LORD MAYOR’S MESSAGE

‘Fostering a Cultural and Creative City of Sydney.

The City of Sydney is again delighted to sponsor the 17th Biennale of Sydney, Australia’s pre-eminent showcase for local and international contemporary art. In 2010, I will once again be pleased to host the Lord Mayor’s Access Day to help open the Biennale to all people.

The arts challenge and delight us; they help us understand ourselves and our world; they express who we are and give voice to our fears and aspirations.

THE BEAUTY OF DISTANCE: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age will explore the power of art in responding to threats such as conflict, famine, environmental despoliation and global warming. The Biennale’s capacity to provoke and inspire will, I hope, encourage us to take action to meet this challenge.

Support for Sydney’s cultural life is an important part of the City’s activities. We stage or sponsor a huge range of cultural events, from Chinese New Year to the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, to Vivid and the Sydney Writers’ and Sydney Film Festivals.

The City is enlivening our streets with innovative public art projects, including the annual By George! program of laneway installations; and to keep artists working in the city, we are converting a former Council depot in Woolloomooloo into studios.

Supporting Sydney’s artistic and creative industries is crucial to the City’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan to build a green, global and connected city. We want to provide leadership on new cultural partnerships and programs, and ensure our creative industries are competitive on a global scale and have a truly sustainable future.’

Lord Mayor Clover Moore, MP

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