Project: Blackwattle Bay Arts and Cultural Strategy
Organisation: Infrastructure NSW
Place: Sydney
Year: 2019-2020
Project Type: Culture-led Placemaking, Strategy, Policy & Research
Header image: Blackwattle Bay and Sydney Fish Market artist impression (Infrastructure NSW)
The NSW government identified the potential for Blackwattle Bay, on Sydney Harbour, to be transformed into a busy hub for residents, workers and visitors, including the development of a new Sydney Fish Market. Infrastructure NSW therefore sought a creative placemaking strategy with a well-informed and clearly articulated arts and cultural positioning of the precinct.
Concept render for the new Sydney Fish Market (Image: Infrastructure NSW)
Outcomes
In developing the Blackwattle Bay Arts and Cultural Strategy, City People focused on creative placemaking as a driving force for creating a new identity and connection to Blackwattle Bay for future visitors, residents and workers.
We undertook extensive place analysis, best practice research and stakeholder engagement. The strategy outlined how arts and culture could reflect Blackwattle Bay’s histories, landscape and communities, activate the precinct day and night and ensure it becomes a creative ‘making place’ for its community.
We articulated how arts and culture could be reflected in both the ‘hard’ and the ‘soft’ infrastructure in the redevelopment of Blackwattle Bay with insight into how Aboriginal art, public art, art practitioner spaces, multi-use cultural venues and event spaces as well as festivals, performance, events and programming could activate the precinct.
Given the proximity of Blackwattle Bay to people and companies in the creative and knowledge industries sectors nearby, City People brought our expertise in these related sectors, as well as ‘traditional’ arts and culture, to develop the strategy.
You can find out more about the revitalisation of Sydney Fish Market and Blackwattle Bay here.
The Arts and Cultural Strategy was exhibited as part of the Blackwattle Bay Planning Proposal in July-August 2021 and can be viewed via the NSW Planning Portal here.