Overview
Last month, you learned that Sydney would play host to the first Global Cities After Dark forum, held in collaboration with the Electronic Music Conference and Amsterdam Night Mayor Mirik Milan this November.
Now, the one-day event's inaugural speaker lineup has been announced, promising a thought-provoking program led by night culture specialists from across the globe. The invite-only forum, to be held on November 28, will give local leaders and planners the chance to score valuable insights from international experts, which in turn will hopefully instigate some positive changes to Sydney's own troubled nightlife culture.
Global Cities After Dark will feature inspiring keynotes from five overseas visitors, with Mirik Milan joined by the likes of Lutz Leichsenring of Berlin non-profit The Creative Footprint, who'll discuss indexing the artistic landscape of urban spaces, and consultant psychiatrist and CEO of Global Drug Survey Adam Winstock, who will chat about health and wellbeing in night culture, and striving for zero harm.
Meanwhile, a Sydney at Night panel discussion led by guests from City of Sydney and Create NSW will explore new initiatives in development. There'll also be a range of expert sessions hosted by the likes of Icebergs' Maurice Terzini, Animals Dancing's Andee Frost and SLAM's Helen Marcou, which will delve into specific aspects of night culture, including food and housing creativity.
Describing his involvement in the event as 'a dream come true', Milan explains that "by sharing ideas for a safe and vibrant nightlife, it empowers bottom-up initiatives after dark that contribute to and strengthen creative cities around the world". You can read our chat with Milan on how to build a nightlife-friendly city here.
The forum will return to Sydney each November for the next three years.
GLOBAL CITIES AFTER DARK 2017 LINEUP
Adam Winstock, Global Drug Survey
Andee Frost, Animals Dancing
Andreina Seijas, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Anne Loxley, C3 West
Anne Malloch, City of Melbourne
Baby Guerrilla, Artist
Barrie Barton, Right Angle Studio
Brett Robinson, Icebergs Group
Chris Raine, Hello Sunday Morning
Clare Holland, FBi Radio
Declan Lee, Gelato Messina
Dr Caitlin Hughes, National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre
Emily Collins, Music NSW
Glen Cassidy, Cake Wines
Helen Marcou, Bakehouse Studios / Save Live Australia Music (SLAM)
Jemma Cole, Soft Centre
Jess Scully, City of Sydney
Joel Edmondson, Q Music
Kate Becker, Office of Film & Music City of Seattle
Kees Dorst, UTS
Kevin Nuttall, Waterfield
Kirsty Rivers, Creative Victoria
Libby Harris, City of Sydney
Lutz Leichsenring, Berlin Clubcommission/The Creative Footprint
Marie-Louise Theile, James Street Initiative
Maurice Terzini, Icebergs Group
Mirik Milan, Night Mayor of Amsterdam
Sarah Barron, MCA
Simon Shaw, Capstone Collective
Tyson Koh, Keep Sydney Open
Global Cities After Dark will take place on Tuesday, November 28. The event is invite-only and registrations have now closed. But you can join the waiting list at globalcitiesafterdark.com.
Image: Yaya Stempler.