When was the last time you visited your local library? If the word automatically makes you think of stale books and nerdy high school students furiously studying away, it may be time to rethink paying your library a visit, as new council initiatives are fast re-inventing them from buildings housing books to cultural hubs thriving with music and community spirit.
As reported by The Australian, after launching the Late Night Library program in Surry Hills, the City of Sydney Council is continuing to expand their program of live music performances, and this year, the events will also be held at Customs House, Kings Cross, and Newtown libraries.
The program hosts a series of free events such as jazz performances, film screenings, and music-based group discussions. After launching in 2011 and attracting 4,000 people, the events became popular among locals as it aimed to create a sense of community and night time entertainment.
The lineup in Sydney will see Triple J Unearthed folk artist Sam Buckingham featuring at Customs House Library as well as a series of film and comedy events.
“Libraries aren’t just for quiet reading anymore,” Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore tells The Australian. “We want them to be useful for everyone, including people who can’t get there in the day,” said Moore on the range of performances and events hosted by the libraries.
It’s a trend that is quickly spreading to other states, with Brisbane City Council’s Libraries now offering Fusion Fridays, a weekly event that showcases a local musical talent or a new art exhibition. Brisbane Councillor, Krista Adams praised the events for supporting “local artists and their talent… It’s becoming a community hub,” the councillor said. “Libraries aren’t just for quiet reading anymore… We want them to be useful for everyone.” – Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore
Brisbane musician, Dan Acfield, who has been a part of the Fusion Fridays events, says “it’s kind of quirky being able to play music in a place that is traditionally so solemnly quiet.”
“As an artist, it’s really rewarding to be able to play to an audience that’s interested in the subtleties of what you’re playing,” says Acfield of enjoying the library audiences.
Local music fans can look forward to the Brisbane Square Library’s Fusion acoustics event which will see Triple J Unearthed gypsy folksters, Luna Junction give a free performance.
In Victoria, the Moreland City Council are also supporting local musicians through the availability of the library for local performances. Since 2005, the Moreland City Libraries have been hosting Live at the Library, a monthly music event held on Saturday mornings which hosts “music styles including jazz, blues, world, pop, rap and rock and attracts a large and diverse audience.”
Local councillor Jackie Watts said that Moreland and Melbourne libraries provide a “unique opportunity for emerging musicians to showcase their talent.” He also spoke of how libraries are “embracing the vibrancy of Melbourne’s artistic community.” “It’s kind of quirky being able to play music in a place that is traditionally so solemnly quiet.” – Dan Acfield, Brisbane musician
Michael Brown, the founder of Campfire Collective, a boutique arts production team who put on musical events at Surry Hills library, stresses the importance of libraries as venues as they are free of the financial constraints that other venues have such as ticket and bar sales.
“Ticket and bar sales are really important, and that will always put certain limitations on a performance. Coming into a space that doesn’t have that kind of pressure provides great curatorial breadth,” Brown commented.
Similarly, the curator of the Surry Hills program, Eddie Sharpe, says the libraries also have the benefit of being a venue without any preconceived opinions. “If a venue has a bad reputation it’s hard to fight against it,” he says. “But if it has no reputation, then you’re free to experiment, take some risks.”
Sydney live music venues have experienced numerous struggles in the last twelve months, with the most prominent case being the Annadale Hotel going into receivership after suffering ongoing financial difficulties, which triggered support from Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne to fight for the support of live music, including getting council approval for a new ‘live music precinct’ to run through Sydney’s Parramatta Road.
A live music hub that the inner western Sydney suburb of Marrickville has recently thrown their support behind following a council meeting to discuss the struggles and recent closure of live music venues, including loosening restrictions on the area’s popular warehouse rave culture.
All while, City of Sydney council, led by Lord Mayor Clover Moore, recently revealed their proposed Cultural Policy, which aims to invest money in music education and in re-inventing the city’s live music scene.
