Carriageworks, one of Australia’s largest multi-arts precincts, has announced the appointment of Narangga and Kaurna man Jacob Boehme as Director, First Nations Programs.

Carriageworks CEO Blair French said: “We are delighted to welcome Jacob as our Director, First Nations Programs, a new role within Carriageworks that is focused on leading the development of First Nations artistic and cultural strategies. Jacob brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role, which he will draw upon to develop and deliver programs of First Nations work across multiple artforms as well as fostering professional and community relationships.”

A graduate of NAISDA and of the Victorian College of the Arts and an alumni of the British Council and Australia Council ACCELERATE Indigenous Leaders Program, Jacob has more than 20 years’ experience as a performer, choreographer, writer, producer and artistic director, as well as a long history of teaching in different contexts, and is currently within the cultural leadership program at NIDA. He was the founding Creative Director of Yirramboi Festival, City of Melbourne 2016-2019 and is currently artistic director for the Wild Dog project through Country Arts SA and Art Gallery of South Australia premiering at the upcoming Tarnanthi Festival. Jacob’s solo work Blood on the Dance Floor received the 2017 Green Room Award Best Independent Production and he was recipient of the 2018 Australia Council for the Arts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellowship.

Jacob Boehme said: “I am honored to be joining the team at Carriageworks as Director, First Nations Programs. As the arts and cultural sector; its artists and organisations navigate this time of transition and change, it is as much an exciting opportunity as it is challenging to reimagine what our futures might look like. I look forward to working alongside my communities, Elders and colleagues to develop and deliver a new era of First Nations arts and cultural programs at Carriageworks.”

Sydney’s newest public art gallery, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf will open to the public on Thursday 4 November 2021, housed within the architecturally reworked 122-year-old St Brigid’s building overlooking Sydney Harbour in Double Bay. The gallery’s revised opening date follows the NSW Government’s announcement that museums and galleries will be permitted to reopen after the state passes the 70 per cent double vaccination target, and will comply with public health requirements.

Launching with an inaugural exhibition featuring the finalists of the 20th Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf will be the heart of a new cultural precinct, including the Council Chambers built in 1863, the picturesque Blackburn Gardens, Murray Rose Pool, Redleaf Beach and kiosk, presenting a year-round program of contemporary art exhibitions, artist residencies and public programs.

The winner of the 20th Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize will be announced on Wednesday 3 November 2021, at a Covid-safe unveiling of the new gallery and virtual presentation. From Thursday 4 November, the Prize’s finalist exhibition will feature 52 works – each measuring up to 80cm in any dimension – by artists from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom alongside the Council’s collection of 19 previous winning works from the Prize.

Image: St Brigid’s building pre-renovation, James Horan, 2019

A new landmark cultural destination, Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) designed by internationally renowned architects Denton Corker Marshall will open to the public on 20 November 2021. The design was unanimously selected from an architectural competition in 2017 and endorsed by Greater Shepparton City Council.

Designed to act as a ‘live’ building where every surface presents an opportunity for display, event or installation, the new art museum is characterised by simplicity and clarity of materials and form and includes an art museum housing over 4,000 artworks, four main gallery spaces including a dedicated Kids Space and Workshops; Visitors’ Information Centre; Kaiela Arts Aboriginal community arts centre; an outdoor amphitheatre and Art Hill; and cafe and 150-person event space and terrace, all within an 5,300m2 cubic building.

Australasia’s premier art fair, Sydney Contemporary, has announced it will present a digital edition of 2021 Fair from 11 – 21 November due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 restrictions. Providing crucial support for the arts community, Explore Sydney Contemporary will feature 1,800 artworks by more than 450 artists hailing from countries including Australia, China, England, France, Ghana, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand, alongside a digital public program to be announced in the coming weeks.

Sydney Contemporary Founder Tim Etchells said: “When rescheduling the physical Fair to the November 2021 dates, we genuinely believed that we could run the Fair as we had always planned but regrettably, as the covid pandemic continues to impact Australia, the Sydney Contemporary team believes that a digital delivery is the safest way for us to support artists and the broader arts community at this time.”

Image: Tomislav Nikolic “To explain how it feels”, 2021 at Fox Jensen Gallery.

Sydney Design Week 2021, presented by the Powerhouse Museum, goes digital with a two-day Design Summit on the 16–17 September 2021. A program of panel discussions and talks will centre on the theme Hyperconnectivity, exploring the ties that bind us today. Curated by writer, editor and Creative Director Stephen Todd, the program connects local and international designers and global design centres including Lindsey Adelman, Ronan Bouroullec, Design Museum London, David Flack, Yasmine Ghoniem, Adam Markovitz, Jennifer McMaster, M+ Museum featuring Tina Pang and Gary Chang, Marc Newson, Ivana Taylor and Jonathan Zawada.

The Sydney Fringe has announced The Essence of Fringe, a digital program that will be presented from 10 September – 1 October 2021 to support and create new opportunities for artists in the wake of the cancellation of the 2021 Festival. The program will feature nine highlight music and theatre events from the planned 2021 physical program, three Australian premieres by award-winning American performance artist Brian Feldman and two works by acclaimed Australian artist Jon Bennett, alongside a masterclass program of seminars and workshops focused on artist career development.

For more detail and to buy tickets visit the Sydney Fringe website HERE.

Image: Symphonie Fantastique by Little Eggs. Courtesy Sydney Fringe.