Tag: arts

It’s not Little London, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen

In Hollywood, when anybody is pitching a project, they have to brace for the inevitable question from the bean counters: “Yes, but what’s it like?”

And by that they mean that they want to know that the “new” thing is reassuringly similar to a film or television show that was popular and made  money. Now, it seems, that attitude is creeping into the way we view our cities — with negative consequences for residents and tourists alike.

Continue reading It’s not Little London, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen

Brisbane’s cultural corner

Update: The closure of GoMA, as addressed in this blog post, was the topic of a spot on radio station 612 ABC Brisbane. Hear Brett Debritz talk to Spencer Howson here.

When I was a child growing up in Brisbane, the Brisbane River was the big divide. If you were born on the north side, as I was, you rarely travelled south of the river. If you born on the south, you never went north.

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The emergence of the Cultural Precinct in South Brisbane changed all that. By building a new theatre complex (the Queensland Performing Arts Centre) and relocating the State Library, Art Gallery and Museum to the southside — along with setting World Expo 88 in the grounds that are now known as Southbank Parklands, the state government created a reason for northerners to venture south and southsiders to feel a little smug.

Continue reading Brisbane’s cultural corner