Once you made it to the rooftop, it was populated with happy people of mixed ages and backgrounds eating dumplings and drinking espresso martinis. Behind the bar was a tasteful selection of indie beers and cider, with dumplings also available for those who were peckish.
The rooftop bar will be running only in conjunction with 107’s exhibitions and creative events throughout the summer, unlike the existing bar and gallery downstairs which are open Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 7pm.
Should potential patrons expect to be waiting hours to get in next time? Amy Willing of 107 Projects assures that the wait was definitely due to the novelty.
“We hope future bars will be smaller and more intimate,” she said. This will come as a relief to one would-be customer, who was so bereft to miss out that he posted on the Facebook event that he was considering parachuting in. The huge turnout came as a surprise to the people at 107; the bar has a capacity of just 30.
“We weren’t expecting it when we made the event, but after 10,000 people clicked attending we realised we’d have to step up,” said Willing. “People will come back which is great, as we can engage them in our other projects.
“Our mission statement is that we believe in the right to creative nourishment for all people. We want to create opportunities for emerging artists and community members to experience risk taking and performance that is not commercial enough to appear in a for-profit gallery or theatre setting.”
In line with this mission, coming up at 107 is Koori Gras, described as a response to Mardi Gras for LGBTIQ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Koori Gras will run from February 21-26, and will include an exhibition, a cabaret night and more. And of course, 107’s overwhelmingly popular new rooftop bar will be open too, providing opportunities to meet the artists.
