REDFERN: It wasn’t raining on Saturday, October 22. Well, maybe just a little. Between Regent and Chalmers streets, closed to traffic for the day, Redfern Street sparkled.
Part of the City’s Sydney Streets festival series, the event attracted hundreds of locals as well as curious visitors.
Redfern businesses offered fine food and drink – bush tucker delights at Cafe Dreaming, prosecco and pizza at La Coppola Woodfire Pizza, and a pork spit at Redfern and Co.
Markd Tattoo welcomed walk-ins with tattoo artists for their Flash Day event. 107 Projects hosted musical performances and a clothing swap. There were also DJs, food stalls and games at The Tudor Hall Hotel, The Redfern, The Sunshine Inn and the Nobel Hopps.
Amid the pop-ups and alfresco diners, artists and musicians shared their work.
Tiga Bayles has been playing the didgeridoo (yidaki) since childhood. His partner, Chantal Mary Lea Haigh, makes fine beaded bracelets and necklaces – red, black and yellow beads with silver clasps.
The proud Birigubba/Gungalu/Wanurrua/Bundgalung/Yugerra man and Wakka Wakka/Bidjara woman enjoyed their interactions with passersby.
“We travelled from Brisbane to Sydney,” said Mr Bayles, a traditional culture man. “We started our culture-sharing all over the streets, south, east, west and north sides of Brisbane and Ipswich. We’ll be part of the entertainment tomorrow at Olympic Park [for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup], performing with Koomurri Incursions.”
“My beading work is inspired by Tiga’s grandmothers,” Ms Haigh explained. “Maureen Watson was a respected activist and educator – she co-founded Radio Redfern. And Katherine Reilly was a strong and beautiful woman, too.”
Mr Bayles and Ms Haigh create art and poetry at BIMBI DU on Facebook.
