Published
Sat, Dec 9, 2023, 09:00
- Participants called the New South Wales Police Force "antagonistic" and noted that cultural funding was challenging to obtain.
A 2023 study commissioned by the New South Wales government's Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner has raised some issues in Sydney nightlife.
Conducted by research consultancy and advocacy agency VibeLab, the report examined the city's Creative Footprint—or the cultural strength and impact of its music and nightlife based on factors such as policies and regulations, public transportation, funding, community focus, venue size and more. Two of the areas needing the most improvement were reportedly policing and funding.
According to focus group conversations, multiple venue operators, promoters and artists said the NSW Police Force can be seen as "excessive, antagonistic and uneven." They noted that law enforcement's large presence and use of dogs at events can stimulate unease and cause attendees to feel less safe, especially people of colour. Participants also acknowledged a "genre-based discrimination" where hip-hop and electronic music events could be considered high-risk and were trusted less by police.
"You're trying to give these communities safe places to have these events," one participant said. "Nothing goes wrong and it's very positive... and then you've got 15 police officers standing in the corner having a presence to instill fear. It’s a shame."
The inequality also extends to funding, participants said. Many viewed nightlife's barriers to entry as non-inclusive, saying government funding was "a tokenistic tick-box exercise" and "always going to the same or wrong people." The application itself was perceived as "impossible to navigate" and "too lengthy" for some as well.
Based on the learnings, VibeLab gave the NSW government five recommendations: strengthen nightlife precincts, simplify pathways to new venue ownership, restructure the funding process, support an equitable approach to policing and enable local artists to delevop international artists.
Read Sydney's full 2023 Creative Footprint Report.
Photo: Andre Hunter