practice with studio space in the heart of North Eveleigh, as well as workshops, development work and industry events by resident companies Force Majeure, Moogahlin Performing Arts and Contemporary Asian Australian Performance.

 

Carriageworks Annual Program can be found here.

Select shows will be on sale from midday Wednesday 27 March 2024.

Carriageworks Public Space Opening Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 10am-5pm

Carriageworks Farmers Market: Every Saturday, 8am-1pm