The heart of Blacktown will be alive with entertainment, art and culture this August for the first-ever Blacktown: Day + Night.
During four weeks in August, Blacktown City Council, with the support of the NSW Government, will bring an exciting program of music, food, live entertainment, art and culture to the Blacktown CBD.
Blacktown: Day + Night will feature daytime and evening events and activities, encouraging residents to reconnect with the city centre, local businesses and each other.
Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM said the month-long activation would incorporate cultural events to reflect the wonderfully diverse communities of Blacktown City.
"Blacktown: Day + Night will celebrate the multicultural City we know and love with a program of unique events in some our favourite places and spaces around the CBD," Mayor Bleasdale said.
"This will include a night-time program of music, food and entertainment in Warrick Lane, a three-day micro-festival at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre and month-long events with writers and their stories.
"Direct from Vivid 2022, we will bring the artwork and light installations from artists and students of three local high schools home to Blacktown City with The Gallery by Solid Ground.
"Join us in the in the Warrick Lane Precinct for 4 special night-time events featuring food, music, entertainment, including a South Asian Mela, Polynesian Nights, South American Carnival and African Beats.
"Flushcombe Road and tracks through the City will come alive with The Gallery by Solid Ground, when more than 90 artworks from local school students and artists are projected onto footpaths.
"Home West will be a three-day celebration of local artists and creatives with performances, films and interactive activities at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to bring your families and your dancing shoes.
"Blacktown City Libraries will host Writers in the West over four Saturdays in August, which will showcase the rich diversity of stories and artists we have in Western Sydney. Council's popular Storytime program will also feature local writers, illustrators and creatives.
"There will be something for the whole family to enjoy and I encourage everyone to come out and get involved in these fabulous events."
Storytime - 1 to 26 August: The popular Storytime program will showcase local writers, illustrators and creatives.
South Asian Mela - 5 August: A showcase of traditional and contemporary South Asian music, dance, food, and entertainment.
Polynesian Nights - 6 August: A showcase of traditional and contemporary Polynesian music, dance, food and entertainment.
South American Carnival - 12 August: A showcase of traditional and contemporary Latin music, dance, food, and entertainment, celebrating South American communities living in Western Sydney.
African Beats - 13 August: A showcase of traditional and contemporary African music, dance, food, and entertainment, to embrace the culture of the African diaspora, especially communities who have resettled in Blacktown.
Solid Ground - 18 August to 18 September: Blacktown Arts, Solid Ground and Carriageworks will partner with local high schools and young mums from Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation to activate Flushcombe Road with over 90 projected artworks and lighting.
Partners: Solid Ground, Blacktown Arts, Carriageworks, Crown Sydney, Vivid Sydney, Mandy Lights.
Home West - 18 to 20 August: From Thursday through to Saturday, residents will enjoy three days of performances, films and interactive activities, featuring a selection of local artists.
Partners: 107 Projects, FBi Radio, PYT and Blacktown Arts.
Writing workshops at Max Webber Library during the month of August
Women Out Loud: Turning Points - 27 August: Join a cross-generational conversation at the Max Webber Library in the evening with a panel of guests reflecting on turning points in their lives and the world around them that shapes their journey.
Special Guests include:
- Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, Nungarwal woman in her 30s who illustrated Cathy Freeman's book, and Bruce Pascoe's last book.
- Marta Morawiecka, a 71-year-old.woman who grew up in Communist Poland and is now a retired physiotherapist.
- Zoe Ghani, an Afghani-Australian woman in her 40s who has written a novel and has worked with the UNHCR
- Malla Nunn, a woman born in Swaziland who is now a crime writer and award-winning young adult novelist
Partner: WestWords
Blacktown: Day + Night is proudly funded by the NSW Government.
For more details, visit: www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/dayandnight
