This week we talk to Nick Henderson who is an art historian, curator and  archivist at the National Film and Sound Archives. He is also a volunteer committee member, curator and archivist at the Australian Queer Archives (AQuA). Nick has co-curated –  as part of Sydney World Pride – four exhibitions using material from the archives

“The Party” on now at the UNSW Galleries on Oxford Street, is an incredibly diverse exhibition that documents the history of gay dance party culture from the 70s to 200os.

The exhibition story unfolds in dramatic fashion through an absorbing collection of posters, films, costumes and ephemera. It begins with early Gay Liberation dances and fundraisers at the Paddington Town Hall moving on to larger warehouse parties such as Recreational Arts Team (RAT) parties, Mardi Gras, Sleaze Ball, Sweatbox, and Inquisition, alongside alternative party spaces such as Sodom, Fanny Palace, Homo Eclectus, and Sex and Subculture.

These were heady, passionate and divisive times of social change and sexual freedom, good times juxtaposed with the danger that potentially lurked around every corner. Everyone who sees this exhibition will come away with different feelings and insights, and like all good exhibitions you might even feel changed in some way. At one moment we are struck by the unbridled hedonism; as we move through the exhibition we find ourselves contemplating a type of raw individualism – the party is as much in my head as it is around me and mysteriously the inside world and the outside world come together in psychedelic flashes – stacked up against a sense of something big happening as a collective, something to celebrate, something to find pride in – the latter a concept or movement that developed over time, but its roots here are clear; there is assuredly creativity without restraint, and of course fun, fashion and good looks;  but we are equally  mesmerised and perplexed by the play-acted violence – on film mainly –  layered without reserve or apology, or excuse, upon it’s seedy, almost sickening dark underbelly. It really is a must see.

UNSW Galleries – 14 January – 23 April

“The Air Is Electric” at the Bondi Pavilion features never before seen photographs of renowned artist, David McDiarmid.

In 1977 McDiarmid travelled to the United States photographing the emerging gay scenes of New York, San Fransisco and Los Angeles. He had just held a solo exhibition Secret Love (Dec 1976), the first explicitly gay art exhibition in Australia. Accompanying the photos in this exhibition are his diary entries and correspondence.

There was great excitement at the time, in fact the air was electric, and McDiarmid brought that sense of liberation and activism back home.

Bondi Pavilion February 10 – March 26

Muru – ba: First Nations LGBTIQA+ Trailblazers documents the interaction of First Nations LGBTQIA+ Elders with the First Nations Community  movements. This story is told through physical, digital, and street posters from the Archives.

Boomalli Gallery  February 17 – 5 March

And finally a Stephen Cummings Retrospective Gala. Australian filmmaker, curator, artist and co-founder of Queer Screen left an indelible mark on queer cinema.

At this special evening of film presented by Simon Hunt (aka Pauline Pantsdown) you will experience his complete works, featuring all nine short films that have been digitised, restored and remastered by the National Film and Sound Archives and Simon.

Event Cinemas, George St  21 February

Arts Wednesday

1 February 10.30-12.00

Eastside 89.7fm

eastsidefm.org/artswednesday

DAB+