The Quarter Acre Block Party – Art and About Launch

Overview

If you think 'the quarter acre block' and 'Sydney' are about as laughable a pairing as 'affordable housing' and 'the inner west', then think again. Art & About is upon us, and to kick off the three-week festival of public art is the Quarter Acre Block Party in Martin Place, a new incarnation of launch event Friday Night Live.

This year's program for Art & About focuses on things that are 'at risk' or endangered. And what better way to reminisce about the surely extinct Australian dream of the quarter-acre block than to spend an afternoon soaking up the ole fashioned neighbourhood barbecue vibe as you drink up thanks to Cake Wines and dig into a spread by Barrel and Beast owner and sustainable chef extraordinaire Jared Ingersoll. With free entry, it all takes place in one of the CBD's most stunning acreages, Martin Place.

Shaun Parker & Company's brilliant new work Trolleys will keep BBQ-goers entertained with performances at 5.30pm and 7pm. Expect breezy tunes from The Morrisons, Bustamento and Hot Potato Band. Even Double J is helping a neighbour out with a special mixtape — cue the awwws.

And when the smell of slightly burnt-but-still-good sausages is no more, art can be your dessert, with the City of Sydney providing free 'vintage' shuttle buses from Martin Places to various galleries, who are also staying up past their bedtime. You can duck into the Art Gallery of NSW to finally check out the Archibald Prize, buy some locally crafted knick-knacks at the Artists Market at the State Library of NSW or drop in to the Late Night Library at Customs House for some tactile, architectural learning.

The Quarter Acre Block Party is on Friday, September 19, from 5pm - 10pm. The festival continues in Sydney's public spaces until October 12.