If you had plans this Saturday, cancel them. Now.

Last year, City of Sydney awarded Chippendale Creative Precinct Initiative a grant of $75,000 to develop the suburb into a thriving cultural precinct. It’s definitely worked – The enormously spectacular BEAMS Arts Festival has returned for its second year.

In one night, the Chippendale community will come alive in a huge creative celebration.

“We want to make Chippendale to be the next Chelsea of New York.”

If you feel like feeding your creative little soul, or you just feel like a feed at a 45 metre long communal table, BEAMS is definitely the place to be. With over 350 participants, Chippendale’s lantern lit laneways will be spilling with imagination and creativity.

With themes and ideas surrounding ‘revitalisation’ and ‘new world cities’, the streets will be surrounded by amazing sculptural, light, art and video installations.

If it’s performance you crave, there will be oodles of street dance performances, laneways will be filled with projection sites showcasing digital works, an abundance of award winning film makers screening excerpts of their films, and the much anticipated animation and light show by the UTS Faculty of Animation and Masters students. (It was UTS who came up with the concept branding for BEAMS and now all of this has become part of the curriculum and counts as 30% towards their degree. Pretty neat, huh?)

Of course, working the creative side of your brain leaves everyone a little hungry. Never fear! A tantalising menu will be provided by a multitude of Chippendale eateries. You can then sit at a 45 metre communal dining table running the length of Little Queen Street, lit by candlelight.

It will be nothing but spectacular.

WHAT: Art, music, film, performance, design, food and all your creative festival dreams in one
WHERE: Balfour Street and surrounds, Chippendale
WHEN: Saturday 21st September, 5pm – 10:00pm
HOW MUCH: Friggin’ FREE

BEAMS | Jayne Cheeseman