P.O.P Festival
Alexandra Jobin and Marli Roberts

A festival of Performance, Optic, Phonic (POP) art interventions in public spaces

This temporary activation proposal aims to activate public spaces, support Sydney’s professional and community-based arts and cultural sector, and nurture a sense of community.

Greater Sydney councils in collaboration with community groups, the commercial sector and professional arts companies, will co-design and co-curate a collection of art interventions across Sydney over a two week period. Interventions will be staged in public places to promote equitable access to arts and culture.

To enable councils and the arts and cultural sector to seamlessly host a pop-up, a toolkit will be provided to registered groups. The toolkit will help guide the efficient planning and delivery of pop-ups and will provide guidance to minimise costs and administrative road blocks. This may include regulatory and promotion advice and a kit of technology, equipment and tools. Items in the equipment kit can be hired, gifted or sponsored.

Pop-up art interventions may include performance (dance and theatre), optic (street art, photography and light art), and visual (soundscape and talks).

Interventions will consider additional place activation elements to enhance experiences such as participatory activities, integration with food and beverage, use of informal street furniture, and inclusive experiences that provide sensory diversity.

There is no one-size-fits-all, the scale and number of interventions can vary by local government area and can change over time. Long-term, the festival may be scaled-up to regular pop-up interventions.